Lakeland Staff

Sharon Phelps MS CCC-SLP

Center Director Lakeland & Speech Language Pathologist

Sharon received her Bachelor’s degree in Communication Science Disorders from the University of South Florida. After working as an early interventionist and speech assistant she earned her Master’s in Speech-language Pathology from Nova Southeastern University. Her passions include, early language skills, articulation, social/pragmatic, and feeding skills. She loves spending time with her two teenage daughters, husband and doing anything out doors!

Sydney Mergler, SLPA

Speech Language Pathologist Assistant

Sydney received her Bachelor’s degree in Communication Science and Disorders from the University of South Florida in May 2020. Sydney is a specialized Barton Reading and Spelling tutor, a system designed to help people of all ages who struggle with reading due to Dyslexia. Sydney is fluent in both English and Spanish. She is passionate about speech pathology especially sound production, apraxia, use of sign language and communication devices, early intervention, and promoting the important of bilingualism in young children. On her free time, Sydney loves to play instruments, write, sing, attend concerts, travel, go on walks with her dog, and spend time exploring new places with her friends and family.

Derrion Hansberry, COTA

Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant

Derrion (Dee) attended Daytona State College where she obtained her degree as an Occupational Therapy Assistant in 2019. While she loves all things OT, Derrion specifically enjoys fine/gross motor development, sensory integration, and improving performance in ADLS and finds pleasure in assisting patients to reach their maximum potential. On her free time, Derrion loves to travel, shop, try new restaurants, attend entertainment events such as comedy shows and concerts, and go on spontaneous adventures. Fun fact: She has also maintained her status in the nursing field as a Certified Nursing Assistant for 10+ years.

Mary Aragona MS SLP-CCC

Speech Language Pathologist

Mary Aragona obtained her Bachelor's degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders from the University of South Florida, and her Masters of Science in Speech Pathology from Vanderbilt University. Mary is passionate about working with Apraxia and other motor speech disorders, School Aged/Preschool Language disorders, and dysfluency disorders such as stuttering and cluttering. She also has a special interest in patients with neurological and psychological complications, including Autism. In her free time, Mary enjoys reading, inline skating, running and exploring the greater Tampa area with friends. She is involved with Lakeland Toastmasters Public Speaking group and is obsessed with Black and Brew coffee.

Eddy Guerrero MS CCC-SLP

Speech Language Pathologist

Eddy received both his Bachelor’s in Communication Sciences and Disorders and his Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology from the University of South Florida. Beyond his focus on stuttering and articulation, Eddy recognizes the significance of alternative means of communication and firmly believes in the power of sign language as an invaluable tool for fostering communication in the interim, helping children express themselves effectively while they work towards improving their speech skills. Eddy is fluent in both English and Spanish, has traveled to over 15 countries, likes to collect Pokémon cards and loves to spend his free time with his daughter, wife and their two dogs.

Brenda Caouette OTR/L

Occupational Therapist

Brenda received her Bachelor of Science in Occupational Therapy at Worcester State University. She received her associate degree in Early Childhood Education from Andover College. She has three grown children, Hunter, Colby and Isabel. In her spare time, she enjoys running (half marathons and daily mileage), traveling, live music and beaches. She enjoys collaborating with parents to help with the "hardest" job of parenting and seeing the children she treats progress.

Kathleen Bailey, MA, BCBA

Center Director

Kathleen is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) that has been expanding her experience in ABA and other pediatric services since 2009. She has a Master of Arts degree in Applied Behavior Analysis from the University of South Florida and her work has been published in the international journal, Research in Developmental Disabilities. Kathleen has had the honor of learning from children and teenagers across multiple settings and professional roles. She is most passionate about supporting the families she works with as well as mentoring, teaching and collaborating with other medical, therapeutic and educational professionals through trainings and guest lectures. Outside of work, Kathleen enjoys traveling with her family and friends, reading, and decorating custom sweet treats.

Jasmine Rogers, MS, BCBA

Clinical Director

Hello there, I am Jasmine! I am the Clinical Director of ABA Services of our Lakeland, Healthpro Pediatrics location. My experience working with individuals on the Autism Spectrum and related diagnoses spans across almost a decade. During that time, I have worked under several titles including: Qualified Mental Health Professional (QMHP), Behavioral Therapist, Care-aide, Registered Behavioral Therapist (RBT), and Clinical Manager. I am originally from the Eastern Shore of Virginia, but decided several years ago that the warmer weather of Florida was meant for me! I received my Masters in ABA from Purdue University Global and am currently pursuing my Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology through Fielding Graduate University. My free time is spent with my two dogs Houdini (Siberian Husky) and Dixon (Pomsky) and my Husband. We enjoy spending time at the local dog park or hanging out at home watching Netflix. I am grateful to be a part of the growth and learning of each client in addition to partnering with families to tackle goals that enhance the quality of life for their children!

