Shubhavi Arya is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst and health informatics specialist whose work sits at the intersection of clinical care, research, and creative technology. Through her work at Aria Alessia Kids Center, she provides applied behavior analytic services to children with neurodevelopmental needs while also designing systems that aim to make pediatric behavioral healthcare more efficient, accessible, and meaningful for families.
With a background spanning computer science, psychology, and applied behavior analysis, Arya’s path into the field has been anything but linear. Her early work in research labs at the University of Minnesota—ranging from psychiatry and neuroimaging to computational and human-centered systems—eventually converged into a focus on behavioral health informatics, where she integrates data, technology, and clinical practice to improve care delivery.
Alongside her clinical and research work, Arya is also the founder of Kids Studio, an animation and filmmaking program where children engage with storytelling, digital media, and emerging technologies such as immersive and augmented animation. This parallel creative practice informs her clinical philosophy, emphasizing individuality, engagement, and the importance of building environments where children can thrive.
In this conversation, Arya reflects on her journey into behavioral health, the role of behavior analysis in addressing larger societal systems, and the evolving relationship between technology and care. She speaks about the importance of relationships in clinical work, the need for more rigorous application of behavioral science to complex human problems, and her belief that the future of healthcare lies in the thoughtful integration of informatics with human-centered practice.
At once grounded in science and driven by curiosity, Arya’s work explores what happens when disciplines intersect—and how those intersections can be used to create more connected, compassionate systems for children and families.
Shubhavi Arya: That’s a big question. I guess the simplest way to say it is—I sit right at the intersection of behavioral science, technology, and education, and I try to make all three talk to each other in a way that actually helps families.
At Aria Alessia, I provide applied behavior analytic services, but I’m also constantly thinking about how those services can evolve. A lot of my work is about making pediatric behavioral health and classroom education more efficient, more accessible and I use technology, informatics and data systems that don’t just collect information, but actually make it usable in real life. I’m deeply involved in research as well, especially around behavioral health informatics, machine learning, AI and how those can support ABA-based educational and health interventions without losing the human element.
I also have this parallel work in Kids Studio, where I work with animation and filmmaking. That space lets me experiment with creative multimedia informatics – things like immersive computing, virtual and augmented animation and experimental ways of telling stories through technology. It’s a completely different lens, but somehow it feeds back into the clinical work in ways I didn’t expect.
More recently, I’ve also been working in the Pediatric Neurodevelopmental Diagnostic Clinic, collaborating closely with licensed psychologists and medical professionals. That’s been really meaningful, because it brings everything together – assessment, interdisciplinary collaboration and digital health platforms that allow teams to actually function as a system rather than isolated roles.
So, it’s not one thing. It’s kind of this ongoing process of building bridges – between behavior analysis, technology, medicine and creativity – and seeing what happens when those worlds start to overlap.
Shubhavi Arya: Yeah.. it didn’t start in a very structured way. It actually started with something very simple—I was a competitive figure skater, and I began coaching kids who were preparing for the Winter Special Olympics. At the time, I don’t think I fully understood the depth of what I was stepping into. I just knew I loved working with kids.
But then something shifted. When those kids went on to compete in South Korea and won multiple medals, it was incredibly powerful. Not just the outcome, but the process—watching them build confidence, persistence, and pride in what they were doing. That experience stayed with me.
From there, it became more intentional. Over the past 12 years, I’ve worked with children across a wide range of developmental profiles and needs—from very early intervention, around 18 months, all the way through adolescence. And I’ve worked in different roles—clinical, educational, research—which gave me a more layered understanding of how development actually unfolds, not just in theory but in real environments.
I think what has kept me in the field is that it never felt static. Every child is different, every family is different, and the work constantly asks you to adapt, to rethink, to stay curious. At the core of it, though, it’s always been about helping children access opportunities—to learn, to communicate and express themselves, and to be successful.
And for me, it became this natural convergence of psychology and education. I’ve always been drawn to both—understanding behavior, but also shaping environments where learning can actually happen. As someone who has been involved in the field for so long, I have always had a passion for helping others succeed and achieve their goals. Working with children allows me to do both at the same time – combine my love for psychology with my desire to educate and inspire others.
Shubhavi Arya: I think of it as a partnership more than anything else. This work isn’t something you “do to” a child or a family—it’s something you build with them. For me, this work really is my calling and I am grateful for the opportunity to advocate and be a partner for the families and children I serve. But that also comes with a responsibility to listen, to understand what matters to them, and to meet them where they are.
