Leadership
Dr. David Pyles, BCBA-D
President and Founder
Dr. David Pyles received his PhD in Psychology, with an emphasis in Applied Behavior Analysis in 1992 from the Florida State University. He has extensive experience with behavioral intervention in both developmental centers and in community group homes, and has a track record successfully treating extremely challenging cases. He has also assisted a number of states to address deficiencies and to successfully resolve Consent Decrees, Settlement Agreements, and Court Orders resulting from U.S. Department of Justice litigation. Dr. Pyles also helped establish the MA and PhD Behavior Analysis programs at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology. He was an Associate Professor of Psychology with an emphasis in Behavior Analysis at the school, where he taught several MA and PhD-level courses and advised a number of students on their master’s theses and dissertations. When he is not working, Dr. Pyles can be found rocking out on the guitar.
Megan Pyles, M.S., BCBA
Clinical Director – Kids
Megan has worked in the field of ABA since 2006, with clients ranging from early childhood well into adulthood. In 2018, Megan graduated with her Master’s degree from California State University, Sacramento under the advisement of Dr. Caio Miguel. The following year, she moved into the role of Clinical Director at Pyles & Associates. In 2021, her thesis project, ‘Teaching Children with Autism to Mand for Information Using “Why?” as a Function of Denied Access” was published in the Analysis of Verbal Behavior. In addition to this publication, she been awarded two research awards and has presented at several state and national conferences. She is currently enrolled in a PhD program at Capella University and looks forward to continuing to conduct research that improves the quality of services that individuals with autism and other developmental disabilities receive. When she’s not saving the world with ABA, Megan enjoys spending time with her dog and doing pilates.
Dr. Adrienne Hursh, BCBA-D
Clinical Director – Adults
Dr. Adrienne Hursh has her PhD in Psychology with a specialization in Behavior Analysis from The Chicago School, Los Angeles. Her dissertation focused on cultural selection. She has been working with individuals with developmental disabilities and mental health diagnoses since 2000 and in the field of ABA formally since 2002. She has worked with Pyles and Associates since 2013. She started working in ABA after being introduced formally to the science in her undergraduate studies at the University of Cincinnati. When she is not working for P&A she spends her time with her daughter, hiking and camping.
Wolf Supervisory Team (Adults Division)
Diana Mota, M.S., BCBA
Senior Behavior Consultant
Diana graduated with an undergraduate degree in psychology from CSUN in 2016. In 2018, she graduated from a master’s program in Behavioral Psychology at Pepperdine. She has 6 years of experience in the field and has been with Pyles for over 2 years. When she is not working, she likes to tend to her current plant jungle, go on hikes and adventures with her boyfriend and her cat Nicholas, and go to the movies.
Lizzie Wong, M.S., BCBA
Senior Behavior Consultant
Lizzie has over 15 years of experience in the field of ABA. She has been at Pyles & Associates for 4 years. Along with Dr. Hursh, she led a workshop at ABAI in 2019 called “Help Us Help You: Rapport Building and the Applied Setting”. When she is not at work, you can find her at metal and punk shows, camping, hiking, or off-roading.
Martha Rivera, M.S., BCBA
Behavior Consultant
Martha received her M.S. in Behavior Psychology from Pepperdine in 2019. She has 15 years of management experience, and 4 years of experience in the field of ABA. She has worked at Pyles & Associates for 2 years. After work you can find her running outdoor trails or on her treadmill, playing basketball, rollerblading, traveling the world, and trying out new breweries.
Shai Maor, M.S., BCBA
Senior Behavior Consultant /
Crisis Coordinator
Shai received an M.S. in ABA from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology. He has over 8 years of experience in the field, and has led workshops at CalABA and ABAI on Rapport building with staff, staff implementation and training, and overall behavior management. He presented a poster at ABAI on client problem behaviors and how confounding variables affect problem behavior management. Shai also has extensive experience conducting PCMA crisis management trainings and presentations. When he is not at work, you can find him successfully completing escape rooms (he has a 98-3 escape record), watching movies, or performing stand up comedy.
Panda Supervisory Team (Kids Division)
Victoria Rodas
Office Manager
Victoria received her Masters of Science in ABA from National University. She joined the Pyles and Associates team in 2021. When she is not at work she enjoys spending time with her family and playing sports.