She completed her Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology at the University of California, Santa Barbara. She received her doctorate from the Graduate School and University Center of the City University of New York in Learning Processes. She has experience providing consultation and training to both public and private programs for children with autism. She has held a tenured teaching appointment at Pierce College, in Tacoma, WA. She teaches Psychology in the School of Honors and has developed and taught paired Psychology and English Basic Skills courses.