“My favorite moments are when I meet a new family for the first time and quickly establish a
connection with their child, inspiring hope and demonstrating the positive impact of ABA services.”
Known as “Dr. Becky,” Rebecca Thompson is senior director for advocacy for LEARN Behavioral, Wisconsin Early Autism Project (WEAP)’s parent company.
She leads strategic initiatives aimed at increasing access to autism services across the country. In addition to her advocacy work, she continues to oversee clinical training and provide mentorship to emerging behavior analysts.
She began her career at the age of 18 with WEAP, inspired by her mother, one of WEAP’s first administrative staff members. She quickly realized that her mother’s insight was spot-on — she found her calling in working with young children with autism, helping them acquire essential life skills that would transform their futures.
Dr. Becky earned her bachelor’s degree from Marquette University and went on to complete both her master’s and doctorate in clinical psychology at Wayne State University. She returned to WEAP during her post-doctoral internship, where she also pursued post-graduate coursework in applied behavior analysis (ABA) through the Florida Institute of Technology. As a board certified behavior analyst (BCBA-D) since 2013, she has become a respected leader in the field.
In her current role, Dr. Becky is developing a strategic advocacy plan to increase access to autism services across the 18 states LEARN serves. This new opportunity combines her expertise in high-quality ABA with her dedication to promoting equity in healthcare access. Through her advocacy work, Dr. Becky is committed to not only supporting families seeking services at LEARN but also expanding the reach of autism services to benefit the broader community across the country.