Axis - Ames | Axis Therapy Centers

Axis – AMES

Phone: (515) 337-0343

info@axisaba.com

1315 S Bell Ave.

Suite 108

Ames, Iowa 50010

Services Available

ABA Therapy

Speech Therapy

Feeding Therapy

Occupational Therapy

Parent & Caregiver Training

Social Skills Groups

Our online Intake Form is created to help our team understand your interest in services. Submitting the form creates a profile for your child and adds them to the waitlist based off of the services that you have indicated an interest in. Availability for services is always changing as we rapidly work to meet the needs of the communities that we serve. We look forward to meeting your family and contacting you with availability as it may arise. Please note that wait times depend on many factors and we may not be able to provide estimates for wait times at all locations. If you have any questions, we are happy to assist

Online Intake Form

Clinical Director

Kristin Hanson

M.A., BCBA, LBA

Board Certified Behavior Analyst

Licensed Behavior Analyst

Axis Clinical Director

Kristin’s Bio

Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBA)

Kylie Wheeler

M.Ed., BCBA, LBA

Board Certified Behavior Analyst

Ames Clinic Supervisor

Kylie’s Bio

Jordan Lillard

Board Certified Behavior Analyst

Licensed Behavior Analyst

Jordan’s Bio

Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analysts (BCaBA)

Sydney Sinclair

BCaBA

Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst

Sydney’s Bio

Dakotah Overton

M.S., BCaBA

Board Certified assistant Behavior Analyst

Dakotah’s Bio

Occupational Therapists

Breanna Ruby

COTA/L

Certified Occupational Therapist Assistant

Breanna’s Bio

Speech Therapists

Casey Smith

M.A., CCC-SLP

Speech-Language Pathologist

Casey’s Bio

Registered Behavior Technicians (RBTs)

Shelby Moore

Registered Behavior Technician

Shelby’s Bio

Meggie Drietz

Registered Behavior Technician

Meggie’s Bio

Tatum Lillibridge

Registered Behavior Technician

Tatum’s Bio

Mariah Harlan

Registered Behavior Technician

Mariah’s Bio

Landi Helgevold

Registered Behavior Technician

Landi’s Bio

Maddie Berns

Behavior Technician

Maddie’s Bio

Sara Niealsen

Registered Behavior Technician

Sara’s Bio

Amy Palomino

Registered Behavior Technician

Amy’s Bio

Ankeny Clinic coordination Team

Candy Gaedke

Ames Clinic Coordinator

Candy’s Bio

Christine Villalobos

Billing Specialist

Chirstine’s Bio

Kayla Longren

Insurance Specialist

Kayla’s Bio

Genna Bertram

Clinical Scheduler

Genna’s Bio

Join Our Team

Axis is always looking for highly-motivated, passionate, and energetic individuals to join our team!

Apply Today

Kristin is the CEO, Founder, and Clinical Director of Axis. She is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst credentialed through the Behavior Analyst Certification Board and a Licensed Behavior Analyst under the Iowa Board of Behavioral Science. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Grand View University, and her Master’s degree in Child and Adolescent Psychology with a specialization in Applied Behavior Analysis from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology. Most of Kristin's clinical experience has been focused on the early detection and intervention of autism spectrum disorder and specializing in early intervention. She has completed advanced training in the administration of the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) and has experience testing toddlers and children for autism spectrum disorder. She is on the Board of Directors for the Autism Society of Iowa, on the Autism Expert Panel for the Iowa Regional Autism Assistance Program, and is an active member of the Iowa Association for Behavior Analysis and Autism Speaks Iowa.

Kristin founded Axis in 2017 on her passion for serving children and families living with autism and special needs. Since building Axis side-by-side with her family from the ground up in 2017, Kristin couldn’t be prouder of the team, culture, and organization that it has become. As a family helping families, Axis looks for opportunities that will make the largest impact and create significant and life-changing outcomes for clients, families, and her staff. Kristin is dedicated to the mission of Axis and is committed to her own leadership development and actively participates in advanced training, mentoring, and deep self-exploration on how to live out her purpose to love and support her family and help others reach their full potential.

