Our Staff

At Autism Services Kauaʻi, our Registered Behavior Technicians (RBTs) are the heartbeat of the clinic. Highly trained and carefully selected, our technicians share one thing above all else — a genuine love for the children they work with and the work that they do.

At ASK, we believe that children learn best when they are happy, and so we hire accordingly. If you walk through our doors, you are just as likely to hear laughter, singing, and play as anything else — and that is exactly how we want it. Those moments of joy are not a break from the work; they are the work. They are how our keiki build skills, gain confidence, and make the extraordinary gains that fill our clinic with pride every single day.

Tanya Gamby, Ph.D. and Lindsey Shepherd, LBA are the co-founders of Autism Services Kauaʻi. After years of providing ABA services and serving as consultants to various organizations across the field, Tanya and Lindsey shared a dream — to bring world-class ABA therapy home to the children and families of Kauaʻi. In 2018, that dream became a reality with the opening of their clinic, affectionately known by the community as Keiki Cottage. One of their first and easiest decisions was bringing Shayna Perkins on board, whose knowledge and dedication helped shape the foundation of everything ASK would become. Together, they built a team of the best and brightest, and wove the most effective treatment principles into every corner of the clinic — creating a place where children are set up to thrive and the staff wake up excited to come to work.

  • Lindsey Shepherd, LBA

    OWNER, CLINIC DIRECTOR

    Lindsey is a Hawaiʻi Licensed and Board Certified Behavior Analyst and co-owner of Autism Services Kauaʻi. Lindsey graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Social Work from Eastern Washington University and her Master's in Autism and Behavior Analysis from Sage Graduate School.

    What sets Lindsey apart is not just her clinical training, but the life experience she brings to her work. For over a decade, Lindsey opened her home as a foster parent, and the majority of the children in her care had autism. That season of her life gave her an intimate, firsthand understanding of what families go through — the joys, the challenges, and the profound importance of having the right support. It is that experience, as much as her education, that drives her passion for the children and families she serves at ASK.

    Lindsey feels incredibly fortunate to do this work alongside her whole family, who share her love for the keiki of Kauaʻi. Her son is a familiar and beloved face around the clinic, often seen volunteering and playing with the children — a reminder that the ASK ʻohana extends well beyond its walls.

  • Tanya Gamby, Ph.D.

    OWNER

    Tanya Gamby, Ph.D., is a Hawaiʻi Licensed Psychologist, Past-President of the Hawaiʻi Psychological Association, and co-owner of Autism Services Kauaʻi. Dr. Gamby brings a level of expertise to ASK that is truly rare — her training and experience place her at the very heart of the ABA field as it exists today.

    The ABA models currently recognized as best practice for children with autism are rooted in the pioneering work of Dr. O. Ivar Lovaas, and Dr. Gamby's connection to that legacy is extraordinary. She served as Associate Clinical Director of the Lovaas Institute, where she had the privilege of working directly alongside Dr. Lovaas himself. Prior to her work at the Lovaas Institute, Dr. Gamby served as a clinic supervisor and research assistant in Dr. Tristram Smith’s ABA research clinic in Washington, one of the sites in the Lovaas Multisite Replication Project. There, she worked alongside another leading figure in the field whose research has significantly shaped how clinicians understand and treat autism.

    With over twenty years of experience in ABA and early intervention, Dr. Gamby returned home to Kauaʻi with a vision — to bring world-class ABA services to the children of this island. That vision became Autism Services Kauaʻi, and her expertise and passion laid the foundation for everything the clinic is today.

  • Shayna Perkins, LBA

    LEAD SUPERVISOR

    Shayna is a Hawaiʻi Licensed and Board Certified Behavior Analyst and Lead Supervisor at Autism Services Kauaʻi. Shayna earned her Bachelor's Degree in Applied Behavior Analysis with a concentration in Autism Studies from Saint Joseph's University, and went on to complete her Master's Degree in Applied Behavior Analysis from Arizona State University.

    Shayna has been a dedicated presence in the Kauaʻi ABA community since 2012, bringing over a decade of hands-on experience in both school-based and clinic settings to her work with the keiki and families at ASK. Quite simply, Shayna is the backbone of the clinic — the person who keeps everything running smoothly and makes sure every child and family is supported the way they deserve to be. Lindsey is the first to say that ASK would not be what it is today without her.

    When she's not at the clinic, Shayna loves exploring the world with her husband and is a proud dog mom — because caring for those you love, whether two-legged or four, is just part of who she is.

