About Us

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Christine DerSarkissian, MSc, BCBA, IBA, QBA

Christine DerSarkissian is a qualified and experienced Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA), Qualified Behavior Analyst (QBA), and International Behavior Analyst (IBA). Christine is the project manager at PuzzleMeBoo.

She co-founded and is the managing EBISA, a center dedicated to training paraprofessionals in evidence-based behavioral services to enhance the behavior and abilities of individuals with special needs.

Christine is also the creator of “When the Spectrum Speaks”, a three-level booklet series designed to raise awareness and support communication, understanding, and expression for individuals on the autism spectrum. The books are published in Arabic and English.

Christine served as president of the Association for Behavior Analysis-Lebanon (ABAL) in 2019, the affiliated chapter of ABA-International. She also held the role of Program Supervisor in a center in KSA, where she trained and supervised therapy teams and tailored programs for clients.

Additionally, Christine works as a project coordinator and consultant with Autism-MENA, Jordan, focusing on designing Autism Technician Developmental Programs and training special educators.

Currently pursuing her Educational Doctorate program at UCAM, Christine graduated from Université Saint Joseph in Beirut with a degree in clinical psychology in 2000. She completed her BCaBA course sequence at the Florida Institute of Technology in 2014 and earned her MS in psychology with an emphasis on Behavior Analysis from Capella University in 2016, becoming a BCBA in 2017.

With over 27 years of global experience in education, Christine collaborates with multiple schools to oversee specialists implementing individual plans for students with special needs. She has a strong background in teaching, assessment, and the creation and application of personalized learning and behavioral plans.

Christine has conducted lectures and seminars in Lebanon, Syria, Armenia, Dubai, Jordan, and KSA. Her ultimate goal is to integrate the neurodiverse population into the community as independent and functional members.

Sousan "Sawsan" H. Razzouk, MA, BCBA

Sousan is a candidate for Doctor of Social Science in Prevention Science. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in General Psychology from the American University of Beirut. She went on to get her Master of Arts degree in Clinical Psychology from Columbia University (New York). In the past few years, Sawsan completed graduate coursework in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology, and from the University of California (Los Angeles; Santa Barbra). She is a behavior analyst certified by the Behavioral Analysis Certification Board (BACB). To expand her professional repertoire, she completed training in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). Additionally, she also became an Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapist by completing the training from the acclaimed EMDR International Association (EMDRIA). 

For over 15 years, she has worked in the field of mental healthcare across all ages (1.5 years old to geriatric ages), with a variety of afflictions and issues (e.g., neurodivergence, depression, anxiety, trauma, psychosis, traumatic brain injury recovery, parenting difficulties, etc.), in different capacities (e.g., research, lecturing, training, consulting, direct therapy, group therapy, learning support assistance, supervision, etc.), and across different countries (e.g., Lebanon, USA, Switzerland, Morocco, United Arab Emirates, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, etc.). She brings deep passion to her work as she believesit is her mission in life to help others’ mental health and life fulfilment, increase awareness and de-stigmatization, and share her knowledge and experience with likeminded professionals. 

She currently practices privately as a Behavior Analyst, ACT Practitioner, and EMDR Therapist. She uses social media platforms for psychoeducation and raising awareness in both English and Arabic.  

Abir Houry, M.Ed., BCBA 
Abir Houry is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst, she has been working in the field of ABA since 2011. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Clinical Psychology (Lebanese University), and a  Master’s degree in Educational Management (Lebanese International University). She completed the ABAI Verified Course Sequence through FIT’s online program in March 2021. She trains paraprofessionals, designs and supervises the implementation of programs, and collaborates with school personnel (teachers, administrators, etc.) as well as families of children with special needs. She is also responsible for the integration programs of children with diverse diagnoses, such as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Cerebral Palsy (CP), and Down Syndrome. She also offers workshops on various topics, such as Introduction to ABA,  Functions of Behavior, Classroom Management and RBT training. Abir has received training in such assessment/curriculum programs as VB-MAPP (Verbal Behavior Milestones Assessment and Placement Program) and PEAK Training System, in addition to attending workshops related to such areas as Dr. Greg Hanley’s Practical Functional Assessment (PFA) and Interview-Informed Synthesized Contingency Analysis (IISCA), and is amongst the first in Lebanon to administer it. Abir is a board member of the Association for Behavior Analysis – Lebanon (ABAL), the Lebanese chapter of the Association for Behavior Analysis International (ABAI).