In her free time, she enjoys going to major league baseball games (Go Cubs and Go Braves!), watching Iowa Hawkeyes football, attending concerts, playing slow pitch softball, volleyball, coaching her children’s sports teams, listening to true crime and leadership podcasts, and spending time with her husband and their three children.

Kylie is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst credentialed through the Behavior Analyst Certification Board and a Licensed Behavior Analyst under the Iowa Board of Behavioral Science. Kylie is the Site Supervisor of our Ames location, and part of Axis’ Ethics Committee. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice and Sociology through Iowa State University, and her Master’s Degree in Criminal Justice with a concentration in Applied Behavior Analysis through Saint Joseph’s University. Kylie has experience working with children in the field of mental health, ages 10 to 17; and experience in the school setting working with elementary to middle school aged students. After having several years of experience working with children, Kylie got to know more about Applied Behavior Analysis and saw the positive changes in behavior ABA services provide. Kylie enjoys biking, running, and being outdoors in the summer time. She loves to visit new places and spend time with family and friends. Kylie is excited to be at Axis to offer dedication and support for children and their families. Kylie is the site supervisor at our Ames location.

Jordan is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst credentialed through the Behavior Analyst Certification Board and a Licensed Behavior Analyst under the Iowa Board of Behavioral Science. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Genetics from Iowa State University and her Master of Science degree in Psychology with a concentration in Applied Behavior Analysis through Eastern Kentucky University. Jordan loves working with children and looks forward to spending time with them and celebrating their successes. When she’s not working, she enjoys spending time with family and friends and hanging out with her puppy, Nellie.

Sydney is a a Board Certified assistant Behavior Analyst credentialed through the Behavior Analyst Certification Board. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Child, Adult, and Family Services at Iowa State University. Sydney values every relationship she has with the children she works with and loves watching them grow as an individual. In her free time she enjoys spending time with her friends and family, traveling, and doing DIY projects.

Dakotah is a Board Certified assistant Behavior Analyst credentialed through the Behavior Analyst Certification Board. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Human Services and Psychology from William Penn University and her Master of Science degree in Applied Behavior Analysis through The Chicago School of Professional Psychology. When she is not working, she loves spending time with her husband and their two dogs Mable and Oaklie. She enjoys being outside, going on walks, watching movies and spending time with family and friends.

Bre is a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant certified by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy, and is certified in SOS Feeding Therapy. She attended the Occupational Therapy Assisting program at Neosho County Community College in Ottawa, KS. Bre first became interested in Occupational Therapy and working with children with special needs while volunteering for a therapeutic horse ranch in high school.

One of Bre’s clinical rotations was in a school district where she learned how to provide therapy for students both in the classroom with their peers, and in one-on-one therapy sessions. After she graduated from OTA school, she spent time as a Paraeducator for the school district working with students who had a variety of diagnoses and needs. She really learned a lot about how to structure her students’ day based on their strengths so they could maintain independence, as well as interacting with same age peers. Bre has a certification in Astronaut Training!

Casey is a Speech-Language Pathologist certified by the American Speech-Language Hearing Association and licensed by the state of Iowa. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders and a Master of Arts degree in Speech-Language Pathology from the University of Northern Iowa. From her time as a student clinician until now, Casey has had experience working with a wide range of clients, including children of all ages in both educational and clinical settings. However, her passion is serving children with autism and their families. Outside of work, Casey loves spending as much time as possible with her husband, family, and friends. She enjoys exercising, singing, watching movies, eating good food, and participating in her church.

Shelby is a Registered Behavior Technician credentialed through the Behavior Analyst Certification Board. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Behavioral Psychology, minoring in professional ethics, and her Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminal Justice, minoring in social psychology, from Western Michigan University. She has experience with children aged 2 to 18 years. She has experience working in a school setting with children with developmental disabilities and with adolescents in the juvenile justice system. In her free time Shelby enjoys spending time with friends and family, as well as with her husband, daughter, and their three cats. She loves reading, traveling, and various outdoor activities.

Meggie is a Registered Behavior Technician credentialed through the Behavior Analyst Certification Board. She has her Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education with an endorsement in Special Education from Mount Mercy University. She has previously taught as a Special Education teacher for Kindergarten and First grade as well as a General Education teacher for First grade. Meggie lives in Ames with her husband and two little boys. She enjoys working with kids, and getting to help them learn and grow.

