Melissa Olive, Ph.D., BCBA-D, LBA is the Chief Clinical Officer at Adapt for Life ABA. Missy previously served as the Chief Clinical Officer of Cultivate Behavioral Health and Education following the acquisition of her company, Applied Behavioral Strategies (ABS). Missy founded and directed ABS from 2010 until its acquisition in 2020. Missy also worked at The Center for Autism and Related Disorders (CARD) in their Austin, TX and Larchmont, NY offices. Prior to working in the ABA space, Missy spent 9 years conducting research and training special education teachers and behavior analysts at the University of Texas at Austin and the University of Nevada, Reno. Missy is also the Executive Director of the Florida Association of Behavior Analysis (FABA) and she currently serves as the Vice President of the Progressive Behavior Analyst Autism Council (PBAAC).

Missy previously served as Co-Director of Public Policy for FABA and she served on the CTABA Board of Directors from 2016-2021. She chaired the CTABA Public Policy and Legislative Outreach Committee (PPLO formerly called Legislative Committee) from 2016-2022. She previously served as a Member at Large on the Executive Council for CTABA from 2011-2013. Missy also served on the Executive Board as a Member at Large for the Division of Early Childhood (DEC), a sub-division of the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) and as President of the Texas Council for Exceptional Children (TX-CEC). Missy currently serves as a Guest Reviewer for the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders and the Review Journal on Autism and Developmental Disorders. She also served on the Editorial Board of the Journal of Early Intervention for 8 years, Topics in Early Childhood Special Education for 10 years, and Young Exceptional Children for 12 years. Missy has published over 30 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters focusing on assessment and treatment of challenging behaviors, communication intervention, feeding disorders, and ethical issues for behavior analysts. She is also the recipient of over $1.6 million in federal and state funding for research and training in the field.

Her current interests lie in the areas of assessment and treatment of feeding disorders, assessment and treatment of severe challenging behavior, ethical issues in the delivery of ABA services, clinical compliance of ABA services, and ABA services in school settings. Missy is the guardian of her youngest brother, Mac, who has lived with Missy or in residential services near her since he was 13 years old. She is married to Norm and is also the bonus mom of two amazing women. When not working, you can find Missy and Norm on a boat, out on their bikes, or traveling.