McNeese Autism Program

11/12/2025

MAP November News:
✨Staff Spotlight: Malik Scott ✨

Let’s shift the focus to someone who has truly grown alongside the McNeese Autism Program—Malik Scott!

Malik has been part of the MAP family ever since he began his undergraduate degree at McNeese, and from day one, he’s been one of the kindest souls you’ll ever meet. His compassion radiates not only through the way he supports our learners during sessions, but also in how he interacts with every single person around him. There’s a calmness and understanding in the way he approaches people that reminds us what it truly means to connect before you correct.

Over the years, Malik has assisted on multiple direct client care teams, contributed to data collection and target development, and even participated in programming meetings—offering thoughtful insight on what he’s observed in sessions. He’s also been an invaluable member of our Super Start Social Skills Team, where his natural empathy and patience have helped create meaningful moments for so many of our learners.

If you ask any of our Behavior Analysts, they’ll tell you the same thing: Malik is a natural. In fact, we have been gently (…while some more aggressively) trying to convince him to join our Applied Behavior Analysis graduate program here at McNeese! However, Malik’s heart is currently set on counseling—and honestly, we can all see why. His ability to listen deeply and create safe, supportive spaces is something truly special.

Still… we can’t help but imagine what a superhero he’d be if he were both a Behavior Analyst and a Counselor—and if anyone could pull that off, it would be Malik!

As he prepares to graduate this December, we’re all feeling that bittersweet mix of pride and disbelief. It’s hard to imagine MAP without him, but we know that wherever life takes him next, he’ll bring the same kindness, intelligence, and dedication that have made him such an integral part of our team.

Malik, thank you for everything you’ve done—for our learners, for your colleagues, and for the energy you’ve brought to MAP. We’re endlessly proud of you and so excited to see all that you’ll accomplish. And hey… we still have a couple of months left to convince you to come to the dark side—er we mean Applied Behavior Analysis (just kidding… mostly).

Here’s to you, Malik—you’re not just good at what you do, you’re great. 💛

11/10/2025

MAP November News:
🍂 Falling for Progress—One Smile at a Time 🍂

This season, our learners reminded us that change can be beautiful—especially when it’s measured in growth. Fall is a time for transformation, and that’s exactly what we celebrate every day at the McNeese Autism Program. Each picture captures not just a moment, but the outcome of countless moments of teaching, learning, and connection.

Behind every joyful laugh and leaf toss, there are carefully crafted behavior-analytic goals being met—skills like attending, imitation, communication, social interaction, and life skills—all embedded naturally through play and positive reinforcement.

We’re grateful to our families for trusting us with these incredible little humans, and to our staff and interns whose compassion and science-based dedication make days like this possible.

Because here at MAP, progress doesn’t just happen—it’s shaped, nurtured, and celebrated. 🍁💛

11/08/2025

✨Ended the Week on a High Note! ✨

The McNeese Autism Program (MAP) had such a wonderful end to the week as we joined Freshman Foundations—a fantastic opportunity to connect with brand-new Psychology majors beginning their academic journey!

Together with our colleagues from the Kay Doré Counseling Clinic (KDCC) and several of our instructors and faculty members, we were able to share insight on the many directions a Psychology degree can take you—from counseling and clinical psychology to the ever-growing field of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA). We also discussed how thinking about graduate school pathways early on can make a world of difference, and our faculty shared some of their own experiences and advice for success.

At MAP, we were especially excited to highlight that students don’t have to wait until graduate school to gain real-world experience—our program offers undergraduates the opportunity to work directly alongside graduate students and Board-Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs). Through supervised, hands-on training with clients, students see firsthand how the science of behavior is applied in a clinical setting to create meaningful, measurable change. For many, this experience helps clarify whether they’re ready to contribute to a field dedicated to understanding and improving human behavior.

A huge thank-you to Dr. Matzenbacher for organizing this event and for inviting us to share both our knowledge and our passion for this field with McNeese’s newest Psychology students.

