Wisconsin Early Autism Project is proud to celebrate more than 25 years of serving the autism community.
Our research has shown that with early comprehensive treatment based upon the principles of Applied Behavior Analysis, children with autism can make significant and life-changing gains. Our comprehensive treatment program offers your child an enriched learning environment, evidence-based teaching strategies, a structured and individualized curriculum, and ongoing assessment.
By becoming a WEAP family, you are joining thousands of families who have benefitted from state-of-the-art, research based, and individualized treatment programs, delivered by a growing team of dedicated professionals.
WEAP is part of LEARN Behavioral, a national organization dedicated to nurturing the unique potential of children with autism—and supporting families from day one. We consider you, as parents and caregivers, your child’s first and most important teacher, and we partner with you to create an environment in which you and your child can thrive.
Our team at WEAP delivers services in Wisconsin, but we’re also part of LEARN Behavioral, a national organization that specializes in using contemporary applied behavior analysis (ABA) to deliver treatment tailored exclusively to the needs of every child with autism in our care.
As part of LEARN, WEAP offers your child and family the convenience and familiarity of local services, with the advantages of a progressive and collaborative national organization at the forefront of autism treatment.
And the advantages are real.
Our local and national clinicians arrive at work each day equipped with the latest research, the most extensive support and professional development, and clinical insights from one of the largest and most diverse behavioral health data sets in the country, amassed from treating more than 25,000 children over two decades. Our ability to derive insights from your child’s data, in addition to the aggregated data we’ve accumulated over time and across the country, gives us what we need to make evidence-based treatment decisions—and ultimately deliver personalized, effective care.
With more than 30 doctoral-level clinicians, 450 behavior analysts, and 3,700 behavior technicians, our organization treats more than 5,000 children across 15 states—and counting. Our clinical team, led by Hanna Rue, PhD, BCBA-D, makes up a concentration of ABA professionals unmatched by any other provider. Likewise, our clinical practice has been built over time by the collective inputs of leading minds and founding luminaries in the autism field, including Ivar Lovaas, Connie Kasari, Carl Sundberg, Bill Frea, Marjorie Charlop, Ronit Molko, Linda LeBlanc, and Laura Schreibman.
Recognizing differences and tailoring our approach are at the core of what we do. That’s why we’re committed to fostering a culture that embraces what makes us each unique – be it race, ethnicity, gender/gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, national origin, disabilities/abilities or socioeconomic background. WEAP aims to acknowledge the lived experiences and diversity of perspectives of our staff and the children and families we serve. We pledge to create a community centered around trust, respect, tolerance and empathy. Together, we’re better.
My aim is to be the voice of many - the children, the families and the WEAP team – to make sure that every day a child learns a new skill, every day a family has a positive experience and every day an employee goes home knowing that they have made the difference in the life of a child.
Mary Smith is the Executive Director of the Wisconsin Early Autism Project (WEAP). Mary works with the Directors across the five WEAP regions to ensure that WEAP maintains its legacy as the leading provider of quality early intensive behavioral treatment for children with autism in Wisconsin.
Mary is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst, licensed in the state of Wisconsin. Mary received her bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the Open University – UK, her Master’s Degree in Special Education from the Queen’s University of Belfast, and gained a post-graduate certificate in Applied Behavior Analysis from the University of North Texas. Mary has extensive training and experience in designing and implementing of behavioral treatment programs, with a passion for training young clinicians in their early professional years.
Mary has worked with WEAP since 1998. She has provided treatment, consultation and training throughout North America, the United Kingdom, Europe and Africa. She has presented at a variety of international conferences and successfully represented families seeking funding for treatment.
Regardless of your child’s age or where you are in your journey, we want to help.
