Santa Monica Behavior Consulting

Portrait of Jen, BCBA

Autism meltdowns, untangled.

Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA), Santa Monica.

Meltdowns aren't tantrums. They're nervous-system events with patterns, triggers, and antecedents that look invisible until you map them. Most parents try every reaction and nothing sticks — because the work happens before the meltdown, not during.

I find what's actually setting them off — sensory, communication, hunger, or something else entirely. We build the supports. I train you to use them. Then the meltdowns get fewer, shorter, and less intense.

Six years across homes, schools, and clinics. I've worked with families dealing with daily aggression, head-banging, biting, and self-injury. There is always a path.

You know your kid. I know what helps. $225/hr, billing starts during the first assessment — home or Zoom.

Tell me what's happening.

I help children with autism ages 2–15. No waitlist.

Tap one — your text drafts itself.

Or call (424) 519-4647.

What happens after you text

  1. 1 I reply within an hour
  2. 2 Quick 15-min fit call
  3. 3 Assessment — home or Zoom
  4. 4 We build the plan
  5. 5 We work it

Why families work with me

  • ✓ One BCBA — no tech rotation.
  • ✓ Reply within an hour, seven days a week.
  • ✓ $225/hr — transparent pricing.
  • ✓ Home or Zoom — Westside LA.
  • ✓ Six years across homes, schools, clinics.
  • ✓ No waitlist. No agency. No insurance hassle.
Jen working with magnetic tiles during a home session

Sessions look like this.

Whether we work at your house or on Zoom — real materials, real play, real work on the things your kid is stuck on.

Text Jen →

Frequently asked

The questions parents ask before they text Jen.

What's the difference between a meltdown and a tantrum? +
Tantrums are goal-directed (they want something, they stop when they get it). Meltdowns are nervous-system events — your kid isn't choosing them, and you can't reason them out of one. The work is mostly in what happens before the meltdown, not during.
Can you help with aggression — hitting, biting, head-banging? +
Yes. Daily aggression, self-injury, and crisis-level behavior are part of the practice. Six years across homes, schools, and clinics including families dealing with daily physical behaviors. There is always a path.
How long until meltdowns get better? +
Most families see measurable change within 4-8 weeks — fewer meltdowns, shorter meltdowns, less-intense meltdowns. Some take longer. Jen will be honest about the timeline at the first assessment.
Can you help during a crisis? +
Jen is not a 24/7 crisis line. But you can text her and she'll typically reply within an hour, seven days a week. If your kid is in physical danger, call 911 or LA County's Psychiatric Mobile Response Team first.
Our nanny handles most of the meltdowns at home — can you train her on what to do? +
Yes, and you probably want to. De-escalation strategies only work if every adult in the house runs them the same way — kids can tell when the response is inconsistent and that's when meltdowns get worse. Jen trains parents and nannies on the same before/during/after playbook.
What areas do you serve? +
Westside Los Angeles — Santa Monica, Brentwood, Pacific Palisades, Malibu, Venice, Mar Vista, Culver City, Westwood, Beverly Hills, and the surrounding Westside LA neighborhoods. Home visits across this footprint, plus Zoom sessions anywhere in California.
Do you take insurance? +
No. Santa Monica Behavior Consulting is private-pay, cash-pay only — no insurance billing, no agency middleman, no 60-day intake process. Many families use HSA/FSA funds; check with your accountant. Some plans offer out-of-network reimbursement, but filing claims is up to you.
How much does it cost? +
$225/hr. Billing starts during the first assessment. Transparent pricing — no agency markup, no insurance gatekeeping, no surprise fees. Home or Zoom, same rate.
Are you a real BCBA? +
Yes. Jen is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA), ABA-trained, with six years of direct work across homes, schools, and clinics. BCBAs are the master's-level practitioners who design and supervise every ABA program.
Is there a waitlist? +
No waitlist. Most families start within the same week they reach out. The typical ABA waitlist on the Westside runs 6 to 12 months — Jen exists specifically to skip that bottleneck.
Home visits or virtual? +
Both. Jen does in-home sessions across the Westside (Santa Monica, Brentwood, Pacific Palisades, Malibu, Venice, Mar Vista, Culver City, Westwood, Beverly Hills) and Zoom sessions for families who prefer virtual or live further out. Same rate either way.
What ages do you work with? +
Children from 18 months to 15 years. Early-intervention-age babies showing signs, toddlers pre- or post-diagnosis, school-age kids, and teens — Jen takes anyone in that range. Most families come in with kids ages 3 to 10.
How fast do you reply? +
Within an hour, seven days a week. Jen reads every text personally — no answering service, no inbox triage. Text or call (424) 519-4647.
Do you offer weekend or evening appointments? +
Yes. Evening and weekend appointments are available — Saturdays and Sundays included — so families with packed school-and-work schedules can find a time that fits. Text (424) 519-4647 to find a slot.
Is this ABA therapy? +
Jen is ABA-trained and BCBA-credentialed — the same credential that designs and supervises every ABA program. The work she does is BCBA-led parent coaching and behavior consultation: direct work with you and your kid, not a 30-hour-a-week tech-delivered ABA program.
What's the first step? +
Text Jen at (424) 519-4647. She replies within an hour, schedules a free 15-minute fit call, then an assessment (home or Zoom), then you build a plan together and start the work.
Can you train our nanny or other caregivers too? +
Yes — and in many Westside families that's a big part of the work. Caregiver training is explicitly in BCBA scope. Jen trains everyone who handles the kid day to day: parents, nannies, grandparents, regular sitters. Consistency across the household is what makes behavior strategies stick — otherwise the work resets every time the caregiver changes.

Ready to talk?

Tap to text. The message drafts itself. I usually reply within an hour.

Text Jen now →

Or call (424) 519-4647