Today we’d like to introduce you to Whitney Curtis-Huskey.
Whitney, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I started my career in the field of autism support as a paraprofessional in a social communication classroom, working with students diagnosed with Autism. During my undergraduate program, I had taken an introductory ABA course, and I found myself naturally applying those concepts in my day-to-day work. That experience confirmed for me that ABA was the field I wanted to pursue long-term.
I later became an RBT and then earned my master’s degree in ABA through the University of Cincinnati, becoming a BCBA in 2020. After obtaining my certification, I intentionally worked in a variety of part-time and contracted roles to gain experience across different settings and deepen my clinical skill set.
Through those experiences, I realized I wanted to have a greater impact on client care, specifically, I wanted to create a space where clinical decisions were made by someone who had actually worked directly with clients and understood their needs. That led me to explore opening my own clinic.
In that process, I found Finni Health, a company that supports BCBAs in launching and managing their practices. They handle much of the behind-the-scenes administrative work, which allows me to stay focused on my clients while still maintaining full control over the decisions that shape my company. With their support, I’ve successfully run my own clinic for the past year and a half, and it’s been incredibly rewarding to build a practice centered on high-quality, compassionate, and client-driven care.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road. When I started my business, Finni primarily supported in-home based practices. I had a very different vision, I wanted to build an in-clinic model from the start and serve clients through multiple funding sources. That was something Finni had never done before, so we were navigating brand-new territory together.
In the beginning, we rented space from a small church. It gave us access to basic necessities like tables and chairs, and it allowed me to scale the rent gradually as we grew. Unfortunately, that arrangement didn’t meet the requirements of our funders, which pushed us into an unexpected transition. We had to quickly secure a dedicated clinic space, purchase furniture, increase utilities, and get everything set up in a very short period of time in order to avoid any lapse in client care.
It was an incredibly stressful period, but Finni was a huge support throughout the process. I also have an amazing community that stepped in with donations and resources to help us get the clinic fully equipped. We’ve now been in our own physical location for just over a year, and every month we continue to improve, adding more materials, expanding our curriculum, and growing the number of clients we serve.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Beyond Behavior is an in-clinic Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) provider specializing in behavioral therapy for individuals with Autism. What makes us different is the environment we’ve created, our clinic is designed to mirror the structure and feel of a typical school setting, but with the added benefit of individualized, 1:1 support from certified RBTs under the supervision of a BCBA. This approach allows our clients to build functional, social, and academic skills in a setting that feels natural and familiar while still receiving highly tailored behavioral intervention.
What I’m most proud of are the relationships we’ve built with the families we serve. It’s incredibly rewarding to partner with parents and caregivers, support them through challenges, and celebrate their child’s progress alongside them. My goal has always been to provide care that genuinely improves a child’s quality of life and strengthens their entire support system, and seeing that happen every day is the heart of our brand.
Beyond Behavior offers services through both insurance and the Autism Scholarship, giving families flexible options to access the support their child needs. At our core, we’re dedicated to creating a positive, structured, and compassionate learning environment where every child can succeed.
Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
Something surprising that many people don’t know about me is that I actually grew up with an IEP myself. As a child, I didn’t speak at school, and although there wasn’t a formal diagnosis at the time, today it would likely be identified as selective mutism. Having that experience gives me a unique perspective and a deep sense of empathy for the children and families I work with. I know what it feels like to struggle in a school environment, and I carry that understanding with me in the work I do every day.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.beyondbehaviorservices.org/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beyondbehaviorservices/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61555416712584
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@beyondbehaviorservices
