Amy Legan is the co-founder of Aspire Behavior Solutions in Fairbanks, Alaska. A BCBA® and a long-time Motivity customer, she joined our Scientific Advisory Board to make sure the voices of smaller, operationally complex practices are part of the conversation. We asked her about building a practice under geographic and operational pressure, what leadership in ABA actually looks like, and why technology partners matter.
What made you want to join Motivity’s Scientific Advisory Board?
What interested me most about joining Motivity’s Scientific Advisory Board was that, over the past 15+ years, I’ve had experience with many technology partners, and Motivity was the first that truly felt like they understood the realities providers are facing. They didn’t just sell a product. They showed up, stood by our side, and helped relieve operational burdens so I could focus my time and energy where it was most needed: supporting clients, staff, and sustainable care as well as focusing on the overall operational health of my company. That last part is very important for the small community we serve.
More importantly, I joined because I genuinely believe in Motivity’s mission and in the human team behind it. Over the years, I’ve had the pleasure of partnering with individuals at Motivity who consistently demonstrated integrity, responsiveness, and a true commitment to supporting providers in meaningful ways. That partnership and trust matters to me. For me, technology and automation are clearly here to stay, and I believe providers and operators should have a voice in helping shape how those tools evolve. As a small provider, I also know that we inherently operate differently than many larger organizations. Our challenges, resource limitations, workflows, and decision-making processes often look very different. I think one of the best ways to avoid becoming isolated as a smaller organization is to actively join the conversation and help shape the future alongside others in the field. Participating on the Advisory Board felt like a meaningful way to contribute both operational and clinical perspectives while helping advocate for practical, sustainable solutions for providers of all sizes.
Running a practice in Fairbanks means the workforce is limited, payors operate differently, and geography itself is a constraint. How has that shaped the way you think about technology and operations?
It has forced us to think very intentionally about efficiency, flexibility, and sustainability. In a place like Fairbanks, you cannot rely on large staffing pools, operational redundancy, or easy access to outside resources. Small businesses also do not have the ability to absorb operational strain in the same way larger organizations can, and ongoing workforce challenges make that even more difficult. Every process has to work well, and technology has to genuinely reduce burden rather than create more of it. It has also shaped the way I think about access to care and operational adaptability. We need systems that support clinical decision-making, communication, scheduling, and documentation in ways that are realistic for providers balancing staffing shortages, high clinical demands, and unique payer expectations. Living and working in a geographically isolated area has reinforced the importance of collaboration, creativity, and building systems that are both practical and sustainable.
What’s something you’ve learned as a leader in ABA that you wish you’d known earlier in your career?
I would be remiss as a BCBA if I didn’t mention the obvious. I learned pretty quickly those four letters after your name do not make you the knower of all things. Empathy, collaboration, humility, and approach matter just as much as clinical knowledge, and I think every BCBA gets served a healthy portion of humble pie at some point in their career. Past that, I think one of the biggest lessons has been learning that operational health and clinical quality are deeply connected. Earlier in my career, I think I viewed them as more separate things and I desperately wanted “do it all”. Over time, I realized that strong systems, clear communication, accountability, and sustainable expectations are essential for protecting client outcomes and staff wellbeing. I’ve also learned the importance of flexibility and transparency as a leader. You can care deeply about high standards while still recognizing that people need support, clarity, and collaboration to succeed. I love the saying “clarity is kind”. Over the last few years, that has shaped my operational practice and offered my company a new strength.
When you think about Motivity’s role in the future of ABA, what stands out to you most?
What stands out most to me is the potential to bridge the gap between strong clinical practice and practical operations. ABA providers are being asked to do more than ever right now clinically, administratively, and financially. Technology has the ability to either add to that burden or meaningfully support it. I think Motivity has an opportunity to continue building systems that help organizations make better data-informed decisions, improve clinical consistency, support staff development, and ultimately improve access to quality care without losing the human side of what we do.
I think many providers who became operators, myself included, still want the human side of this work just as much as we did when we first entered the field. Operational efficiency is not about removing humanity. It is what creates the space for it. To me, my partnership with Motivity helps reduce operational burden so more time, attention, and energy can be directed back toward people, relationships, and quality care. Motivity has become a clear leader in the technology partner space because of their dedication to growing innovative systems while still prioritizing the human component, collaboration, consumer voices, and the science itself. That balance is rare, and it is why they stand out.
What do you hope this advisory board accomplishes for the ABA field?
I hope the advisory board helps ensure that the voices of clinicians, operators, and providers in the field are genuinely reflected in future development and decision-making. I’d love to see collaboration that leads to more practical, ethical, and sustainable solutions for ABA organizations of all sizes. I also hope it encourages innovation that supports quality care while acknowledging the real operational and workforce challenges providers are facing across the country. ABA is changing, and the models we work under are changing. It’s important we have technology partners who are helping forge this path.
Given the team Motivity has already built, I have no doubt they will continue adding to what is already a powerhouse group of professionals, Advisory Board included. I truly believe the possibilities are endless. It is an honor for me to have the opportunity to participate and contribute alongside them.