Tatum is a Registered Behavior Technician credentialed through the Behavior Analyst Certification Board. She’s currently a student at Iowa State University currently majoring in Human Development and Family Studies. She has a passion for working with children and adults with disabilities on everyday needs. She loves helping children of all ages to make progress in achieving meaningful life goals and helping them to learn and grow. In Tatum’s spare time you can find her actively involved with her church, listening to music, hanging out with friends, and going to the beach.

Mariah is a Registered Behavior Technician credentialed through the Behavior Analyst Certification Board. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Criminology through Buena Vista University and is currently working towards her Masters of Arts in Applied Behavior Analysis at Ball State University. When she isn’t working, she loves spending her time reading, going to concerts, watching TikTok with her fiancée, and hanging with her cats.

Landi is a Registered Behavior Technician credentialed through the Behavior Analyst Certification Board. She recently graduated from Iowa State University with a bachelor’s degree in Human Development and Family Studies, and will be continuing her education at Iowa State while she works toward a master’s degree in Youth Development. In her free time, she loves to spend time with her family and friends, watch Chiefs Football and Cyclone Athletics, binge watch shows, play with her dogs (Jack and Kelly), and be with her fiancé. She loves being outdoors and having fun. Landi has always loved working with children with disabilities and their families and loves to continue learning about ways that she can help

Maddie recently earned her bachelor of science degree in Psychology from Iowa State University. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her friends and family, specifically her nephew. She loves to try new restaurants, visit places she has never been to before, read and write poetry, and lie by the pool in the summertime. Her favorite sports to watch are softball and basketball and she likes being out and about as much as possible.

Sara graduated from Iowa State University. She lives in Ames with her 4 animals. She has worked with children for many years. She enjoys working with kids of all ages and backgrounds. Sara has a passion to help kids grow and learn. She is excited for the opportunity at Axis and what it has in store for her.

Amy recently moved from Colorado where she worked as a Behavior Technician at an ABA clinic. She has experience working with kids with autism and behavioral issues. In her free time, she enjoys being outside, taking hikes, reading, taking pictures of nature; and she loves dogs!

Candy is our Ames Clinic Coordinator. She has her Associate of Science Degree in Early Childhood Education and has worked in the Early Childcare field for 30 years. The past 25 years has been in administration in childcare. Candy’s passion and focus has been coaching and educating teachers on Positive Behavior Interventions and quality care. It has also been very important to her that children and families feel valued and heard. She believes that collaboration and clear communication between families and providers is key to helping children succeed. Candy enjoys living in her small town of Colo, having get-togethers with her extended family, spending lots of time with her 3 grandchildren and binge-watching shows with her husband and dog.

Christine has her Bachelor of Business Administration from The University of Iowa. She has many years of client relations experience starting in retail management and most recently in administration for an outpatient mental health office. Christine is passionate about being part of a team that supports providers so providers can offer the best care to their clients. When she’s not cheering on the Hawkeyes with her husband Chris, she enjoys trying out new food venues. Christine recently moved from Urbandale, IA to Fort Myers, FL and is looking forward to exploring all the area has to offer.

Kayla is the Insurance Specialist for Axis and she handles insurance benefit verifications, treatment authorizations, and anything else related to insurance. She came to us with several years of insurance and customer services experience. Kayla decided she wanted to be in a field where she could work with children after working in her small-town public library as their director where she planned all the activities for toddler time and their summer reading program. Kayla lives in Maxwell, IA with her significant other Chris and their 7 children. When not at work Kayla enjoys her time at the kids’ activities or home on the farm with a good book and country music.

Genna is the Axis Clinical Scheduler who handles scheduling for all three of our Axis locations. Genna started her career at Axis as one of our technicians and recently shifted her passion towards the administrative side of things. In her free time, Genna enjoys playing with her kitties Pepperjack and Chicken Sandwich, drinking coffee or listening to true crime podcasts. Genna loves seeing the kiddos come through the door everyday and saying hi to them in the hallways!