We had the good fortune of connecting with Karelix Alicea and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Karelix, is there something you can share with us that those outside of the industry might not be aware of?
I don’t think most people understand what behavior analysts do. After disclosing I am a behavior analyst, people usually follow-up with questioning me as to whether or not I’ve been analyzing their behavior since the outset of the conversation. Either that, or they assume I’m involved with criminal profiling, forensics or solving murder mysteries like they must watch on TV. The truth is that behavior analysis is a broad field which encompasses making socially significant behavior changes across a wide variety of industries, from weight loss to animal training to employee productivity.  I don’t do any of those things, however.  As a behavior analyst, I chose to specialize my clinical practice in treating children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).  As a behavior analyst, I am able to manipulate a child’s natural environment to encourage adaptive behavior and discourage maladaptive behavior in a manner that improves quality of life for that child, their immediate family unit and their local community at large. Some examples of adaptive behavior that are commonly increased in children with autism as a direct result of applied behavior analysis (ABA) therapy are their speech and communication skills, their eye contact and social skills, and their toileting and daily living skills. Some examples of maladaptive behavior that are commonly decreased with ABA therapy are tantrum behavior, aggression toward others, property destruction, self-injury, and self-stimulation. My clinical team and I specialize in treating children in the natural environment, which usually consists of their home, school or other community setting such as cheerleading practice or the grocery store. ABA therapy services are rendered wherever a child needs help the most and where they are surrounded by individuals who need support in learning how to better interact with them. My career as a behavior analyst has always been incredibly rewarding. There is nothing like helping a child with autism to achieve his fullest developmental potentials, all while supporting a highly involved caregiver who takes pride in making a difference in that child’s life. A few of the autism moms I have worked with have found so much joy and satisfaction in the process of and in the results provided by ABA therapy that they have gone back to school to become behavior analysts themselves.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Lotus Behavioral Interventions is an ABA therapy company that I started in 2009 following almost 10 years of experience in the field of behavior analysis working with children diagnosed with autism and other pervasive developmental disorders. We service AUsome children and families in Miami, Broward, Puerto Rico and beyond via telehealth. What sets us apart from other ABA therapy companies is that we are a boutique team of highly caring and qualified clinicians who are all recognized by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB), we focus on American Sign Language (ASL) as a primary alternative method of communication for non-verbal children on the spectrum, and we have over a decade of experience with telehealth as a service-delivery model which allows us to provide services to children far and wide who would not have access to services otherwise. I am proud of the dedication my team has to bringing out the best in our children and I am excited to continue growing the company to the point where we one day have our own school for children with autism. Getting to where we are now has been quite the adventure, especially considering I do not come from a business background. Working my way to the top proved to sometimes be very challenging and lonely as a one-woman show, but today I am very grateful to have a team of administrators who have reinstated sanity into my life. Overcoming the inherent challenges that come with building a business had a lot to do with hard work and perseverance. Roadblocks were frequent. I like to compare being an entrepreneur to being an Olympic hurdler. There will always be an obstacle waiting for you up ahead. Sometimes you soar above it, but sometimes you inadvertently stumble upon the obstacle and tumble to the ground. Sometimes you’re flying high above the hurdle and other times you’re flat on your face against the pavement. What’s extremely rewarding at the end of the day is knowing you’re providing so much for so many: a better life for your clinical team and for the children and families you service. It can be stressful at times knowing so many people are constantly counting on you, but it’s also very gratifying to see all your efforts come to fruition. I have worked hard all my life to get to where I am today and vow to continue thriving, not just surviving, with the support of my biological family, my friends that are family, and my Lotus family surrounding me and always motivating me to overcome whatever obstacle may lie ahead on this ever-elusive entrepreneurial path.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I’ll start by saying that I love my city. Miami has so many beautiful places to enjoy, both indoor and outdoor. If my best friends were visiting, and we weren’t in the middle of a pandemic, I’d take them to South Pointe Park where we could rollerblade along the shore lines of South Beach and enjoy a delicious fruit smoothie before laying out on the sand and jumping in the ocean. We could then enjoy a long walk up and down Lincoln Rd to do some shopping and stop for a bite to eat and people watch at Nexxt Café. Later that night we could get dressed up and hang out at the Delano in South Beach. The next day we could get up early and go for a run up and down the Rickenbacker Causeway and then stop for some water sports. We can then sit back and enjoy the sights by having a picnic at Alice Wainwright park along the coast. That evening we could get dressed up again and enjoy the gorgeous nighttime city views by having a rooftop dinner and drinks at Sugar in Brickell. The last day we could enjoy a delicious brunch at Lulu in the Grove followed by spending a chill afternoon surrounded by fun music, great food and cool drinks at The Wharf. At night we could go bar and art gallery hopping in Wynwood and stop for dinner at Wynwood Kitchen & Bar. Come to think of it, I’d love to sneak in a Miami Heat basketball game at the AAA in there as well. I’ll say it again: I love my city!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
There are so many people that deserve credit in my process, who believed in me and pushed me along my path toward becoming the behavior analyst and entrepreneur that I am today. I have to start with my parents who instilled in me the love of school and learning from day one. Then there is my high school AP psychology teacher, Mrs. Diane Holmes from Coral Park Senior High School, who initiated my intrigue with children on the spectrum. Then there was Sharon Alexander, my undergraduate behavior analysis professor at Florida International University (FIU), who later became my boss at Children’s Center for Development & Behavior in Weston, FL. I also have to thank Dr. David Lubin for helping me to become board certified and for being a committee member for my master’s thesis at FIU alongside my major professor, Dr. Jacob Gewirtz, a pioneer in the field of ABA who later awarded me with a graduate assistantship to complete my doctorate degree. Last, but certainly not least, there is Audrey Pinney. She is a CPA with a passion for helping young professionals to succeed. She took me under her wing and transformed me from simply being a behavior analyst to being a full-fledged entrepreneur of multiple businesses across the for-profit and non-profit sectors. Aside from these individuals who have been highly influential in my behavior analysis career, the truth is I would never be as passionate about the work I do if it wasn’t for the children I do it for. Their smiles, their first words and their successes are what fill my heart with gratitude and a sense of fulfillment every single day. In the end, I feel I owe it mostly to them.

Website: www.lotusbehavior.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/lotusbehavior
Facebook: www.facebook.com/lotusbehavior