Manuela Quevedo is a part-time faculty member and the clinical director for the Mercyhurst Autism Support Initiative (ASI) at Mercyhurst University. As an alumna of the ASI program, she focuses her instructional role on mentoring and supporting graduate students throughout the academic year. She guides graduate clinicians in mastering classroom dynamics, behavioral management, and relational training methods, ensuring the seamless integration of evidence-based Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) practices into classroom settings.

In her clinical leadership role, Ms. Quevedo provides ongoing support and consultation to educators and clinicians navigating complex behavioral needs. Her experience includes serving as a lead special education teacher in specialized autism support classrooms and teaching internationally, where she developed individualized behavior intervention plans, implemented adaptive programming, and coached instructional teams.

Ms. Quevedo’s clinical focus centers on early intervention and reducing behaviors that negatively impact quality of life for younger populations. Her work emphasizes functional skill acquisition and behavior reduction strategies that foster long-term independence and self-advocacy.

She earned her Master of Science in Special Education with a concentration in Applied Behavior Analysis from Mercyhurst University and her Bachelor of Arts from Gannon University.

Ms. Quevedo’s work reflects a strong commitment to understanding behavior, meaningful behavioral interventions, and dedicated advocacy for students and families navigating special education systems.