Heather Erba, M.Ed., PhD
Co-Founder
I am thankful to say that I truly love my work. I have worked in the dynamic field of special education for my entire career. Over the course of this journey I’ve had the opportunity to directly experience many different roles in our diverse field including: 1:1 classroom aid, classroom teacher, behavioral therapist, job coach, inclusion and behavioral specialist, adjunct university faculty at San Jose State University, research coordinator at Stanford University, family education specialist at Kaiser Permanente Autism Spectrum Disorders Clinic of Northern California Kaiser. Each of these roles have provided me with important insights, skills, and knowledge that guide our work at ConnectED. My professional passions include applying new and multidisciplinary research to a deeper understanding of complex child developmental profiles, partnering with families, teams to ensure high quality individual interventions for all children, and supporting schools to embrace a whole child understanding of students’ behavior and engagement. I have long dreamed of having a developmental clinic and ConnectEd represents a huge personal career goal.
I’m a local girl raised in Los Gatos. I received a B.A. from the University of Colorado, Boulder and teaching credentials at San Jose State University. After working with my first students with ASD as a 1:1 behavioral therapist and classroom teacher, I knew I had found my career. I received a Masters of Early Childhood Special Education and a Ph.D. in Early Childhood Special Education from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, with an emphasis on young children with ASD. My graduate research explored alternative treatment use in children with ASD, intervention and supports for children with Fragile X Syndrome, and efficacy-based EI programs for young children with ASD.
On a personal note, my husband, four children and I work to juggle our busy lives and embrace our fleeting moments together. In between family commitments, school work, and our jobs, we enjoy exploring the beautiful California coast, travel, watching soccer, and quality time with family and friends.