OUR PRACTICE
Direction by Design LLC Mission and Vision:
Our goal is to provide personalized Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) skills training for all parents who are interested in a long term solution to their children's behavior excesses and/or deficits.
Direction by Design LLC was created by our founder, Lauren Byrnes, to further the reach of ABA to all families, regardless of age or diagnosis. Many parents of children with autism have been touched by ABA therapy, however, the majority of other families have never even heard of ABA therapy. After seeing the significant and successful behavior changes in families lives, our founder believed that these effective and evidence-based strategies could benefit all parents and should be made accessible to everyone.
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Based on that vision, she developed a 3-tier treatment services program that is based on ABA principles with a focus in the development, maintenance, and generalization of parents' knowledge, understanding, and skills. She also created Direction by Design's training system that uses the fundamentals of ABA to guide effective learning.
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ABOUT OUR TEAM
LAUREN BYRNES MS, BCBA
Founder and CEO
Our founder and CEO, Lauren Byrnes, began her career in Applied Behavior Analysis while living in Michigan in 2004. She started by providing ABA services to a wide age-range of individuals as a behavior technician in several settings including:  homes, schools, daycares, and clinics.
She continued to work as an ABA therapist as she entered undergraduate school. She received her Bachelor of Science in Psychology, and Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Loyola University Chicago. During her time as an undergraduate, she participated in conducting research projects in both the psychology and sociology departments. She was awarded 'Distinction in a Major' for her project on inclusion placements in the classroom setting.Â
She went on to receive her Master of Science in Clinical Behavioral Psychology at Eastern Michigan University. Lauren completed her intensive practicum experience at Children's Hospital of Michigan - Autism Center. While in graduate school, she taught undergraduate courses in psychology, conducted research on behavior rates in ABA therapy sessions, and was a co-conference manager for the Behavior Analysis Association of Michigan conference.Â
She became a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) in 2012. She started her career as a BCBA in Kansas City, where she undertook the responsibility to develop and initiate the company's early intervention ABA services program as well as clinically manage 3 different group homes for individuals' with severe challenging behaviors.
In 2013, Lauren moved to the suburbs of Illinois and continued her passion with providing ABA services. Over the years, she has worked as a BCBA, practicum supervisor, and clinical supervisor. This is where she discovered her passion and joy in training others (RBTs, practicum students, parents, colleagues, supervisors, schools, and organizations). Through vast experience with using an engagement focused approach to training, it became clear that there was a large need for consistency in the quality of services and supervision. She became the first Quality Assurance Manager in her company. In this role, Lauren developed performance management systems, standard operating procedures, staff trainings, documentation systems, and more to increase the quality of training and services being provided. Â
All of these experiences has brought her to her latest venture of starting Direct by Design which has the goal of providing quality ABA services for all families who are in need.
"Let your desire to achieve effective behavior change in your home, be what motivates your efforts in gaining knowledge and skills."Â
- Lauren Byrnes, Founder and CEO
OUR CORE VALUES
BE AN AMBASSADOR OF ABA
We are proud to be problem solvers that are widening the reach of ABA therapy.
CONTINUOUS LEARNING
We are passionate about learning and seek to constantly assist in the growth of our clients ABA knowledge and understanding.
BE DATA DRIVEN
We take a data-driven approach to clinical decision making and to measure our effectiveness in achieving our goals.
EMPATHY
we understand that communication starts by listening, understanding different perspectives, and caring about our client's success.
ACHIEVE THE EXTRAORDINARY
Our passion for progress has an uncompromising focus on quality, impact, and excellence.