KELSEY VODVARKA

HAMMONDSVILLE — The Edison Local School District is focusing its efforts on helping children improve their quality of life by adding a board-certified behavioral analyst to its schools.

Kelsey Vodvarka was hired in early January as the district’s first BCBA, although she had previously been employed as a registered behavioral tech. The Steubenville resident said she has been closely working with students at Edison Junior-Senior High School and Stanton and John Gregg elementary schools and developing improved outcomes.

“I began in 2023 as an RBT and started in January as a BCBA,” Vodvarka said. “I love it. Last year I got my foot in the door, and this year I’m really getting to know what works in each building.”

She is a 2013 graduate of Steubenville High School and obtained an associate’s degree from Eastern Gateway Community College before earning a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education from Franciscan University of Steubenville in 2020.

Vodvarka completed her master’s degree in special education and applied behavioral analysis in 2023, then earned her BCBA licensure this past December. Vodvarka hoped to help those students achieve their goals so they can focus on getting their education.

“I work with kids with behavioral needs and implement interventions to decrease their behavior,” she explained. “I create behavior intervention plans that are individualized for each kid. I do a functional behavior analysis and create a plan to meet the child’s specific needs. Applied behavioral analysis is based on scientific principles and is research-based.” She added that there has been an increased need for intervention and support and she regularly met with students to address them. “There has been a growth in behaviors since COVID and in autism. We’ve seen a major growth,” she said. “When you decrease behavior, you help them improve their quality of life.”

Superintendent Bill Beattie welcomed Vodvarka on board and said she is an integral part of the district’s initiative to help students thrive.

“We are very excited to have Kelsey as part of our team. With the increase in more challenging behaviors and the uptick in autism, she has been a great asset for our district,” Beattie commented.

“She played an integral part in developing a program for a preschool resource room with Heather Grimes, who is our preschool intervention specialist. The program has allowed our preschool students who needed additional assistance with developing the necessary protocols to be integrated back into the regular classroom to be successful, and has paid huge dividends. We are making strides with challenging behaviors and look forward to making more strides with Kelsey as our BCBA.”