Delainie A. Weaver, MA, BCBA, LBA

Why I started Thrive

My name is Delainie Weaver, and I’m the founder of Thrive Consultation & Collaboration. My passion is helping children build meaningful skills and independence while supporting the families and educators who walk alongside them.

While earning my undergraduate degree in psychology, I knew I wanted a career working with children and helping them build skills, gain independence, and reach their potential. I wasn’t sure what that career would look like until my senior year, when I discovered Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA). The more I learned, the more I realized it aligned with everything I hoped to do.

In January 2017, I began my master’s program in ABA at Ball State University and started working as a behavioral therapist at Hillcroft ABA Clinic in Muncie. Within a few months, I became a Registered Behavior Technician (RBT). Working alongside experienced Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs) helped me connect the science I was learning in the classroom with the everyday work of supporting children and families. Even after completing my supervision hours, I chose to keep growing as an RBT so I could learn as much as possible from the clinicians around me.

In June 2020, I became a program coordinator, training new therapists and developing programming under the direction of a BCBA. That December, I sat for my BCBA exam and passed on my first attempt. I remain thankful for the guidance of the BCBAs at Hillcroft, who helped shape the foundation of my clinical practice.

In May 2021, I joined Grateful Care ABA, a clinic that also provided services in homes and schools, and spent the next four years there. That work opened my eyes to how meaningful ABA can be when it’s part of a child’s everyday environment, helping not only children and families at home, but also students and educators at school. Over nine years in the field, I’ve trained new RBTs, strengthened my school consultation skills, explored different teaching techniques, and worked across settings from highly restrictive to more natural environments. Most importantly, I’ve watched countless children master skills that once felt incredibly difficult. Those moments never stop being rewarding!

Throughout my career, I’ve developed a strong passion for making ABA fit into the lives of the families and schools I serve, rather than expecting them to fit their lives around therapy. I value the trust and honesty that come with genuine relationships, and I believe the best progress happens when families, educators, and providers work together toward shared goals.

These experiences also showed me that traditional ABA services aren’t the right fit for every family, and some families may not qualify for or be able to access the services they need. Changes in Medicaid coverage have made me increasingly aware of children who lose access to ABA without a clear transition plan or enough support at school and in their communities. I began thinking about how I could use my experience to help fill those gaps.

That became my call to action and the reason I started Thrive Consultation & Collaboration: to support families and schools beyond the traditional clinic-based, insurance-driven model. Through consultation, collaboration, parent coaching, and individualized services, I help families find practical strategies, connect with resources, and build skills that make a real difference in everyday life.

What working together looks like

One of the first questions I ask every family is, “What do you want for your child when they are 18, 19, 20 years old, and beyond?” It might seem like a big question for the parent of a two-year-old, but it’s never too early to think about the independence, skills, and quality of life we hope our children will have as adults. That vision guides the goals we work toward today, while still making room to celebrate every small win along the way.

I listen first, work to understand your priorities, and make sure you feel comfortable being honest about your concerns and challenges. Support should be individualized, practical, and rooted in evidence-based strategies, and it should also make sense for the people using it. Progress isn’t just about what a child learns; it’s also about caregivers gaining confidence, routines becoming more manageable, and families feeling better equipped for everyday challenges.

Through Thrive, I hope every family feels supported, heard, and understood. Thriving looks different for every child and every family, and I believe the way we support them should reflect that.

Credentials & experience

• Master of Arts in Applied Behavior Analysis, Ball State University
• Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA)
• Licensed Behavior Analyst (LBA)
• 9 years in the field of ABA: 5 years in clinics, 4 in homes, and 5 in schools

Areas of focus

• Autism spectrum: extensive experience supporting autistic children and their families with individualized, evidence-based behavioral strategies
• School consultation & collaboration: five years working with school teams across seven school districts in Central Indiana
• RBT supervision & training: supervising Registered Behavior Technicians, training new therapists, and developing individualized teaching strategies
• Crisis prevention & safety: prior training in Prevention-Crisis Management (PCM) and Crisis Prevention Institute (CPI) approaches

BCBA certification can be verified on the Behavior Analyst Certification Board website.