Ascend provides services such as therapy/counseling, ABA therapy (Early Start Denver Model and behavior support services), and IEP help and advocacy for people with autism and other developmental disabilities and their families. We are based in Sacramento, CA and provide services in Sacramento, Folsom, Rancho Cordova, Roseville, Elk Grove, Rocklin, and offer telehealth when appropriate.
Our Guiding Principles
We are committed to providing our clients support throughout their life. Each stage of development is important and we have experts in early childhood through adulthood. We help individuals and families with where they are right now and also with where they want to go.
We recognize that each person and their family comes with their own unique strengths, challenges, and goals. We strive to capitalize on the strengths of each person and their support system to help them meet their goals. We believe in individualized services and we will work hard to find the right services and supports for your specific situation.
Lastly and most importantly, we believe a high quality of life is the ultimate goal. This means that we value connections to community, family and friends, physical health and mental wellness. We prioritize and support individuals and their family in these essential areas.
Staff
Haleigh Scott, Ph.D.
Dr. Scott is a licensed clinical psychologist with a decade of experience providing support services to children, adolescents, and adults with autism and other developmental disabilities. She specializes in working with adolescents and adults with co-occurring mental health concerns and/or challenging behavior.
She has a Ph.D. in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Psychology from The Ohio State University and completed her clinical postdoctoral training at University of Illinois at Chicago followed by additional training at the UC Davis MIND Institute.
In her free time, Dr. Scott is a passionate outdoor person and you can usually find her in the mountains rock climbing or mountain biking on the weekends.
Lizzy Fuller, Ph.D., BCBA
Dr. Fuller specializes in early intervention and behavioral therapy for children with autism and developmental disabilities. She has over ten years of experience in play and behavior therapies and in coaching parents to implement effective strategies with their children.
Dr. Fuller completed her undergraduate work in psychology at UCLA and received her Ph.D. in special education from Vanderbilt University. She is also a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA).
In her free time, Dr. Fuller is an avid runner, you can find her out with several running groups and in 2019 she qualified for and ran the Boston Marathon!
Lizzy Martinez
Lizzy Martinez is a Behavior Technician at Ascend. She graduated from Sacramento State ‘23 with a Bachelors in psychology. She would like to continue her college education by working towards her Masters degree. Lizzy’s career goal is to become a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and specialize with children. She wants to help advocate for children who feel as if they do not have a voice.
In her free time, Lizzy likes to watch her favorite tv shows, read books, or go on roadtrips near the coast. She also loves spending time with her family and laughing until her stomach hurts!
Alicia Trinidad
Alicia is a Behavior Technician at Ascend. Alicia graduated from Sonoma State University with a B.A. in human development and is planning to become a therapist. She is new to Sacramento from San Francisco and lives with her partner and rat terrier Reggie
Jasmin Dalton
Jasmin is a behavioral technician at Ascend. She has past experience in caring for seniors with Alzheimer’s and dementia. She is happy to help those with intellectual disabilities to learn, grow, and develop to better their lives.
She completed her bachelor’s degree in Journalism with a minor in Political Science at the California State University, Northridge.
On her free time, Jasmin enjoys sleeping in, trying new restaurants and going to concerts.
Kathy Sophia Lor
Kathy Sofiah Lor is a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) and focuses on early intensive behavioral intervention based on the principles of applied behavior analysis (ABA) for children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and other developmental disabilities. She has 7 years of experience in the ABA field and working with children with ASD and other related disabilities. She fully prides herself in applying the most effective evidence-based treatments when creating individualized intervention plans for our clients and incorporating principles from the Early Start Denver Model (ESDM) and ABA.
She completed her undergraduate in Psychology at UC Davis, and ultimately received her Master of Science degree in Psychology with an emphasis in ABA. She is constantly pursuing ongoing education that will not only benefit her work as a BCBA but also benefit the families we passionately serve.
Kathy enjoys Hmong dancing and singing terribly in the car. She also loves big family outings and gatherings which consist of 10 siblings and more than 20 nieces and nephews. Although that may sound chaotic, she also loves quiet days with her 2 bulldogs at home. Most importantly, she enjoys being surrounded by family, friends, and love.
Kayla Thao
Kayla Thao is a Behavior Technician at Ascend. She is pursuing her Early Childhood Education at American River College. She takes great pleasure in working with children and is passionate about teaching young inquisitive minds.
During her leisure time, Kayla enjoys spending time with family, exploring and eating delectable foods with loved ones and traveling.
Noe Dueñas
Noe Dueñas is a counseling intern at Ascend where he is completing his clinical hours. He has completed his B.S. in Psychology and is finishing his Master’s of Clinical mental health counseling at Grand Canyon University. Noe has been providing support to adults with Autism and other developmental disabilities for most of his career with active treatment, crisis support, and behavioral health support. In his free time, Noe enjoys gardening, exploring Disneyland, and tasting foods from all around the world.
Alice Rubalcava Levinthal
Alice is a behavioral technician at Ascend. She is a student at UC Davis completing a B.S. in neurobiology, physiology and behavior with a minor in psychology.
In her free time, Alice enjoys running, hiking, and baking, and loves horror movies and dogs!