Of course, a big part of the work is skill-building—helping children develop communication, cognitive, social, and learning skills. But just as important is the relationship. I spend a lot of time focusing on connection—making sure children find the experience to be fun and joyful and also look at their social-emotional well-being. Learning doesn’t happen in isolation; it happens in moments that feel positive and meaningful.
I also approach everything as individualized. There’s no one-size-fits-all model here. I create individualized learning plans for each child and I am always open to feedback and input from parents and caregivers — they know their child in a way no one else does, so their input is essential to me.
At the foundation of it all is positive reinforcement—but not just in a technical sense. It’s about creating an environment that feels supportive and encouraging, where effort is noticed, progress is celebrated and the child feels motivated to keep going.
Because ultimately, the goal isn’t just to teach skills. It’s to build confidence, connection and a sense of joy in learning—and that’s something you can’t force, you have to create space for it.
Shubhavi Arya: It definitely wasn’t planned in a straight line. I actually started out in computer science—I was pursuing my bachelor’s degree and very focused on that track. And then something kind of unexpected happened.
My younger brother, who is two years younger than me, had just started his undergraduate degree while I was a sophomore in college. He initially declared himself as a psychology major because it would have taken him about a year to get into computer science in Washington. When I asked him about it, he casually said that he was planning to do both—psychology and computer science. And I remember having this immediate reaction – wait… you’re doing two degrees and I’m just going to have one? That didn’t sit well with me. So almost impulsively and very much in the spirit of that moment, I went ahead and declared psychology as a second degree the very next day.
Over time, things shifted. My brother eventually found his passion fully in computer science and software development and didn’t end up pursuing psychology. But that one decision—that slightly competitive, impulsive moment—is actually what led me into this field in the first place.
At first, it was honestly challenging. The way you think in psychology is very different from computer science. One is very structured, logical, systems-based. The other is much more interpretive, research-driven, and human-centered. I had to really learn how to shift between those ways of thinking.
But I was at the University of Minnesota, which has a very strong research ecosystem—especially in psychology, psychiatry, and the medical school. So I started getting involved in research labs, which was really exciting and inspiring for me. A lot of them initially brought me in because of my computer science background—I was doing web and app development for psychology and psychiatry labs. But being in those environments, I got exposed to so much more—neuroimagimaging, behavioral research, clinical studies. And those experiences also opened doors later for me to gain experience in areas like computer science, artificial intelligence, and human-centered computing—fields that were actually quite competitive for me to enter initially.
At that time, I also was very interested in pursuing a PhD, so I was absorbing everything I could about research. And over time, I started moving closer to the clinical side as well—working as a behavior therapist in early intervention, then with teenagers with autism.
I eventually worked at the University of Minnesota Autism and Neurodevelopmental Clinic, where I led social skills groups for middle schoolers with autism and ADHD, and became certified in PEERS. And from there, I had the opportunity to collaborate with medical residents and faculty at Indiana University Medical School—working on neuroimaging studies, and alongside people in computational neuroscience, AI, and cognitive science.
At some point, it just clicked. Behavioral Health Informatics wasn’t something I had originally set out to do—it was more like all the pieces I had been building suddenly made sense together. It became this natural integration of everything I was interested in—technology, research, and clinical work—into something that could actually improve how care is delivered.
Shubhavi Arya: I think it started in a very simple, almost instinctive way—I’ve always loved working with kids. That’s really the core of it. I got to work with young children, build relationships, and be part of their learning process—and that’s really how I fell in love with the field.
Second reason is that, there are actually two things I love the most in this world—kids and dogs.
And somehow, applied behavior analysis ended up being the perfect place where both of those worlds could exist together in a way that actually made sense. I have a small Maltese dog, and he’s… a huge part of this story. He absolutely loves kids and other dogs as well (like me). With kids – it’s almost automatic—kids love him, he loves them, and there’s this instant connection that happens. With other dogs, though, he’s a little more selective. If a dog gets too attached to me, he suddenly decides that’s not a friendship he wants to support. There’s definitely some… interesting behavioral dynamics there.
And what’s funny is, over time, I started noticing this pattern—kids I work with end up loving my dog, and through that, they connect with me more easily. It’s like this natural triangle: the child, me, and my dog. If you look at it from a behavior analytic lens, it almost feels like a real-life example of stimulus equivalence or relational framing—one positive relationship starts to extend to another, and suddenly you have this network of connection that makes learning and interaction so much easier.