And speaking of gratitude—a warm thank-you also goes out to Ms. Angela Leonard from Frazar Memorial Library, whose generosity and kindness, alone, will make such a difference for our learners. Ms. Angela donated beautifully illustrated oversized books, a bookshelf, tables, chairs, and even a bright frog-themed rug—all perfect for our Super Start social-skills and language groups.

These large, vibrant books don’t just make story time more engaging—they serve as behavior-analytic teaching tools, helping our learners build foundational pre-verbal and language skills such as receptive identification (learning to recognize and name objects like “hippo,” “anaconda,” or “penguin”)—skills that later evolve into more complex language and concept formation.

Ms. Angela, your thoughtful contributions will bring joy and learning to so many young minds, and we can’t wait to see our learners’ excitement when they discover everything in place on Monday! 💛 (as you ca see the adults are clealry excited for the big books here too)!

We are endlessly grateful for our campus partnerships and the support that allows our program to keep doing what it does best—changing lives through science, compassion, and collaboration.

11/03/2025

MAP November News:

✨October Employee of the Month: Jordan Daigle✨

Jordan’s professional growth within MAP has been extraordinary to watch. Beginning his journey with us as an undergraduate freshman years ago, he has since returned as a graduate intern and graduate assistant—fully dedicated to advancing his training and becoming a future Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA).

Jordan embodies the core values of applied behavior analysis: compassion, accountability, and precision. He brings a level of emotional intelligence and consistency to his work that enhances not only client outcomes but also team morale. He is intentional with his words, thoughtful in his actions, and genuinely invested in the wellbeing of those around him.

In addition to providing high-quality direct services, Jordan has played a key role in the dissemination and implementation of MAP’s training curriculum. As an active member of the Training Team, he has helped deliver onboarding content, trained new Registered Line Technicians and interns, and contributed to ensuring that skill acquisition and session fidelity remain at the forefront of our training model.

Jordan’s expanding interest in Organizational Behavior Management (OBM) reflects his systems-level mindset—he continues to explore ways to improve programming fidelity, staff performance, and long-term retention outcomes across our organization.

🌿 Fun fact: Jordan also has an incredible green thumb! He’s become our unofficial plant whisperer—making sure that the greenery around MAP thrives just as much as the people and programs he nurtures.

We are so grateful to have Jordan on our team. His compassion, professionalism, and commitment to excellence make him a true asset to MAP and to our field. Please join us in congratulating him on this well-deserved recognition! 💙

11/02/2025

11/02/2025

Each Halloween, our campus transforms into something extraordinary—not just a maze of costumes and candy, but a living reminder of what makes this university feel like home: connection.

This year’s Campus Candy Crawl was a true collaboration across departments, and we’re deeply grateful to every team who welcomed our clients and staff with open doors (and even wider candy bowls). From Athletics to Frasch Hall, your creativity, kindness, and humor turned a simple event into a campus-wide act of community care. 💛

🧩 With heartfelt appreciation to:
Fieldhouse Athletics • Alumni Office • Office of University Advancement • Facilities/Maintenance • MSU Police Department • Student Central Office • College of Agriculture • President’s Office • Provost’s Office • IRE South • Nursing & Health Professions • Psychology and Counseling at Hardtner • IT/MARCOM • VP Business Affairs • Purchasing • Human Resources • Dean’s Office • Freshman Advising • English & Foreign Language • and PRIME 💙💛

Your presence reminded us that joy can be as simple as laughter echoing down a hallway, a costume that makes everyone smile, or a shared piece of candy between departments who might not otherwise cross paths.

To everyone who participated—you didn’t just celebrate Halloween. You celebrated belonging with the utmost inclusivity. 🕯️

Thank you for reminding us that collaboration can be sweet, connection can be creative, and the best kind of magic happens when we all show up for each other 💙💛

11/01/2025

10/30/2025

🎭 MAP Presents: Death Behind the Velvet Curtain 🎪
A Murder Mystery Masquerade Party—written and directed by Preyeta Hossain, Clinical Behavior Analyst (and part-time chaos coordinator).

