About me
With over 20 years of experience in special education, Nikki Michalak is a Board Certified and Licensed Behavior Analyst in Illinois (MS, BCBA, LBA-IL) dedicated to supporting educators, administrators, and families in creating effective and inclusive learning environments for students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and related communication and behavioral challenges. Her work focuses on translating evidence-based practices into practical tools and systems that support meaningful and sustainable outcomes for students and school teams.Nikki provides professional learning, technical assistance, coaching, and consultation to educators and families across Illinois. She has co-developed online professional development, as well as undergraduate and graduate coursework focused on ASD, intensive behavior support, and school-based application of evidence-based practices. Her work also includes research and publication in the field, and she contributes to systems-level improvement through service on multiple leadership and advisory boards.Currently, Nikki serves as the statewide director of the Autism Professional Learning and Universal Supports (A+PLUS) Project, the Center for Intensive Behavioral Supports (CIBS), and the Behavior Assessment Training (BAT) Project. Collectively, these initiatives aim to strengthen statewide systems for supporting students with significant behavioral, communication, and instructional needs through professional learning, coaching, and technical assistance. This work prioritizes the implementation of proactive, evidence-based practices and the reduction of improper restraint and time out through improved behavior assessment, intervention planning, and capacity-building at the classroom, school, and district levels.
