Our Team - Santiago & Friends

MAYRA

Dr. Ruiz Camacho earned her degree in Exceptional Education from the University Central Florida in summer of 2007. She has been working with individuals with special needs since 1994 in a variety of settings including private and group homes, organizations, and in the classroom, where she worked as an exceptional education teacher of students in the autism spectrum for six years. Dr. Ruiz Camacho earned her Board Certification in Behavior Analysis in 2004 and has worked in the assessment and treatment of problem behaviors since then. In addition, she has conducted numerous presentations at local, state, national, and international conferences, both in English and Spanish, for families and professionals in the field.

From 2007 to 2013 Dr. Ruiz Camacho served as an Assistant Professor at the Ross College of Education at Lynn University where she also Coordinated Project ACCESS (Assimilation to Community, Careers, Education, and Self-Sufficiency) for individuals with Intellectual Disabilities at the university. She is an active member of the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) and the Florida Association for Behavior Analysis (FABA) as well as a board member for the Florida Division on Career Development and Transition (FDCDT) and Project ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorders) at the University of Central Florida. Dr. Ruiz Camacho currently works in the field of behavior analysis as a consultant and as a lead analyst at Santiago and Friends Family Center for Autism. Some of her personal interests include traveling and spending time with her family.

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GARY

Gary was born and raised in the suburbs near Chicago, Illinois. Since moving to Florida, he earned an undergraduate and master’s degree at the University of Central Florida. Gary served as the southeast regional delegate for the National Student Speech Language and Hearing Association. While in this position, he participated in strategic planning, membership campaigns, and lobbied for health care provider interests in Washington D.C..

Gary is passionate about providing evidence-based assessment and treatment for communication disorders. He is an active Certificate of Clinical Competence member of the American Speech Language and Hearing Association. Gary serves as the Director of Clinical Operations for Morgan Healthcare, an allied healthcare staffing firm headquartered in Orlando, Florida. With Morgan Healthcare, Gary fosters clinical research, careers in health care, and community partnerships.

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AMY

Amy McGinnis Stango is dedicated to providing quality, evidence-based occupational therapy services to children and adolescents with development, neurological, and physical challenges. Amy began providing behavioral therapy services in 1998. She holds a master of science degree in occupational therapy from Alvernia University, and is a nationally registered occupational therapist. She also holds a masters degree in applied behavior analysis from Florida Institute of Technology, and is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst.

In addition to providing local occupational therapy services, Amy travels across the country and internationally to consult to ABA programs, schools, centers, and parents of children with special needs. She also publishes research, presents workshops, and serves on the Board of Directors of the Association for Science in Autism Treatment.

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LAURA

Laura Meehan has a bachelor’s in music education from Texas Tech University and a master’s in music therapy from Florida State University. She is a board certified music therapist, a certified Neonatal ICU music therapist, and is also a certified teacher in the areas of music and special education. She loves working with children and her research interests include music for special learners.