In appreciation of our phenomenal staff and faculty, MAP threw a night of intrigue, costumes, and criminally good snacks. 🍿💀 Between popcorn bars and “Cotton Curse-y” mocktails, our detectives went full CSI: Carnival Edition.

Hosted by Tilly Caspora, Trainer of the Six Wonder Peacocks (known offstage as Preyeta)—and assisted by her ever-graceful, quick-witted host’s helper, Ethan Alleman, “The Golden Plume,” one of her prized Peacocks. Huge thanks to this guy for keeping the carnival (and its ringmaster) from spinning completely out of orbit. If Tilly brought the theatrics, The Golden Plume brought the operational excellence—and the cue signs reminding everyone exactly when to GASP. 🦚

🕯️ The Plot Thickens…
The night began with tragedy—Madame Vespera, the carnival’s fortune teller, was found dead. But this was no ordinary crime. Every performer had secrets she knew too well—and it was those very secrets that made them the prime suspects:
🎪 The Ringmaster (Jessica Snowden)
🎨 The Face Painter (Dr. Ellie Wroten)
🔮 The Fortune Teller’s Assistant (Malik Scott)
🤸‍♀️ The Acrobat (Lexi Broussard)

Detectives collected statements from a suspiciously articulate Mechanical Automaton, a Magician who couldn’t disappear fast enough, a Bearded Lady, Snake Charmer, Shadow Puppeteer, and the Tightrope Walker—all while piecing together clues left across the carnival floor.

💡 The Shocking Conclusion:
After rigorous interrogation (and one particularly incriminating glitter trail), the truth came out—our Face Painter, Dr. Ellie Wroten (Professor | Family Sciences), was guilty! *GASP*
Her crime? Embezzling prize-booth money and framing the Ringmaster.
Her motive? Madame Vespera found out and threatened to expose her.
The evidence? A torn ticket stub dusted in blue glitter that matched the Face Painter’s makeup exactly—plus a glass shard from a “crystal” ball found near the prize booth, close enough to temptation but not quite close enough to the dead body itself.

🧠 Detective of the Night:
Taylor DeWoody, Senior Behavior Analyst, used logic, deduction, and sheer MAP-trained contextual analysis to crack the case—earning the title Best Detective.

🏅 Honorary Mentions:
Alicia Gill, Ayanna Twensey, and Bailey Istre—teamwork makes the dream (and the alibi) work. “Nothing screams team building like a murder and a time limit.”

👑 Best Costume:
1️⃣Jordan Daigle, for wearing his fellow intern’s (Lexi Broussard’s) face—literally.
2️⃣ Malik Scott, for dazzling us all and managing to stay a suspect.

🎠 Spirit of the Carnival:
Scroll to the final photo to see who captured the essence of the night’s madness and awarded the title Spirit of the Carnival.

🎡 Final Bow:
To our staff and faculty—thank you for being the heart (and comedic relief) of MAP. Balancing workloads, brilliance, and a shared sense of humor takes brains (and perhaps a touch of all of our mischiefs— combined and bundled up into one).

A very special thank-you to Dr. Tom Szabo, Dr. Joanna Thompson, Dr. Will Fleming, and Dr. Ellie Wroten for taking time out of their incredibly full schedules to join in the fun and support our team. Your presence—both as mentors and as fellow participants—means more than you know. It’s easy to admire what each of you brings to our field and humanity overall; it’s even more meaningful to share laughter, storytelling, and connection (beyond the data and deadlines)!

Evenings like this remind us that community isn’t built in meetings or metrics—it’s built in moments of shared joy, creativity, and a little bit of carnival chaos. 🎭

10/27/2025

The 2025 SWLA Out of the Darkness Walk for su***de prevention is less than two weeks away. It is free to create a team and register. There is no cost to attend the Walk. To register, scan the QR Code on the flyer below or click this link: https://afspwalks.donordrive.com/swla

10/26/2025

MAP October Observations:

✨Staff Spotlight: Ethan Alleman ✨

We are shining the spotlight on someone who embodies what it means to lead with both heart and purpose—Ethan Alleman.

