Meet Karelix

For more than two decades, Karelix Alicea has been a pillar of support for the autism community. Her commitment to helping children diagnosed with autism and their families has become her life’s mission. As a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) and Infant Toddler Developmental Specialist (ITDS), working with children diagnosed with autism and other developmental delays since 2001, and currently completing her doctorate in Organizational Leadership and Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), her commitment to the autistic community in south Florida runs as deep as her Puerto Rican roots. 

Throughout her career, Karelix has seen firsthand the difficulties that Hispanic families have with the high costs of therapies and treatments. Serving the large Miami community has fueled her passion for helping underserved communities, especially Hispanic families with loved ones on the autism spectrum. Today, she is the founder and president of Lotus Behavioral Interventions and Lotus Children, a nonprofit organization committed to providing ABA therapies and resources to underprivileged children with autism worldwide. She is also the co-founder of the Miami Association for Behavior Analysis. 

Karelix attributes her inspiration for personal advocacy in her local communities to Autism Speaks and its dedicated efforts in the field, which have ensured that over 200 million people across the United States have access to health insurance for autism-related therapies.  Finding the information you need to make informed decisions about you and your family’s future can be difficult and varies by state, and knowing what support is available for people with autism in your area can make a world of difference. 

To get a full picture of how well states across the U.S. are serving autistic people, Autism Speaks created Autism by the Numbers in collaboration with the National Autism Data Center at Drexel University. To better understand what autism policies look like in your state and to find local resources and services, visit Autism Speaks’ ABN Dashboard.

To learn more about Karelix advocacy work in the community and hear how she is working to be a difference maker in the community, check out this Q&A:

What inspired you to become a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA)?

 After graduating high school, I studied psychology at Florida International University (FIU). It was here that I got into the field of behavior analysis, where my professor was also the director of a therapy clinic in Weston. I wanted to work at the clinic and serve and support children with special needs. It was in my heart to do this work. Eventually, I worked at the clinic for several years.  

What is ABA therapy? 

ABA therapy is an evidence-based treatment for autism spectrum disorder. It involves taking the science of behavior and changing the environment in which the child interacts—and modifying it in meaningful ways. Overall, it works simultaneously to increase adaptive behavior and decrease maladaptive behavior. 

What are some of the misconceptions out there about ABA therapy?  

I must admit that in our field, like any other field, I imagine some practitioners do not have as much supervision as they should have or don’t practice within their expertise. While I value where this conversation has taken us regarding improved quality of care and awareness, good behavior analysis practice has nothing to do with 99% of the stories I have read online. Among the misconceptions that I have heard is that ABA therapy doesn't value individuals with autism.  I firmly believe it highly values the individual. Our approach is highly individualized, and we tailor our antecedent and consequential strategies.  

Everything we do is hand in hand with the parents or the primary caretakers, the teachers, the paraprofessionals, and the grandparents. Hearing ABA in the same sentence as something that is known to harm, belittle, or disrespect someone's abilities is heartbreaking because we strive as a field to do the opposite of that.  

Tell us about your work at Lotus Behavior Interventions and Lotus Children.  

Lotus Behavior Interventions provides therapy services to children throughout Miami-Dade and Broward counties. We specialize in seeing kids at their homes, communities, preschools, and daycares. Our focus is to provide them with the help they need, where they need it, and with whom they need it. In addition to ABA therapy, we provide other services and supports like parent training, autism screening evaluations, and respite care.  

Lotus Children is a 501c3 nonprofit organization that provides ABA therapy services, fine arts activities, and related resources to underprivileged children with autism worldwide. This is because behavior analysts only exist in some parts of the world, even though we are in high demand and needed everywhere. There are other countries that we've been able to connect with, or families in other countries that we've been able to communicate with via telehealth to provide services.  This was a very organic result of the phone calls I was getting from families that wanted ABA but didn't have insurance. I started this nonprofit organization specifically to fulfill the community's needs that I saw needed to be met. 

What does being a community supporter of the autism community mean to you? 

It gives my life meaning and purpose. I am genuinely grateful to be interviewed by Autism Speaks as part of this series. Without this great organization’s advocacy efforts, insurance carriers wouldn't even cover ABA therapy for our children. I want to follow in their footsteps in this mission of helping and serving the community.  

What is one important message you’d like to share with the community? 

Families seeking help for their children should seek help. Beyond the misinformation, they must seek advice from professionals and reputable organizations like Autism Speaks. They should also seek a high-quality ABA therapy provider. Most of us are very caring and highly qualified to do a good job and bring about significant changes and improved quality of life for our children in a loving and fun way.  

Finally, I welcome those interested in joining the ABA field with open arms because our field is in high demand. We constantly need more therapists to provide therapy to the children who are newly diagnosed every single day in this country. More importantly, it is about bringing people with big hearts who are passionate and want to make a difference that will impact real people, human behavior, families, and communities. 

Learn more about The Lotus Children.