Our Team
Our Board Certified Licensed Behavior Analysts, Certified Teachers, and Behavior Technicians are committed to making a difference and making learning fun!
Jessica Cordier, Ph.D., BCBA-D, LBA (CT/NY)
Jessica is Founding Director of Gold Coast Children’s Center. Jessica is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst, and a Licensed Behavior Analyst in CT and NY. She graduated from Caldwell University in 2014 with a Ph.D. in Applied Behavior Analysis and has been serving children with developmental disabilities and their families since 2003. The Department of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) at Caldwell University awarded Jessica a graduate assistantship that included working at the Center for Autism and Applied Behavior Analysis as a staff trainer. She trained with the faculty in the ABA department to conduct assessments, parent training and deliver individualized programs and treatment plans for learners. In addition, Jessica provided staff training to the graduate and undergraduate students. She has also worked with children in public school, home, and community settings. Jessica is a past student representative of the New Jersey Association for Behavior Analysis (NJABA). She has served as a guest reviewer for the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis (JABA) and has authored contributions for the Association for Science and Austin Treatment (ASAT) online newsletter. Jessica has presented at numerous conferences in the areas of autism and ABA. Her thesis research addressed including children with autism in religious ceremonies. Her dissertation research included combining behavior skills training and generalization strategies to train staff across and within multiple instructional areas. Other research interests include staff training, parent training, autism, effective inclusion of individuals with developmental disabilities in community settings, and teaching social skills. Jessica lives in Darien with her husband and 3 daughters. She enjoys the Peloton and jogging. She loves to travel, dine at local restaurants, and spend long summer days at the beach with her family.
Lori Mastrogiacomo, M.A., BCBA, LBA (CT/NY)
Lori is Founding Director of Gold Coast Children’s Center and an Adjunct Professor and Academic Advisor at the Institute for Applied Behavioral Science at Endicott College. She holds a Master’s degree in clinical psychology (behavior analysis track) from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, and is pursuing a doctoral degree in Applied Behavior Analysis at Endicott College. She is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst, and a Licensed Behavior Analyst in CT and NY. Lori has worked with children, adolescents, and adults with autism and behavioral challenges in home, school and community settings since 1995. She has previously served in Clinical Director, Director of Outreach, and Behavior Analyst roles at private, nonprofit school programs, center-based, and home-based programs. She developed and implemented a parent training program at New Jersey Medical School-UMDNJ, which served as an internship site for graduate students working towards their Master’s degree in ABA. Lori has presented at numerous conferences in the areas of autism and ABA. She has been a guest reviewer for the Journal of Early Intensive Behavioral Intervention and the European Journal of Behavior Analysis and has published in the peer-reviewed journal Education and Treatment of Children. Lori is Past President of the New Jersey Association for Behavior Analysis (NJABA), and Past President of the Autism SIG of the Association for Behavior Analysis International (ABAI). She has also served as Coordinator of the Clinical Corner section of the newsletter, a member of the grants committee, and an externship co-coordinator for the Association for Science in Autism Treatment (ASAT). Lori’s thesis research addressed teaching pediatric residents to identify early signs of autism. Other research interests include early language development, parent training, compassionate care, interprofessional collaboration, and effective inclusion of individuals with developmental disabilities in less restrictive settings. Lori lives in North Stamford. She and her husband have 3 wonderful sons. She enjoys cooking, reading, practicing yoga, spending time at the beach year-round, and being with her family.
Holly Doyle
Holly is Office Manager and Behavior Technician at Gold Coast Children’s Center. Holly has been serving children with special needs (including autism, language delays, Down Syndrome, and medical diagnoses) since 2006. She was previously an instructional aide in an inclusion classroom in a public elementary school. She also previously worked as a home-based ABA instructor and as a nanny for typically developing children and a child with autism. Holly loves to paint, go for walks with her family, and bake.
Jéssica Andrade, B.S., RBT
Jéssica is a Registered Behavior Technician at Gold Coast Children’s Center. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from FMU (University Center of the United Metropolitan Colleges), as well as postgraduate degrees in Applied Behavior Analysis from University Candido Mendes and Neuroscience from Mackenzie Presbyterian University, all based in Brazil. Since 2012, Jéssica has been supporting individuals across various age groups with different developmental disorders. She has worked in diverse settings, including homes, schools, and clinics, delivering high-quality ABA services. Trilingual in Portuguese, English, and Spanish, Jéssica is experienced in 1:1 services, social and academic skills training, and managing challenging behaviors. She finds her greatest motivation in seeing her clients’ growth and their journey toward an improved quality of life. In her free time, Jéssica enjoys going to the beach, watching movies, and exploring new restaurants in town.
Blanca Valdes, B.S.
Blanca is a Behavior Technician at Gold Coast Children’s Center. Blanca holds a degree in preschool education from La Salle Collage (Spain), a coursework of two years as speech therapist from the University Ramon Llull (Spain). Blanca has been serving kids of different ages with special needs since 2019. She also worked as a teacher in a public elementary school and has experience as caregiver with different ages. She is polyglot in English, Spanish, Catalan and Portuguese. In her free time, Blanca likes to play soccer, spend time with her friends, travel and watch action movies.
Alexa Hearle
Bio Coming Soon.
Internship Program
2022 Interns
2019 Interns
Emma Gilbert went on to study Child Development and Psychology at Texas Christian University. She decided to intern at Gold Coast Children’s Center to learn more about Applied Behavior Analysis. Emma loves working with children and is interested in finding a career that would help her do so!
Sarah McLaughlin went on to attend the College of the Holy Cross to major in biology and minor in psychology. She chose to intern at Gold Coast Children’s Center because of her interest in learning more about ABA and her love of working with children.
Sarah Hoyt went on to attend Elon University with interests in Psychology and Sociology. She chose to intern at Gold Coast Children’s Center because of her interest in psychology and desire to learn more about Applied Behavior Analysis, as well as her love of working with children.
2018 Interns
Hailey King went on to study psychology and play softball at Sacred Heart University. She elected to intern at Gold Coast Children’s Center to learn more about Applied Behavior Analysis.
Stefani Gentile went to the University of Connecticut to pursue a major in business. She chose to intern at Gold Coast Children’s Center because of her interest in Applied Behavior Analysis and love for working with children.
2017 Interns
Meaghan Waldron went on to attend Bates College to play field hockey and study psychology and sociology. She chose to intern at Gold Coast Children’s Center to learn more about Applied Behavior Analysis.
Emma Lesko went to Dartmouth College, to play lacrosse and study psychology and Spanish. She became interested in learning more about Applied Behavior Analysis after her friend, Jane Bredahl, interned at Gold Coast Children’s Center last year.
2016 Interns
Morgan Tienken went to Colgate University to major in chemistry. She chose to do her internship at Gold Coast Children’s Center because she enjoys working with children and has an interest in behavioral psychology. She appreciated the opportunity to learn about Applied Behavior Analysis through the senior internship program.
Jane Bredahl went on to study at the University of Michigan to pursue a degree in biology. She chose to do her senior internship at Gold Coast Children’s Center because she loves children and has an interest in behavior, psychology, and learning. She loved the experience and hopes to do something similar again in the future.