Our Start
Michelle Schueller and Karen Bakker met in 2002 and founded Above and Beyond Learning Group. It was their love for helping people with Autism, and a passion to provide exceptional ABA services to children with special needs that lead them to co-found Above and Beyond Learning Group.
Above and Beyond Learning Group, also known as ABLG, started with a social skill curriculum designed by Michelle and Karen for children with Autism. Classes were held at a local community center. They provided each of their learners with 1:1 aides who could facilitate social interaction. It was a much needed service that parents wanted and was an essential service to the children on the spectrum.
Expansion
While the development of ABLG’s social skills programs was what sparked the partnership, the field was in great need of quality ABA therapy, which upheld the ethical and clinical standards set by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board. Michelle and Karen had been working with private Autism providers for many years prior to the onset of the social skills group. Many colleagues in the field of ABA came to us for leadership and direction. We realized the dire need for an agency that would be able to address the business administration side of ABA Therapy, while simultaneously providing the highest quality of clinical care.
ABLG has chosen to be an organically grown company. By reinvesting in ourselves we were able to expand and grow at a healthy pace without compromising the quality of our services. The Autism Insurance Reform Law was introduced in New Jersey in August 2009 and with a growing need for Certified Clinical Practioners, ABLG hired its first Clinical Manager in 2012 and created a clinical and service delivery model that branded us as influential leaders in Applied Behavior Analysis.
In 2013, ABLG hired a full clinical team to ensure quality and consistency in our ABA programing and opened our Princeton, New Jersey satellite office. We have expanded our agency to not only provide ABA services directly to learners but have added a series of significant programs to support families and professionals.
In 2012 Karen Bakker and Michelle Schueller created Autism Claims Experts otherwise known as ACE, one of the nation’s first medical billing companies that is exclusively focused on Autism Claims.
Today
Our growing reputation has been and continues to be built on referrals from New Jersey Public and Private Schools, private families, doctors, attorneys, occupational therapists, speech therapists and physical therapists, state and local agencies, and many professionals in the field of autism. With the support and confidence of our clients and colleagues, ABLG became one of the largest ABA providers in New Jersey.
In 2012 and 2013 ABLG was recognized by Governor Chris Christie as one of the NJ’s Top 40 Autism Professionals. In 2013, Michelle Schueller and Karen Bakker were nominated as New Jersey’s Leading Women Entrepreneurs and Business Owners.
ABLG’s Clinical Team are published contributors to the field of Autism and ABA. They continue to be leaders in research and development in the field of Autism, presenting at NJABA, ABA International, and Autism NJ. ABLG has been a significant and influential part of the autism community and those with special needs for over the past 10 years. We have served hundreds of individuals and school districts in New Jersey spanning into New York City. ABLG offers programs to fit the needs and wants of those affected by ASD.
