Leadership Team

She has a Master of Science degree in Nursing with a focus on Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) from Florida Atlantic University and she currently holds certification as a Board Certified Behavior Analyst, Infant Toddler Developmental Specialist, and is a licensed Florida Registered Nurse. She began her studies at Northeastern University in Boston, MA where she successfully completed the May Institutes ABA training program. She has since continued her graduate behavior studies at the University of North Texas and University of St. Cloud Minnesota. She recently completed an advanced training program in Cognitive Behavior Therapy through the Atlanta Center for Cognitive Therapy as well as coursework in the DIR/Floortime Model and Pivotal Response Training. She is a Professional Crisis Management Instructor and currently completing a second Masters Degree.

When not busy training or preaching about accountability, she spends time with her other two butterflies, Kenneth and Duncan, while honing her behavior analytic skills on her husband Michael.

Dr. Sutton also provides direct delivery of diagnostic and treatment services to children and adults with autism and related disabilities. Dr. Sutton is available to see individuals in the Butterfly Effects Clinic, as well as in the home, school, or community setting.

Dr. Sutton has been providing clinical services to individuals with autism and related disabilities for more than 20 years. Her diverse experiences in autism include assessment, intervention, college-level teaching, and research. She is a recognized expert in the gold-standard of autism diagnostics: the Autism Diagnostic Interview (ADI) and the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS), and has administered the ADI and ADOS to hundreds of children and families. Dr. Sutton helped develop and direct internationally recognized autism clinics at the University of Miami and the University of South Florida. Dr. Sutton is trained in Floor Time, Applied Behavior Analysis, and Pivotal Response Training, among many other intervention methodologies. She has provided consultation services to families, schools, and community agencies throughout the United States and abroad. Dr. Sutton’s work on autism has been published in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, Infancy, and the American Journal of Human Genetics, among others. She is a frequent guest speaker on the topic of autism, presenting across the U.S., Canada and Italy. She currently serves as volunteer faculty at the University of South Florida in the Department of Psychiatry and the Department of Pediatrics.

Dr. Sutton enjoys running, both for exercise and as a requirement of raising two young children. She also appreciates long talks with her husband, also an autism researcher.

Her academic and professional background includes an undergraduate degree from Florida State University and a doctoral degree from the University of Miami in clinical psychology with a specialization in child and adolescent psychology. She completed her clinical internship in pediatric psychology at the Children’s Hospital of Orange County in Orange, California, and a two-year postdoctoral fellowship in clinical neuropsychology at the Neuropsychiatric Institute of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) with a specialization in pediatric neuropsychology. At the conclusion of her residency at UCLA, she worked as an independent practitioner conducting pediatric neuropsychological assessments in private practice in Los Angeles.

Throughout her graduate and professional career, Dr. Font has specialized in providing psychological services to children and adolescents of all ages (birth to 20 years) with diverse needs including acute and chronic illnesses, neurological conditions, developmental disabilities such as mental retardation and autism, academic and learning difficulties, and emotional and behavioral issues. Dr. Font is bilingual in English and Spanish and much of her training and professional experience has also focused on the assessment of monolingual and bilingual Hispanic/Latino pediatric populations in Florida and California.

When not busy designing curriculum, Dr. Font enjoys cooking and spending time with her son and husband.

During the next ten years, Mitzie helped start, manage, and market two successful medical practices and co-founded an online weight loss and nutritional counseling company. Joining the Butterfly Effects team is the perfect fit for Mitzie. She can combine her clinical background with her sales and marketing experience to introduce Butterfly Effects to markets where behavioral services are badly needed. Insuring that families, schools, physicians, and other health care professionals are aware of the cutting edge behavioral and educational programs provided by Butterfly Effects, is Mitzies mission and new passion.

When Mitzie is not working, she can usually be found on soccer fields, tennis courts, and volleyball courts cheering for her 13 year old son and 10 year old daughter. She is also an avid hiker, loves to rock and ice climb and enjoys scuba diving.

When not busy developing courses for Butterfly Effects, Dr. Leach serves as an Assistant Professor at Winthrop University in Rock Hill, South Carolina in the Curriculum and Instruction Department. She is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA®) who has been working with children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and their families for over 13 years. She received her Bachelors and Masters degrees in Exceptional Student Education from the University of Florida. She then went on to complete her doctorate in Exceptional Student Education with specialization in autism and early intervention from Florida Atlantic University.

Dr. Leach previously served as the Associate Director for the Florida Atlantic University Center for Autism and Related Disabilities (CARD) providing professional development to school staff and community groups and support to families to promote best practices in meeting the needs of individuals with ASD. She has also served as a public school teacher working in a multitude of inclusive settings with children with diverse needs and abilities. Her research interests and practice focus on natural environment behavioral intervention and promoting effective inclusion for students with autism spectrum disorders. Butterfly Effects feels fortunate to have such an expert in education and Applied Behavior Analysis on board.

She received her undergraduate degree from Earlham College, master’s degree from the University of the District of Columbia in speech language pathology, and her doctorate degree in speech language pathology from Nova Southeastern University with a research focus on clinical supervision. She has also received the early intervention specialist certificate from the University of Connecticut. Amy has worked in a variety of work settings including a short tenure as a clinical director for a graduate program in speech language pathology at a state university. Areas of interest include child language, supervision, clinical education, cognitive-linguistic disorders, dysphagia, and motor speech disorders.

Amy enjoys writing, knitting, and spending time with her husband.

Miss Pignatiellos past experience includes work as an associate Behavior Analyst providing services to individuals with developmental disabilities in the home, residential, in patient mental health, and group living settings. Her responsibilities included authoring behavior reduction and skill acquisition plans, training caregivers in program implementation, and monitoring on going services. She has also worked as a special education teacher for three years at the Bancroft School in South Jersey and a director of a school in Texas for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Miss Pignatiello is currently completing her Masters Degree in Behavior Analysis.

Her wide array of experiences and skills has made Miss Pignatiello one of Butterfly Effects most influential figures on the Management Team. In her effort to keep the platform as cutting edge as possible, Jill is constantly presenting the team with new ways to enhance our current service delivery model. It can be concluded that the Butterfly Effects Organization would not have the same drive to improve and inspire without Miss Pignatiello on board.

When not working, Miss Pignatiello (soon to be Mrs!) enjoys preparing for her upcoming wedding day. We hear she finally located the gown!

She first obtained her Bachelor's degree in Communication Processes and Disorders from the University of Florida and her Masters degree in Education with an emphasis in Special Education from the University of North Florida. Amber is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA).

Amber enjoys going camping with her husband and son Madison. They are currently expecting their second butterfly in March.