This indicates ABA Rank reviewed this credential on the listed date. It is not an endorsement by or affiliation with BACB.
What Michelle Ficcaglia focuses on.
The areas, ages, formats and coverage this coach works with most.
About Michelle Ficcaglia.
Michelle is a doctoral-level Board Certified Behavior Analyst with more than 30 years of experience supporting children and families across a range of neurodevelopmental profiles, including autism, ADHD, and children who present with a PDA (Pathological Demand Avoidance) profile. She holds a BA in Psychology from Claremont McKenna College and a PhD in Special Education from the University of California, Berkeley. Michelle’s work focuses on helping children build meaningful connections, develop early communication skills, and participate more fully in the people, activities, and environments that are important to them. She brings a strengths-based, neuroaffirming perspective to supporting children’s development, with particular expertise in early communication, social connection, caregiver coaching, and naturalistic developmental behavioral interventions. Michelle’s approach is collaborative, proactive, and individualized, beginning with an effort to understand each child’s experience, strengths, interests, communication, concerns, and support needs. She works with caregivers, educators, and other professionals to understand what children may be communicating through their actions and to identify supports that promote connection, communication, participation, autonomy, and well-being. Her work draws on Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Interventions (NDBIs)—evidence-based approaches that integrate developmental and behavioral principles within natural, engaging interactions and everyday activities. Michelle emphasizes caregiver-led and caregiver-mediated intervention, partnering with caregivers to create meaningful opportunities for communication, connection, learning, and participation within the routines and relationships of daily life. When challenges arise, she uses proactive problem solving to identify underlying needs and collaboratively develop practical, responsive strategies that work for the child and the people who support them. Michelle is a frequent lecturer and consultant for parents and professionals on topics including early communication and connection, neurodevelopmental differences, strengths-based intervention, caregiver-mediated intervention, caregiver coaching, and proactive approaches to supporting children. She has provided consultation to students, educators, and school districts throughout the San Francisco Bay Area, including San Francisco Unified School District, San Jose Unified School District, and Redwood City School District. She has also presented at statewide conferences on parent education and evidence-based approaches to supporting children and families. Michelle has extensive experience supporting young children with autism and other neurodevelopmental differences. In 2008, while working at the University of California, San Francisco, she designed the curriculum and directed an intensive parent education program for children with autism. She has also led teams providing early education and developmental support to children with developmental disabilities. Her clinical and educational experience informs an approach that prioritizes relationships, communication, strengths, autonomy, and meaningful participation while partnering closely with the adults who know each child best.