Sonia Fares, M.A., BCBA

Sonia Fares is Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA), with 10 years of experience in the ethical and compassionate application of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) strategies for behavior challenges, which can be seen among children on the autism spectrum. Because such challenges reflect difficulties in communication, Sonia believes in the importance of empowering these individuals with self expression tools to be relied on in their daily life. As such, she is a firm believer of the importance of a multidisciplinary approach in her work, collaborating with speech and occupational therapists for the learner ‘s best interest. Inspired by the neurodiversity movement, Sonia also firmly advocates for the significance of societal accommodations that meet sensory and other specific needs.

Sonia is currently a private behavior consultant for parents and centers offering specialized services for children with behavior challenges. She offers training in the proper use of ABA to practioners and parents. She is also a supervisor for registered behavior technicians (RBTs) and qualified behavior analysts (QBA). In 2022, Sonia founded Wings Academy of Autism in Lebanon, a private association that will offer safe, and professional behavioral and sensory services for autistic children and support for their families. In 2018, while working as the ABA coordinator at SKILD (Smart Kids with Individual Learning Differences), she launched the first ABA Day program in Lebanon, where autistic children acquired the individual skills needed for a better transition to school and in society. Sonia is currently the secretary at ABAL (Association for Behavior Analysis in Lebanon).

Sonia received her certification in behavior analysis in July 2017, after completing the coursework in the ABA Specialization program at the Western New England University (Boston) from 2014 – 2016. She earned her Master’s degree in Psychology at the American University of Beirut in 2012. In her leisure time, Sonia enjoys baking and traveling.

Jennifer Chebli Sarkis, MA, BCBA 

Jennifer obtained her Bachelor’s degree in General Psychology from Notre Dame University (NDU) and her Master’s degree in General Psychology from the American University of Beirut (AUB). She studied the Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) course sequence and became a Board Certified Behavior Analyst in 2019. She has over 9 years of experience working with children with autism and other developmental disorders with behavioral challenges. Jennifer started off as a Paraprofessional, then got promoted to Paraprofessionals Supervisor at a school setting, and worked as a school-based and home-based behavior therapist. She currently works with children and their families, develops individualized behavior plans, trains and supervises family members, paraprofessionals, teachers, RBT and BCBA candidates in their implementation. Some of her interests include play skills, social skills and inclusion of children with special needs. 

Lina M. Slim, Ph.D., BCBA-D, CCC-SLP 

Dr. Lina Slim is a dually certified SLP & BCBA-D with over 35 years-experience. She is owner of Lina Slim Consulting, specializing her clinical practice on providing behavioral, speech and language services, to support families and their children with behavioral, speech language and communication challenges and differences, apraxia, and autism. Dr. Slim promotes a team approach to intervention by offering training, supervision, and consultations to practitioners across professional disciplines, cultures, and countries. She is Adjunct Professor at Endicott College and The Chicago School of Professional Psychology, ABA Online Program. Her clinical and research interests focus on disseminating best practices in the application of the science of behavior analysis to support persons with autism and their families, establishing and maintaining effective functional verbal behaviors, while promoting Interprofessional Culturally Aware, Responsive and Person-Centered Collaborative Practices (AICARe-Collaboration). Dr. Slim presents and consults nationally and internationally and has published several peer-reviewed research and book chapters. Dr. Slim is the recipient of the 2005 Children Empowerment Award and the 2014 New Jersey Speech-Language-Hearing Association (NJSHA) Distinguished Clinical Achievement Award. She is BOD Member of the Association for Science in Autism Treatment (ASAT), CCO Liaison of Behavior Analysis SIG on Supervision to the ABAI (BASIGS), Board Member of ABAC, Inc., ICEC, Executive Member of the Speech and Applied Behavior Analysis (SPABA) ABAI SIG, and BACB® Subject Matter Expert on the Item Review Committee. Dr. Slim brings a unique personal and behavior analytic perspective on interprofessional collaboration, cultural responsiveness, and humility, by drawing from her diverse cultural, linguistic, and professional background, as well as from her extensive clinical practice working with culturally and linguistically diverse families nationally and internationally.