  • Tess Ellis-Elgart, SLP

  • Jackie Belding, LBA

    SUPERVISOR

    Jackie is a Hawaiʻi Licensed and Board Certified Behavior Analyst and Supervisor at Autism Services Kauaʻi. Jackie graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Special Education with a focus in Intellectual Disabilities from Brenau University, and went on to earn her Master's Degree in Special Education with a focus in Autism and Developmental Disabilities from the University of Texas at Austin.

    Jackie began her career as a special education teacher at Koloa Elementary, and has since built an impressive and wide-ranging career as a behavior analyst across school-based, clinical, and residential settings in Hawaiʻi since 2010. That breadth of experience is evident in everything she does at ASK, where she brings a level of professionalism and expertise that quietly sets the standard for the whole team.

    Jackie plays an integral role in the growth and development of the ASK ʻohana — leading group caregiver trainings that empower families with the tools and knowledge to support their children at home, and personally mentoring any RBTs who aspire to pursue their BCBA certification. She invests in the people around her just as much as she invests in the children she serves, and that commitment to excellence at every level is what makes her truly invaluable to the clinic. 

  • Jessica McGlaughlin, LBA

    SUPERVISOR

    Jessica is a Hawaiʻi Licensed and Board Certified Behavior Analyst and Supervisor at Autism Services Kauaʻi. Jessica graduated from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa with a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology and a Master's Degree in Special Education, and has spent the past eight years bringing ABA principles to life as an educator — including her time as a general education preschool teacher, which gave her a uniquely well-rounded lens for understanding how children grow and learn.

    At the clinic, Jessi is known for being the person who never shies away from a challenge. No task is too big, too small, or too outside her job description — she simply rolls up her sleeves and gets it done, and the whole team is better for it.

    Outside of ASK, Jessi's world revolves around her three daughters, who keep her cheerfully on the go from one end of Kauaʻi to the other. From student council, dances, and theater productions to preschool events and everything in between, she is deeply woven into the fabric of this island's keiki community — which makes her not just a wonderful clinician, but someone who truly understands the families she serves.

  • Ashelynn Caycayon, LBA

    Ashe is a Hawaiʻi Licensed and Board Certified Behavior Analyst at Autism Services Kauaʻi. Ashe received her Bachelor's Degree in Exercise Science from Brigham Young University in 2007, and from early in her undergraduate years discovered a deep passion for working with children with autism that would shape the entire course of her career. In 2019 she went on to earn her Master's Degree in Special Education with an emphasis in Behavior Analysis from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.

    Ashe's journey to ASK is one rooted in heart. She began her work on Kauaʻi in 2016 as a Paraprofessional and Behavior Technician, learning the community she loved from the ground up before growing into her role as a behavior analyst. At the clinic, Ashe additionally leads our social skills groups — creating a space where children can practice connecting, communicating, and building friendships in a supportive and joyful environment. It is work that suits her perfectly.

    Ashe and her husband feel truly fortunate to be raising their four children on Kauaʻi, and giving back to this community they love is not just something they do — it is simply who they are.

  • Rona Villaflor, LPN

    OPERATIONS MANAGER

    Rona is the Operations Manager at Autism Services Kauaʻi and quite honestly, the glue that holds it all together. Born and raised on Kauaʻi, Rona is an alumna of Kauaʻi Community College and the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, and brings over ten years of experience in healthcare administration and patient care to her role at ASK.

    Rona's reach at the clinic is impressively wide — from managing all things human resources and ensuring families have everything they need to begin services, to keeping a watchful eye on the client waitlist and making sure the clinic runs smoothly day to day. And with a background as a licensed practical nurse, she has also become the team's unofficial first responder for every mysterious bump, questionable scrape, and suspicious rash that walks through the door. If something needs to get done at ASK, chances are Rona is already on it.

    Her deep roots on Kauaʻi and her genuine love for this community make her not just an invaluable member of the ASK team, but a familiar and reassuring presence for the families and staff who count on her every day.

  • Erin Land

    Erin Land is the biller for Autism Services Kaua'i. Erin attended Kaua'i Community College and the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, and brings a rich and unique background to her role — she spent a decade in private practice from 2008 to 2018 as a certified substance abuse counselor (ICADC, CSAC, SA) and Anger Management Counselor, developing a deep understanding of the challenges families face and the importance of compassionate, community-based care. Erin joined the ASK ʻohana in 2018 and has been an essential part of the team ever since. A proud mom to a grown son, Erin is passionate about Kauaʻi, its children, and its families — and that love for community shines through in everything she does.