Dr. Ivy Chung is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst and the founder of Sum of Learning. She specializes in parent coaching, staff training, and Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) intervention for children with autism spectrum disorder and other related developmental disabilities. She has practiced Applied Behavior Analysis for over 10 years, providing direct services and supporting families and school teachers in the use of evidence-based autism treatments.

Originally from Hong Kong, Dr. Chung moved to the U.S. in 2002 to continue her education after graduating from high school. She is a proud Husky, earning all three degrees from the University of Washington: a bachelor’s degree in Psychology, master’s and doctoral degrees in Special Education/Applied Behavior Analysis. During graduate school, Dr. Chung engaged in research that examined evidence-based parent coaching and staff training, and instructional techniques that improved efficiency of instruction for learners with autism spectrum disorders.

Dr. Chung has dedicated her career to the ABA and autism fields. Prior to founding Sum of Learning, Dr. Chung was part of a pioneer team to establish a behavioral health division for a national healthcare organization. She has written articles for healthcare blogs on topics such as improving home safety for children with autism, and use of ABA treatment for autism. She has presented and conducted workshops in professional conferences such as the APBA Convention by the Association of Professional Behavior Analyst. Her commitment goes beyond the United States, where she has also provided workshops and consultation to ABA agencies in Hong Kong and Canada. Dr. Chung is also proud to be part of the team at the Haring Center’s Professional Development Unit of the University of Washington in offering workshops and webinars to ABA practitioners. Currently, she serves as the Secretary of the Washington Association for Behavior Analysis.

Katy's initial interest in autism began in high school when she read an article in her local newspaper about a child with autism. Following her interests, she received her Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Washington State University in 2008. After she completed her degree, Katy started working as an in-home therapy assistant with children with autism using Applied Behavior Analysis techniques (ABA).

Eager to learn more, Katy took a position with the University of Washington Autism Center as a research assistant using the Early Start Denver Model (ESDM) for young children. She worked for the Autism Center for three years and enjoyed the teaching methods of the Early Start Denver Model. In 2013, inspired by her experience at the Autism Center, she pursued her Master’s degree in Special Education with a concentration in ABA from the University of Washington. While working towards her Master’s, Katy continued to provide in-home therapy and worked with a community- based social group for children with autism.

Stephanie began her career in education as a teacher in an inclusive preschool setting in 2008, and has since gained experience working with individuals ranging from toddlers to young adults in home, school, clinic, and workplace settings. Stephanie earned a bachelor’s degree in Human Development and Early Childhood Education from Washington State University in 2012, and a master’s degree in Special Education with an emphasis on Applied Behavior Analysis from the University of Washington in 2014.

She entered the field of ABA as a therapy assistant in 2010, and immediately felt a strong connection to the individualized approach to supporting children and families with specific goals and targets designed especially for them. She particularly enjoys teaching adaptive living skills, self-care, and vocational skills to teenagers and young adults, and also has experience in discrete trial training, naturalistic instruction, behavior management strategies, parent coaching, and precision teaching.

Stephanie is thrilled to have been part of Sum of Learning since its conception and is excited to be a mentor for incoming staff members and new BCBAs joining our ABA family. In her free time, Stephanie enjoys traveling, practicing yoga and baking.

Anna’s interest in working with children with disabilities began in high school as a mentor for middle school students at a summer art’s camp. However, it was not until she stumbled into the world of ABA in college that she found her niche. After receiving her bachelor’s degree in Psychology at Western Washington University, Anna began providing early intervention services to a family in Bellingham. As a behavior technician, her passion for the field, especially early intervention and challenging behavior, grew. Eager to develop her skills and learn more, Anna continued her education by graduating from the University of Washington’s Special Education – Applied Behavior Analysis program. She subsequently earned her BCBA in 2015 and has thoroughly enjoyed her work since.

She is especially passionate about challenging behavior and implementing comprehensive, function-based behavior intervention plans, increasing positive mealtime routines, early intervention, and naturalistic teaching. In addition to working at Sum of Learning, Anna also works part-time in the Seattle Children’s Autism Centers’ Biobehavioral and Feeding programs.

Anna is thrilled to be a part of the Sum of Learning team. Anna’s on-going goal is always to continue growing and learning in order to provide the highest quality individualized, evidence-based treatment to clients. When she is not working, Anna enjoys crocheting, baking bread, and babysitting her one-year old twin cousins.

Susmita completed her Masters and M.Phil in Clinical Psychology from India. She began her career in a mental health set up for individuals with psychological conditions like anxiety, depression, substance use.

Always eager to learn and explore new opportunities, she started working with an early intervention center for autism. To her happiness, she discovered that some of her loved interests like toys, stories, bubbles, jumping, and laughing could all be part of her work. She moved to Seattle in 2014, where she continued expanding her skills using the Early Start Denver Model. After completing her coursework in Applied Behavior Analysis, she became a Board Certified Behavior Analyst in February 2017.

