
Melissa Knopp
Board Member
Melissa Knopp Biography

Board Member
I met a child with autism in 2006 and that was it! From that moment on, I have been dedicated to the path of working with individuals with autism. I pursued a B.S. in Applied Psychology, a M.S. in Educating Students with Disabilities and a BCBA credential. Since that time in 2006, I have dedicated myself to this work. I have worked in many different environments and filled various roles, yet my primary goal always remained the same: to deepen my understanding of and connection with children with autism. I have worked in school, home, clinic and community environments, implementing a variety of approaches. Prior to relocating to Miami, I was living in San Diego, where I helped to start a multi-disciplinary therapeutic clinic under a well-respected neurologist in the field. It was there that I learned an immense amount about the neurological and sensorimotor contributors to the autism experience. I was trained in Supported Typing for children with limited to no speech, and I was forever changed as a practitioner and as a person. I am passionate about working with parents and families in the effort to provide them with deeper and greater understanding of their relative with autism. Through understanding, compassion and connection are possible.