Ethan is a graduate intern here at the McNeese Autism Program and is currently pursuing his Master of Science in Applied Behavior Analysis at McNeese State University. He’s a vital part of both our Super Start team and our Training team, where his dedication, consistency, and quiet excellence have not only strengthened our systems, but have deeply impacted the people around him.

Ethan has a natural gift for connecting with others. He leads with empathy, listens with genuine care, and brings a calm steadiness to every room he enters—even on the busiest days. His clients feel it, his coworkers feel it, and anyone who has worked alongside him knows the kind of grounded compassion he carries.

This year, Ethan represented MAP at the Association for Behavior Analysis International® as a student presenter, sharing his work and representing our program with such professionalism and grace. His growing passion for Organizational Behavior Management (OBM) reflects how he approaches everything he does—thoughtfully, with structure, intention, and a deep appreciation for the people behind the data.

But beyond all of that, Ethan is just an incredibly good human being. He’s kind, funny, humble, and always the first to lend a hand or share a quiet word of encouragement when someone needs it most.

🎨 Fun fact: Ethan is also an amazing artist—his creativity shows up not just in his drawings, but in the way he problem-solves, collaborates, and brings ideas to life.

We’re so proud to have him as part of our MAP family. Ethan, thank you for being exactly who you are—for showing up with empathy, authenticity, and heart every single day. The field of behavior analysis is lucky to have you, and so are we. 💙💛

10/23/2025

MAP October Observations:
✨Staff Spotlight: Tressa Nunez—The Heart of MAP Operations ✨

If MAP were a finely tuned behavioral system, Tressa Nunez would be the discriminative stimulus signaling that everything is about to run smoothly. As our Medical Billing and Coding Coordinator, she keeps the behind-the-scenes engine of MAP running with precision, patience, and a whole lot of heart.

She’s our momma bear 🐻 the one who looks out for everyone, always has snacks on hand (because reinforcement matters), and somehow manages to balance humor, kindness, and impeccable organization all at once. Tressa is the person you can talk to about anything—from billing codes to life’s curveballs—and walk away feeling a little lighter every time.

In behavior-analytic terms, she’s mastered the art of response generalization: whether it’s decoding insurance policies, smoothing out scheduling chaos, or reminding us all to breathe, she does it with grace and efficiency. MAP quite literally couldn’t function without her.

💡 Fun Fact: Tressa goes above and beyond not only for us here at the clinic but for the community at large. She keeps an entire library of resources for individuals and families seeking help or answers—even when they aren’t sure where to start. That’s compassion in action, and it’s what makes her such an integral part of who we are.

Thank you, Tressa, for being the calm in our chaos, the logic in our data, and the warmth in our workplace. 💙💛
McNeese Autism Program is truly better because you’re in it.

10/21/2025

💙💛MAP October Observations:💛💙
✨Staff Spotlight: Bailey Istre ✨

For over three years, Bailey has been an integral part of the McNeese Autism Program family, bringing dedication, compassion, and artistry (literally!) into everything she does.

As an undergraduate and Registered Line Technician (RLT), Bailey not only delivers high-quality one-on-one behavioral services with our clients but also plays a key role on the Super Start Team, where she helps children develop critical social skills through play, modeling, and evidence-based behavior analytic strategies.

Bailey’s dedication reflects what we value most in our field—consistency, compassion, and scientific curiosity. She approaches every learning opportunity (and every learner) with the heart of a future Behavior Analyst, and we’re thrilled that she plans to continue her graduate studies right here at MAP! 💙💛

Fun fact: Bailey can paint anything just by looking at it—a talent that somehow mirrors her precision and creativity she’ll need, as a future clinician. Whether she’s designing a masterpiece or shaping meaningful behavior change, she does it with care, artistry, and a deep sense of purpose.

We are so proud of the work you do every day, Bailey—for your clients, your team, and the values of our field. Keep shining, growing, and painting the world in the brightest hues of compassion and science. 🎨💫