That’s actually what pulled me deeper into the science of it. Behavior analysis gives you a framework to understand why those connections happen—how relationships form, how meaning transfers, how one experience can influence another. And when you get into areas like stimulus equivalence and relational frame theory, it becomes even more fascinating because you start to see how humans build entire systems of understanding from relatively simple interactions. The idea—that learning isn’t linear, but relational—really stayed with me.
That curiosity—understanding not just that something works, but why it works—is what really kept me in the field. And it’s also why I’m drawn to areas like Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, where those relational principles extend into more complex human experiences. With approaches like Acceptance and Commitment Therapy – you’re looking at language, cognition, and behavior in a much broader, more flexible way. That intersection between strict behavioral science and more complex human experience is something I find really compelling.
So it started in a very simple, almost funny way—with kids and a dog. But it turned into something much deeper—a way of understanding connection, learning, and behavior at multiple levels all at once. What has truly kept me here is the depth of the field—the fact that it gives you both a practical framework to help someone in front of you, and a theoretical lens to understand human behavior at a much larger scale.
Shubhavi Arya: That’s a hard question – this is going to require some thought.
Well, when I was in graduate school – I came across the works of B.F. Skinner and one idea really stayed with me. He had put forward the position that those who engage in a science of behavior have not only the potential to save or change the world, but also an obligation to do so. I thought that was a powerful statement. And at the same time, it makes you reflect on where we are versus where we could be.
I also spent a lot of time learning about derived stimulus relations and how they help explain complex human behavior—how people relate ideas, construct meaning, and act based on those relationships. There’s a lot of potential there, especially when you start thinking about understanding and resolving large-scale significant and complex societal problems.
If I had to frame any kind of “regret,” it’s not about the field itself—it’s more about how much of that potential still feels underutilized.
Because to save anything, we first have to understand why it needs saving. And when a lot of the data points toward maladaptive human behavior—and those humans are verbal—then our interventions really need to be grounded in the best available science of human language and cognition.
Derived stimulus relations as an outcome, relating as a process, and the technologies that allow us to predict and influence those patterns—those areas need to be explored, investigated and implemented much more vigorously than they have been. And maybe once we start doing that, in a more intentional and widespread way, we get a little closer to what Skinner was pointing toward. Not in an abstract sense—but in a very practical, measurable one.
Shubhavi Arya: I can think of one that’s very real—and very personal—is the experience of being a woman in STEM.
There are so many variables at play—expectations, biases, subtle reinforcement patterns in environments—that shape how people are perceived, how they behave and what opportunities they get access to. And a lot of those patterns are learned and maintained over time.
Behavior analysis gives you a way to look at that system not just emotionally, but functionally. You start to ask—what behaviors are being reinforced? What’s being ignored? What’s being punished, even subtly? And interestingly, one of the simplest strategies I actually use in my own life is something we call “planned ignoring” in ABA.
There are certain behaviors—certain dynamics—that don’t deserve reinforcement. And instead of engaging with them, I choose to redirect my energy toward people, environments, and interactions that are kind, supportive, respectful and aligned with the kind of space I want to be in.
At the same time, I actively reinforce the relationships and communities where I feel valued, loved and supported. Over time, that shifts your environment in a very real way.
So in a broader sense, behavior analysis can help us understand and reshape systems like patriarchy—not just by calling them out, but by changing the contingencies that sustain them. It’s not always dramatic. Sometimes it’s very subtle. But those small shifts in what we attend to, what we reinforce, and what we allow to continue—they add up.
Shubhavi Arya: I sometimes joke that I feel like a bit of a rockstar in this role — in the sense that I’m really passionate about advocating for access to care and making sure families feel supported in that process.
Practically, everything starts with understanding the child. I start by conducting an assessment—looking at their current skills, strengths, areas where they might need support or want to improve in. And from there, I build a comprehensive plan that’s very intentional but also flexible.
What’s important to me is that it’s never just my plan. It’s something I develop in collaboration with the child and their family. We set goals together—goals that are realistic, meaningful, and actually relevant to their life. And then we continuously monitor progress and adjust the program as needed.