  Susmita is passionate about working with young children with autism and aspires to continually grow as a professional. She likes using naturalistic teaching, working on social and play skills, while making sure the child is having fun!

Karen left the IT business world behind in 2005 to pursue a more personally fulfilling career and to realize her dream of working with children. Originally from Ireland, she studied full time for her Psychology degree and graduated with a Masters in Applied Psychology in 2010 from Trinity College Dublin. Karen then worked for three years as a tutor in a specialized school for children with autism. Here she saw the significantly positive impact that ABA techniques had on the lives of these children and their families and she was hooked.

After moving to Seattle in 2013, Karen initially worked with a research team in the University of Washington (UW) investigating a reading intervention for children with autism. She then joined Sum of Learning as a behavior technician in early 2016 gaining experience in home, clinic and educational settings, with an emphasis on working with younger clients and early intervention techniques. Following coursework and supervision taken through UW’s ABA Distance Program, she became a Board Certified Behavior Analyst in 2018.

In addition to watching classic black and white movies, doing puzzles and video games, Karen enjoys taking bike rides through Marymoor Park, browsing through Pike Place Market and heading off on road trips to discover more of the stunning Pacific Northwest.

Eriko’s early career started when she worked with at-risk youth and school-age children and their families in the field of social work, including juvenile detention centers and after school programs for low-income families. She earned both a Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Social Work from the University of Washington, in 2013 and in 2015 respectively. During her practice in social work, she gained experience in mentoring and running social groups for school-aged children with emotional, mental, and behavioral challenges. Upon graduating from her master’s degree, she took a job at Sum of Learning and that changed her career path. 

While working at Sum of Learning for 4 years as an ABA therapy assistant, Eriko had worked with culturally diverse children with autism of various ages, from 2 to 18 years old. Through working with a diverse group of clients, she has gained experience in multiple teaching strategies including the Early Start Denver Model (ESDM), naturalistic teaching, discrete trial teaching, and social skills. Eriko’s passions for witnessing her clients’ growth, building a positive rapport with them, and teaching them new skills prompted her to return to school. She went back to the University of Washington and earned her second Master’s degree in Education with an emphasis in Applied Behavior Analysis in 2019 and became a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA).  

Eriko is passionate about working with children with disabilities of all ages and their families, and she is thrilled to continue working for Sum of Learning. In her free time, Eriko enjoys cooking and playing with her cat!

Suzanne's interest for working with individuals with autism began in her college years while working towards her bachelor's degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders at Western Washington University. During those years, Suzanne worked with adults with autism and other developmental disabilities as a Living Skills Specialist. After graduating in 2015, she sought jobs that were in line with becoming a Speech-Language Pathologist. Little did she know after accepting the position as a Therapy Assistant at Sum of Learning, she would change her career path.   

Over the years, Suzanne discovered her passion for working in the ABA field, which led her to the decision of continuing her education. Suzanne graduated from the University of Washington with her master's in Special Education with emphasis in Applied Behavior Analysis and became a Board Certified Behavior Analyst in 2019.  

Suzanne enjoys improving the lives of the individuals she works with. She strives to become well versed in handling challenging behaviors and transitioning adolescents on the spectrum to adulthood. In her free time, she likes to watch Netflix, workout, and dance. 

Marisa grew up in rural Montana and then attended Concordia College in Minnesota. It was there that she discovered her passion for working with children and helping them grow, communicate, and socialize. She started as a Behavior Technician at the North Dakota Autism Center in Fargo in 2014 while in college. She graduated in 2016 with degrees in Psychology and Neuroscience. Marisa continued to develop her skills and knowledge of Applied Behavior Analysis by moving to the Seattle area and attending the University of Washington ABA program. She graduated in the Spring of 2019 and subsequently earned her BCBA. 

Besides working with individuals with disabilities, Marisa enjoys spending her time outside by hiking, camping, and photographing the beautiful Pacific Northwest landscapes. She also enjoys travel, reading, watching documentaries (particularly The Office), and spending time with friends and family. 

Alex grew up in the East Bay Area of California and attended UC Davis for her undergraduate degree in Human Development. It was there that she began working at an inclusive early education center and discovered ABA. Excited to have found her forte, she sought out opportunities and began working as a Behavior Technician, providing 1:1 in-home ABA therapy to young and school-aged children diagnosed with ASD. Since having moved to Washington in 2018, Alex completed her Master’s degree in Education with a concentration in Curriculum and Instruction and ABA from Arizona State University in 2019 and subsequently earned her BCBA in 2020.

Alex is particularly interested in and enjoys early intervention and using naturalistic teaching to work on social skills and communication with school-aged children in their home and school settings. When Alex is not working, she spends her time exploring the PNW with her Golden Retriever, reading, and enjoys being with friends and family.