About Us

April Worsdell, Ph.D., BCBA-D
Chief Executive Officer

aworsdell@coynemail.com

April joined Coyne & Associates as a Clinical Director in 2009. April is a doctoral level board certified behavior analyst who obtained her Ph.D. from the University of Florida under the direction of Dr. Brian Iwata. She has co-authored 20 publications from peer reviewed journals such as: The Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, Behavioral Interventions, and Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders. In addition, she has over 50 paper presentations at various meetings of the Association for Behavior Analysis International. From 2012-2015, April served on the Board of Directors of CalABA as the Southern California Liaison. Before joining Coyne & Associates, she was the Director of Clinical Services and Applied Research for the May Institute in Atlanta, Georgia. From 2004-2007, she was an Assistant Professor in the Behavior Analysis and Therapy program at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Illinois. April’s early work in the field behavior analysis began in 1996 at the Kennedy Krieger Institute and the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

Tiffany M. Bauer, M.A., BCBA
Chief Operating Officer

tmbauer@coynemail.com

Tiffany graduated from the University of California, San Diego with a Bachelor’s degree in Human Development, completed a Master’s degree in Psychology from Pepperdine University, and is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst. Tiffany has been in the field of Early Childhood Education for over 20 years and was involved with organizations such as California’s First Five Initiative and Head Start before joining the Coyne team. Tiffany is currently an adjunct professor at Endicott College in the Graduate Program for ABA in the School of Education. Tiffany served as the Early Start Chair for the Vendor Advisory Committee at the Regional Center of Orange County (RCOC) for many years and just completed a 5 year term as the vendor representative on the RCOC Board of Directors.

Celia Newkirk, M.A.
Regional Director for Orange County

cnewkirk@coynemail.com
760-815-5815

Celia received her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology from Biola University in 2005. After graduation, she worked in the field of early intervention as an Early Childhood Instructor with Coyne & Associates until returning to school to pursue her Master’s Degree in Clinical Psychology.  During her graduate studies at Pepperdine University, Celia completed her Master’s thesis on working with families impacted by autism while working as a Program Supervisor at Coyne & Associates. In 2008, she graduated with honors, earning a Master of Arts Degree in Clinical Psychology and Marriage and Family Therapy. After taking a brief career hiatus, Celia returned to Coyne & Associates in 2014 to continue her rewarding work in the field of early intervention and behavior analysis.

Kristy Lynch, M.S., BCBA
Regional Director for Los Angeles County

klynch@coynemail.com
760-685-6795

Kristy is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst who received her bachelor of arts degree in Psychology from Azusa Pacific University, and her master of science degree in Psychology with a specialization in Applied Behavior Analysis from Capella University. Her career of working with children started at the Covina Development Center where she gained knowledge of programs to assist the development and needs of young children with developmental delays. Kristy discovered her passion for the field of Applied Behavior Analysis as an early childhood instructor and progressively advanced in her career to a supervisory role before ultimately growing into her position as a director. She enjoys supporting others in reaching their full potential, from the children and families she serves to mentoring other professionals.

Anbir Bobolts
Regional Director for Riverside & San Bernardino Counties

abobolts@coynemail.com
760-815-7772

Anbir received her Bachelor’s degree in Child & Adolescent Development from California State University, Fullerton in 2014. Since then, she has dedicated her time to serving children and their families. Prior to working with Coyne & Associates, Anbir was a lead teacher at a private school where she mentored other teachers and supported curriculum development. A self-declared “book worm,” Anbir also enjoyed working directly with ESL readers and participated in programs that that provided resources to low-income communities and promoted a lifelong love of books. At Coyne, Anbir continues to grow as she supports families navigating early start and ABA services, promotes inclusion and connectivity within her region, and whole-heartedly subscribes to Coyne’s mission for excellence in service delivery.

Molly Fay
Regional Director for San Diego County

mfay@coynemail.com
760-815-9536

Molly received her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology from California State University San Marcos in 2004. After graduation, she worked for a San Diego -based nonprofit organization providing support for adults impacted by intellectual and developmental disabilities. Molly’s passion for helping families led her to Coyne & Associates in 2007 where she has grown professionally and is now serving as the Regional Director. Molly plays an integral role in supporting the families in our program and staff members on the team. She’s grateful to be a part of the Coyne team and to make a difference in the lives of so many families.

Amy Yaling Yang, M.S., BCBA
Regional Clinical Director for Orange County

ayang@coynemail.com
760-815-7759

Amy is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst who received her BA degree in Child and Family Development from San Diego State University and her MA degree in Education from the University of Southern California. She started her career in early childhood education as a preschool teacher, where she gained extensive knowledge on early childhood development. Amy is committed to mentoring new professionals within the field of behavior analysis and regularly provides staff training on Applied Behavior Analytic topics. Amy is passionate about empowering families to learn and implement strategies and methods to improve the quality of life for their family.

Laurissa McNeill, M.A., BCBA
Regional Clinical Director for Los Angeles

lmcneill@coynemail.com
760-815-7870

Laurissa is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst who received her BA degree in Psychology and Anthropology from University of California, Irvine and her MA degree in Special Education from Arizona State University. Laurissa started her career in early childhood development as a preschool teacher and found a passion for the field of Applied Behavior Analysis while working as an early childhood instructor. Laurissa’s passion for the field continues to grow with teaching families and staff how to implement strategies and methods to improve their overall quality of life and furthering knowledge and best practices in Applied Behavior Analysis by attending continuing education conferences and events.

Samantha Lozano, M.S., BCBA
Regional Clinical Director for Riverside & San Bernardino Counties

slozano@coynemail.com
760-815-0768

Samantha has been in the field of ABA since 2013. She is a board -certified behavior analyst, received her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Cal Poly Pomona University and her master’s degree in Applied Behavior Analysis from National University. Samantha’s passion for ABA was sparked by caregiving for her grandmother with Alzheimer’s disease, who needed an effective way to communicate her needs. Samantha loves working with children and collaborating with caregivers and other professionals to reach best outcomes.

Nancy Thepkulchon, M.A., BCBA
Regional Clinical Director for San Diego County

nthepkulchon@coynemail.com
619-302-3004

Nancy is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst who received her BA degree in Psychology from the University of California, San Diego, and her MA degree in Human Behavior from National University. She started her career in early child development as a preschool teacher where she gained extensive knowledge on the development of young children. Nancy made the transition to behavioral intervention with at-risk toddlers and young children with Autism Spectrum Disorder in 2008. Nancy enjoys mentoring new professionals and regularly conducts staff training on topics related to Applied Behavior Analysis. Nancy regularly attends professional conferences, locally and internationally (e.g., Japan, France). She recently presented at the professional meeting for the National Organization for Disorders of the Corpus Collosum (NODCC).