Meet Emily Sears – The Compassion Behind Our Care

Get to know the Compassionate Team of Clinical Experts at Lighthouse Autism Center

Emily Sears’ Lighthouse Story

Emily Sears is a dually certified speech-language pathologist and Board Certified Behavior Analyst at Lighthouse Autism Center. She received her master’s degree in speech-language pathology from Ball State University in 2010 and completed her BCBA coursework through Florida Institute of Technology in 2011. She became a licensed SLP in 2011 and was certified as a behavior analyst in 2012. She has been in practice for 14 years.

What made you decide on a career in therapy?

I had briefly heard about ABA in one of my undergraduate classes and it sparked my interest enough to delve further. I found a clinic near me that had a dually certified practitioner on staff and reached out asking about internship opportunities. During that internship, I completely fell in love with the science of behavior analysis.  I saw how seamlessly it blended with speech pathology and how much more effective it made my therapy to utilize both sciences together.  I was committed from that moment to become dually certified and work with this population.

What inspires/drives you?

The effectiveness of the science is what drives me.  Seeing the progress of our learners and the dedication of the entire team is what continues to inspire me.

What is your favorite part of your job?

My favorite part of this job is witnessing the successes of our learners. I love watching our clients learn a new skill and how the entire team celebrates each milestone. I also really love watching our learners find their voice, whether it be vocally or through an alternative method of communication. It really is life changing.

How has this career path impacted you?

This career path has impacted me in so many ways. First, I am excited and passionate about going to work every day, which has positively impacted my personal happiness. Over the past 14 years, I’ve had the opportunity to work with some of the most talented behavior analysts and speech pathologists, which has positively impacted my effectiveness as a practitioner.  This career path has also positively impacted me as a mother.  I am more patient. I can slow down, recognize, and celebrate my children’s successes, no matter how small they may seem.

What advice would you give to those seeking a Similar career path?

You won’t regret it. You get to work with the best kids, while positively shifting the trajectory of so many lives.

Why Lighthouse Autism Center?

I’ve been passionate about bridging the gap between speech pathology and behavior analysis for over a decade now.  With the Lighthouse Fusion model, we are finally able to do that on a larger scale.  I’m proud to be a part of such an exceptional team of both speech pathologists and behavior analysts.

What is your favorite part about Lighthouse Autism Center?

My favorite part about Lighthouse is that we are truly committed to providing compassionate care and quality therapy to children with autism. I love our collaborative model and how we all work together towards achieving a common goal.

What Lighthouse Autism Center value to you identify most with?

“Care about people more than anything.” I think if we all start there, everything else falls into place.

What is a fun/unique fact about you?

I have three young boys, so I’m well-versed in the areas of bug catching, ninja wrestling, and getting stains out of pretty much anything.