Sensory-Friendly Trick or Treating

Melina Segneri

Melina Segneri, MS, BCBA, serves as Lead Board Certified Behavior Analyst at Chicago Pediatric Therapy & Wellness Center, where her rapid professional growth and commitment to clinical excellence have positioned her as a key leader in the ABA program. Melina's journey at the clinic began in 2020 when she joined as a Registered Behavior Technician (RBT). Her dedication, clinical skill, and leadership potential were immediately evident, and upon completing her BCBA credentials in 2021, she was promoted to Board Certified Behavior Analyst. She now serves in the Lead BCBA role, supervising fellow BCBAs and ensuring high-quality, coordinated care across the clinic's multidisciplinary environment. Melina's academic foundation began at Northern Illinois University, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Rehabilitation and Disability Services in 2018. This program provided broad exposure to disability services, rehabilitation counseling, and behavior support systems. She continued her specialized training at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale, earning a Master of Science in Behavior Analysis and Therapy in 2021. Her master's thesis, which focused on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), was published and reflects her dedication to advancing evidence-based practice within the field. Melina maintains extensive training in ACT implementation and integrates these principles into her daily clinical work and curriculum supervision within the ABA department. In her Lead BCBA role, Melina carries multiple critical responsibilities. She supervises and mentors BCBAs within the clinical setting, ensuring quality care and seamless collaboration with speech therapists, occupational therapists, and physical therapists. She developed, organized, and now oversees the social group program at Chicago Pediatric Therapy & Wellness Center, which serves children ages 5 through 18 in structured peer interaction settings designed to build social skills, emotional regulation, and friendship development. Additionally, Melina holds an Organizational Behavior Management Level 1 Specialist certificate—an advanced credential that applies behavior analysis principles to workplace systems. In this capacity, she supports employees through surveys and systematized assessment scales, working to enhance both clinical effectiveness and job satisfaction. Her dual focus on client outcomes and staff well-being reflects a holistic understanding of how organizational health directly impacts the quality of care families receive.