About Us

Jennifer Haggar graduated with her Masters of Science in Behavior Analysis in 2014 from the University of North Texas. She has a Bachelors in Business Administration from the University of Notre Dame (2009). She became a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) in 2014. She has been working with children with autism since 2008. She has implemented ABA therapy in the in-home and center settings. She completed her thesis and supervision hours under Dr. Einar Ingvarsson at the Child Study Center in Fort Worth, Texas where she was able to work with a team of behavior analysts on a variety of cases.

Jennifer decided she wanted to work with children with autism in 2008 when she was volunteering at the Rise School, a school for children with developmental disabilities, and observed a boy with autism. From that moment on, she knew that helping children with autism was exactly what she wanted to do.  Not wanting to add a third major, she took many psychology classes in her final year at Notre Dame and applied to the masters program at UNT.

​Soon after starting the program, she realized it was much more than working with children with autism that she would love, but the science of behavior analysis and how it can be applied to anyone to help improve the quality of life. Learning about this science and how it can be applied to socially significant issues not only with children with autism, but anyone was a wonderful discovery for her. She is excited to not only offer services to children with autism, but also neurotypically developing children who are engaging in challenging or rigid behaviors. Being able to use her knowledge of the principles of behavior to help improve the lives of children and parents is her passion. 

Marissa began her ABA career in 2013. She was a behavior therapist from 2013-2018, where she developed a passion for implementing ABA techniques, training staff, working with parents in the home setting, and taking on tough cases. She was promoted to a case manager in 2018, where she continued to develop her skills training others and working closely with parents while maintaining a full sized caseload under the supervision of a BCBA. In 2019, she moved to Texas, where she became a Regional Trainer and trained RBTs across 17 states. 

Marissa completed her master's degree in counseling with a concentration in ABA in 2020, and became a BCBA in early 2021. She utilized her various skills acquired across the years to become a Clinical Director and start a clinic from the ground up in Waco, Texas, in 2022. Marissa moved to Little Elm, Texas in July, 2023, and is excited to continue her Clinical Director journey with HBC. 

Marissa's most passionate about teaching parents how to understand the functions of behavior and respond to novel behaviors. Her ultimate goal is to ensure parents know how to deal with maladaptive behaviors in compassionate, safe ways outside of session. When she isn't working, she enjoys video games, disc golf, and her 7 fur babies.