A big part of the work is breaking things down. Skills that might seem complex are really a series of smaller steps. So I focus on breaking down each skill and then building it up in a way that is both efficient and effective. I also incorporate activities and exercises to help children develop focus, confidence and performance in a variety of settings so they can generalize those skills across environments – so those skills actually carry over into real life.
Because at the end of the day, for me – it’s not just about skill acquisition. It’s about helping a child feel capable and successful in the world around them – whether that’s finding their passion and interests or achieving success in school or learning to deal with social-emotional challenges.
Shubhavi Arya: I think the first step is always to pause and understand why the struggle is happening. It’s rarely just about the skill itself. There could be a lot of factors—how the activity is presented, the environment, motivation, even how the child is feeling that day.
So I work on identifying those barriers, and then I collaborate with both the child and the parents to adjust the approach and also provide support and encouragement. I also spend a lot of time normalizing the experience for families. Setbacks are not failures—they’re a very natural part of the learning and growth process.
And then, we keep going—but in a way that feels supportive rather than pressured. I focus on maintaining encouragement, keeping the child motivated, and most importantly, making the experience enjoyable. If a child wants to come back, if they’re looking forward to the next session—that’s a really strong indicator that we’re doing something right.
Because when learning feels positive, persistence becomes much easier. And that’s ultimately what helps children move forward.
Shubhavi Arya: I think the starting point is recognizing that no two children are the same. So goal-setting can’t be standardized and requires individualized attention. I tailor my teaching approach by first understanding the child’s abilities and preferred learning style, and then creating a personalized plan that caters to their needs and goals. I look at their current strengths and areas for improvement. I also create a plan to help the child reach their goals by regularly checking-in with families to track progress and make adjustments as needed. I also constantly assess and adjust my methods based on the child’s progress and data analysis and feedback.
What makes all of it work, though, is the ongoing collaboration with families. I check in regularly, track progress, and make adjustments as needed. It’s a dynamic process—if something isn’t working, we don’t stick to it just because it’s in the plan. We adapt.
I also rely a lot on data and observation. That helps guide decisions in a way that’s objective, but I balance that with feedback from parents, because they’re seeing the child in contexts I’m not always present in.
And then there’s communication. I make it a priority to stay connected with families—to update them and also to establish trust and maintain a positive working relationship.
Shubhavi Arya: I think the first step is to reframe what we’re seeing. In ABA, we don’t really think in terms of “mental blocks” or “anxiety” in the traditional sense—we look at what’s happening functionally. What is the child experiencing? What is the environment asking of them? And what might be making that moment feel difficult?
From there, my focus is on creating a supportive and positive environment where the child feels safe enough to try and can thrive in, while also helping them develop new skills. A lot of learning happens when pressure is reduced and success is made more accessible. So I use structured goal-setting, breaking tasks into manageable steps, and making sure the child experiences small wins along the way.
I also work with parents to identify and understand what might be contributing to those challenges and to develop practical strategies to overcome them.
But beyond the strategies, there’s a bigger philosophy I hold onto. Every child has their own way of interacting with the world— their own pace, their own strengths, their own style and one of the things I take pride in is that I always encourage children to be unique and to be themselves .
And I think one of the most important things we can do is protect that individuality rather than trying to standardize it.
If you look at great artists, filmmakers, athletes—you look at all of them, they are all unique, they all had their own strengths, they all had weaknesses. None of them are the same. Their uniqueness is exactly what makes them successful.
And to me, the thing that this world needs to have is inclusion and embracing that individuality. It needs people that think and approach the world in different ways. To me, the challenge I support children with is to find their own unique style within this system en-route to achieving their goals. I think being open and supportive of providing accommodations and support to children and individuals around us and having a genuine belief in the child – leads to a ripple effect of “inclusion”. Because when we invest in and truly believe in those with diverse needs, we are not just changing their lives—we change our own. I feel proud to have joined the community of the architects of a more compassionate world.
Shubhavi Arya: I think the first thing is accepting that you’re never really “done” learning in this field. There’s always more to understand, and honestly, that’s part of what keeps it exciting for me. I believe there is always room for improvement and I continuously seek out opportunities to learn and develop my skills. I make it a priority to attend workshops and seminars, as well stay updated on industry news and developments through online resources and professional networking opportunities.
Additionally, I continuously work on developing my own skills and techniques through self-study and seeking great mentors. I also love getting feedback from senior leaders in the field to improve my own understanding and techniques. I believe that staying current is important to prove the best possible experience for children and families we serve.