Cory Everheart, MS, BCBA

Board Certified Behavior Analyst

Cory has practiced ABA since 2013 across a wide range of settings, pediatric populations, and roles. They received a Master’s degree in Applied Behavior Analysis from St. Cloud State University, post-graduate certifications as a Certified Clinical Trauma Specialist for Individuals (CCTS-I) and a Health Coach (PN1-NC), and are passionate about the pursuit of dignity and a sky-high quality of life for all clients. They have extensive experience in safely treating life-threatening behaviors, improving food and nutrient intake, teaching meaningful social skills, improving daily independence, and teaching useful forms of communication. Their research interests include ethical decision-making, diversity-affirming practices, trauma-informed care, and effective supervisory practices. When not at work, Cory can often be found reading, hiking, growing vegetables in their garden, writing children's books, and playing with their daughter and pack of four German Shepherds.

Elena Bowne, RBT

Registered Behavior Technician

Elena is currently working towards her bachelor’s degree in the field of psychology at the University of South Florida. Elena’s goal is to become a BCaBA and eventually pursue her master’s degree in ABA to become a BCBA. In her free time, you can find her paddle boarding, hiking, and anything else outdoors.

Alexandra Eubank, RBT

Registered Behavior Technician

Alexa is currently working towards her bachelor’s degree in psychology at the University of South Florida. Alexa’s passion lie with helping others create the best life possible for themselves. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her baby, baking, and reading.

Jason Pettit, RBT

Registered Behavior Technician

Jason began his journey in the field of ABA as an RBT in 2020. Jason is very passionate about helping everyone reach their full potential regardless of the obstacles they face. On his free time, you can find Jason in the kitchen cooking, playing on his computer, and making people laugh.

Maddy Miller, RBT

Registered Behavior Technician

Maddy received her bachelor’s degree in psychology at Southeastern University. Maddy will be graduating in August 2023 with her master’s in ABA at Arizona State University. Maddy is passionate about all things ABA and enjoys every second of working with each kiddo helping them gain essential living skills. In her free time, you can find Maddy at the gym and spending time with her fur baby, Milo.

Durel Young, RBT

Registered Behavior Technician

Durel is currently enrolled at Keiser University to pursue her bachelor’s degree in psychology with the goal in becoming a Recreational Therapist. Durel is a former Nurses Aid where she worked everywhere from long-term care, rehabilitation, and behavior health. She has over 12 years of experience with Behavioral health working with dementia and mental health patients in both nursing home and hospital setting. Durel enjoys riding bikes, cooking, and spending quality time with her husband, kids, and fur baby Mason.

Jillian Lyons, MA, BCBA

Board Certified Behavior Analyst

Jillian Lyons received her bachelor’s in psychology in 2017 from University of Central Florida and Masters in ABA in 2019 from Ball State University. Jillian has always loved working with children and fell in love with special needs when she substituted at a school for children on the Autism Spectrum. In her free time, she loves spending time with her family. The biggest pieces of her heart are her 1.5-year-old daughter and baby due in July.

Jillian Henry, RBT

Registered Behavior Technician

Jillian Henry received her bachelor’s degree in Development Psychology at Boston University and is currently working on her Master’s in ABA at Ball State University. Jillian has been in the field for over three years. Her passions lie with children and providing opportunities for them to learn new skills that can help them live a quality life. In her free time Jillian enjoys soaking up the sun and ocean at the beach with family and friends as well as providing extra TLC to her many different plants.

Jillian Shaffer, RBT

Registered Behavior Technician

Jillian Shaffer is currently working towards her bachelor’s in behavioral healthcare with a minor in ABA. Jillian’s goal is to continue her journey through the field until she is a BCBA. Jillian has been an RBT since 2020 and has enjoyed every second of getting to work with the clients and be a positive influence on them and their families. On weekends you can find Jillian reading, at Disney, and spending as much time as she can with her sister and her niece.

Vanessa Lopez, BCBA

Board Certified Behavior Analyst

Vanessa received her Master’s in ABA from California State University, Fresno in May 2020. Vanessa has been in the field of Applied Behavior Analysis for almost 10 years working with children and adults on with autism and development disabilities. In her free time, you can find her hanging out at home with her dog Shadow, her family or reading. She considers the best part of her job watching her clients and families grow.

Betsy Rushing, M.Ed., BCBA

Board Certified Behavior Analyst

Betsy received her Master’s in ABA from University of Cincinnati in August 2021. Betsy loves all things science and data collection combined with the play and personal connections she gets to make with her clients in the field of ABA. When Betsy is not working with clients and their families or teaching college level Psychology courses, she loves to go to theme parks, cook, and do craft projects.

Nicole Robinson, RBT

Registered Behavior Technician

Nicole has been pursuing her passion of working with individuals on the autism spectrum since joining the field of ABA in 2018 and becoming a Registered Behavior Technician. Nicole plans on furthering her education within the field and potentially become a BCBA. In her free time, you will find Nicole curled up with her two cats, Donnie and Morge. Nicole’s aspiration in life is to be able to make positive impacts on as many people’s lives as she can.

Diane Hernandez

Front Desk Coordinator

My experience with HealthPro has been amazing from my co-workers, supervisors, center directors and parents. I'm passionate about helping parents scheduling and informing them on everything they need to know from initial appointments and walking them through the process. The best part of my day is when the kiddos walk in and are happy to be here to see their therapists. On my free time I love going to the beach with my dogs Firecracker and Chanel, spontaneous events, road trips, and food trucks.