Child and woman smiling while looking at a toy

People You Will Meet

Our comprehensive autism team will support you throughout your entire care journey by always keeping you in the loop, not just for transparency but because you are important to our process and your child’s progress. We’ll provide regular progress reports and communicate about key milestones – always keeping the lines of communication open and honest so we can help your family thrive.

Select a photo to learn more about who you may meet along the way!

I’m Jennifer!

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Jennifer Buckendorf MS, BCBA, LBA BCBA Clinical Manager

Over the years, I have had the opportunity to hold positions as an RBT, BCaBA and BCBA. I have worked in home, clinic and school settings and with clients from 18 months to adults. After starting work in the ABA field, I fell in love with the interactions with clients and their families, so decided to move forward in this field.

My favorite part of my job is seeing a client’s progress and different personalities while also teaching families autism management strategies to better their everyday life with their struggles related to autism. When I am not working, you can find me playing with my dogs, traveling and exploring all the islands have to offer.

I’m Sarah!

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Sarah Novickis PHD, BCBA, LBA BCBA Clinical Manager

I am originally from Green Bay, Wisconsin but have made my way around the country to complete internships and post-doctoral opportunities. My professional journey started as a School Psychologist and Behavior Specialist. Over the next decade, I held positions as a BCBA and a Mental Health Consultant before coming to Easterseals Hawaii.

My favorite part of my job is celebrating my client’s progress in their daily lives. When one of my Parent-Led clients echoes “Mama” for the first time, we throw a Zoom party to celebrate! It is moments like these I live for. In my free time, I enjoy hiking, biking and traveling.

I’m Kathleen!

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Kathleen McLeod MSW, LCSW, BCBA, LBA BCBA Clinical Manager

I was born and raised in Hawaii. After returning from college, I had the opportunity to work at a youth shelter which led me to get my Master’s in Social Work. I started my career as one of the first Intensive In-Home providers. During my time in this position, I was introduced to autism which ultimately led me down the path of getting my BCBA. I have over two decades of experience working with children, adolescents, and families who were a part of CAMHD, DOE, and insurance-funded services. I have served across many settings, including homes, schools, the community, clinics, residential, youth correctional centers and hospitals.

My favorite part of my job is working with our clients and their family and seeing how the skills they have learned over time have helped improve their lives. I also really enjoy working with our staff to help them develop their skills and share learnings from past experiences. During my free time, I enjoy baking with my daughter, working out, logic-based puzzles and watching Netflix with my family.

I’m Maile!

Maile Barretto, BCBA, Clinical Manager
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Maile Barretto, MS, BCBA, LBA, Clinical Manager

I am originally from Oahu, Hawaii. After completing my BA in Psychology at UH Manoa, I started working with clients with autism in the schools, completed my masters in Educational Psychology, then became a BCBA in 2010. Over the next decade, I held positions as the Clinical Director at Easterseals Washington autism center, and Director of ABA services in the California Bay Area before moving back home to Hawaii. Seeing the way ABA services have such a meaningful impact on clients and their families is what sparked my journey and maintained my drive and compassion for cultivating clinically excellent treatment. In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my family and friends, biking, swimming and singing.

I’m Anjanette!

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Anjanette Pablo BA, RBT

I was born in Laoag City, Philippines, and moved to Hawaii at the age of three. I was raised in Kapolei my entire life, and my first language is Ilocano. I have always been passionate about helping others and knew I wanted to have a career that embraced this lifelong passion. My journey has afforded me the opportunity to work with clients in all age groups across various settings, including clinics, homes and schools. I joined the Easterseals Hawaii ohana as a Direct Support Worker implementing individualized care plans for adults and seniors with various disabilities and then moved on to become an RBT.

I absolutely love working with our clients! They have taught me patience and brought me happiness in countless ways – I strive daily to do all I can to help them reach their goals. I am also grateful to have an amazing team of BCBAs and staff by my side. In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my dog, crafting, DIYs, doodling, hiking, reading and online shopping.

I’m Madeline!

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Madeline Bucheit MS, BCBA, LBA

Originally from Chicago, Illinois, I taught in New York City and then moved to Hawaii in 2017. Previously, I was a special education teacher at public schools in both New York City and Honolulu. I completed my BCBA Education at University of Hawaii at Mānoa with a focus on special education classroom and severe disabilities in the classroom setting. The classroom setting and seeing the success with ABA in each individual student is what got me started in the field and has kept me excited with ABA ever since. During my free time, I like to practice yoga, hike, go to the beach and bake!

I’m Almendra!

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Almendra Espino, MA, BCBA, LBA

I was born and raised in Mexico where I earned a bachelor’s degree in clinical psychology. I previously held positions of professional analyst and psychologist at the Ministry of Education and Culture in Mexico, as well as a Professor at Vizcaya de las Americas University. As a professional analyst and psychologist, I provided clinical therapy for children, teenagers and adults. In addition, I also held motivational and self-help talks while working with students with different needs, which is how I discovered Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) and psychotherapy. I moved to Los Angeles, California, in 2015 and it was there that I fell in love with ABA. I started as an RBT working with kids, parents and other professionals in home and school settings. After observing the benefits from implementing ABA principles, and the progress my clients made, I felt this was a rewarding career and I decided to pursue my master’s degree in ABA at Arizona State University. While studying, I held the position of ABA Supervisor and when I became a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst in 2021, I was promoted to clinical supervisor. I moved to Hawaii in 2022 and joined the Easterseals Hawaii team in 2023. During my free time, I enjoy yoga and spending time with friends and family.