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

Hi Marissa, what do you want people to remember about you?
As a behavior analysis working in the field of ABA, I work with young children diagnosed with autism and their families. When working with these families and thinking about what I want mine and Discover Autism Support’s legacy to be, I think of empathy, compassion, and inclusion. I would love to be remembered as someone who is sensitive to family values and perspectives, who cares deeply about the work I do, and who is constantly striving to cultivate an inclusive community.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I have been lucky to have worked at two different amazing ABA companies that offer unique and effective approaches to the children and families that they serve. This allowed me to receive rare training that not many behavior analysts have access to, which ultimately sparked my curiosity about what it might look like to combine these two approaches. This along with my continued passion to provide 1:1 support to children led me to start Discover Autism Support in January 2023. I am extremely proud of the steps that I have taken in my collaboration and education to ensure that I am equipped to provide services that are extremely compassionate and individualized to the kiddos and families that I serve.

Growing my business has had its fair share of challenges along the way, but I have learned to give myself extra grace as I navigate the various facets of being a small business owner. It’s okay to be the “new kid on the block” and to ask as many questions as I need in order to fully learn and understand. I’ve also learned the importance of putting myself out there. You never know what can come from simply introducing yourself and building connections within the community.

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?
Denver is an amazing place to visit! If my best friend was visiting, I would take them on a drive through the mountains, on a trail to see the flatirons, and would show them Red Rocks Amphitheatre, maybe even catch a concert. We would definitely explore Golden and grab some coffee from Cafe 13 and a breakfast burrito from Bonfire Burritos. After exploring the shops and the river walk, we would head over to New Terrain Brewery for some live music. I would also love to show them Union Station, maybe catch a game downtown and if we had time, take them to the Wild Animal Sanctuary.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would like to shoutout Sarah Banks for being a trailblazer and for encouraging me over the years.

I also would like to shoutout my husband, Thomas. Without him, I would have never been brave enough to pursue starting my own business and I would not have the confidence to keep moving forward.

Website: https://www.discoverautismsupport.com

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