I really value learning from experienced clinicians, researchers and business leaders in the field. Getting feedback—especially from people who have a different perspective—helps me challenge my own assumptions and grow in a more meaningful way.
And I think working at the intersection of ABA, informatics, and research naturally pushes you to stay current. Technology evolves quickly, and if you’re not actively learning, you fall behind very fast.
Shubhavi Arya: I try to approach conflict as something that can actually be productive, if it’s handled the right way. I strive for open and honest communication and handle conflicts by addressing them directly and professionally. I also make sure to always prioritize the well-being and best interests of the child I am working with when making decisions and seek to find a resolution that benefits everyone involved.
Shubhavi Arya: I think a successful behavior analyst needs a combination of technical knowledge and experience, effective communication skills, empathy, and adaptability. They should also be dedicated to continuous learning and personal development to stay current and improve.
No plan works perfectly every time. Being able to adjust, to respond to feedback, to rethink your approach when needed—that’s what makes someone effective in real-world settings.
Also the field is evolving, and the needs of families are always changing. So a good behavior analyst is someone who stays curious, keeps learning, and is always willing to improve—not just for themselves, but for the people they serve.
Shubhavi Arya: I think a lot of it goes back to something a supervisor once told me early on—that my unique background in technology and informatics could actually be an asset to the families and children we serve in this field. At the time, I didn’t fully appreciate what that meant, but it stayed with me.
I remember showing him one of my research papers in behavioral informatics, and he looked at it and said, “Wow, this is really good”. To me that was a good moment, where my mentor gave me the confidence to keep trying, but I learned through experience that if the plan isn’t implemented at the right time and in the right way, then it’s not really a good plan. Even the best-designed system or intervention doesn’t mean much if it’s not implemented in the right way, at the right time, for the right child. A good plan on paper is not necessarily a good plan in practice. Though, it gave me a lot of confidence to keep exploring that direction.
That’s what I feel right now is my prized intellectual property. I feel really confident about how to go through that process. I know for some people it may come across as a little arrogant, which certainly isn’t the case because I always want to learn, and I’m still learning. But I do feel good about the structure that I know. And I try to also educate the parents and kids I work with about the latest technologies in informatics – whether its through my work in Kids Studio or through designing pediatric behavioral health interventions.
The way I think about technology now is very grounded. Informatics tools—whether it’s data systems, digital platforms, or AI-supported processes—are there to support decision-making, improve efficiency, and enhance collaboration. But they have to integrate seamlessly into the real-world environment of the child and family. That integration process is something I’ve spent a lot of time refining. It’s not just about building something sophisticated—it’s about making sure it’s usable, intuitive, and actually helpful in a day-to-day context and create value for the people they’re meant to serve. In a way, that process—bridging design and implementation—is what I consider one of my core strengths.
Shubhavi Arya: Anything with water.
I don’t think I’m very particular beyond that—it could be a beach, an island, the ocean, the sea, even just being near a body of water. There’s something about it that feels grounding and expansive at the same time. I also really love swimming, so being in or around water has always been a constant for me.
Shubhavi Arya: When I am not working, I love spending time with my dog – that’s probably my favorite part of any day. I also stay very connected with my family, enjoy going for walks, running, reading when I can, listening to music… and sometimes just switching off and watching something on Netflix.
I think because my work is so dynamic and mentally engaging, I tend to gravitate toward things that feel calm and grounding in my free time. It’s less about doing something big, and more about recharging in small, meaningful ways.
Shubhavi Arya: I think more than any one person or book, I feel inspired by the collective work of people in this field—especially those who have laid the foundations and advocated for access to care.
There are so many clinicians, researchers, business leaders and advocates who have worked incredibly hard to ensure that services for children with neurodevelopmental needs are recognized, supported, and reimbursed. That work often happens quietly, but it has a huge impact. It’s the reason we’re able to provide structured, evidence-based care today.
I feel that it is those efforts which today help us to prioritize and provide quality care and improve the services and supports available to children with autism and related disabilities. I find it worth it to ensure the future of care is shaped by those of us who are in this for the long-run and that is why I choose to be in this field.
I’m very drawn to the future of where this field is going. I truly believe that health informatics has the potential to transform how care is delivered—making it more efficient, more accessible, and more connected. That’s a big part of why I continue to pursue work in behavioral health informatics. It feels like a space where I can contribute not just to individual outcomes, but to improving systems at a larger scale and improve access to quality services.