Our Team
Monika Haffner, M.S., BCBA, LBA, IBA
About Our Founder!
Beautiful Minds was founded by Monika Haffner, a BCBA, whose journey into the field of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is both professional and deeply personal.
Monika began her career as a Registered Behavior Technician (RBT), driven by her passion for helping children and inspired by her own experience as a mother of two children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Determined to make a greater impact, she earned her Master of Science in Applied Behavior Analysis from Northeastern University and became a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA).
In 2018, Monika established Foothills Behavior Specialists in Washington State, a thriving practice built on her vision of providing family-centered, high-quality ABA therapy. After several successful years serving families in the Pacific Northwest, Monika and her family relocated to Hermosa, South Dakota, where she founded Beautiful Minds to bring the same level of compassionate, evidence-based care to children and families across the Black Hills region.
Today, Monika continues to grow in her field while pursuing her PhD. She lives in Hermosa with her husband, their children, two dogs—Cash (Pitbull) and Daisy (Rottweiler)—and five cats. Outside of her work, she enjoys music and traveling and camping with her family in their RV.
For Monika, ABA is not just a career—it’s a calling. Every milestone a child achieves and every family that feels supported reinforces why she built these practices: to create a place where children can thrive and families never feel alone on their journey.
Regan Buonadonna
From a young age, Regan was drawn to supporting individuals with special needs. She often volunteered in her school’s Special Education classroom and spent her lunch breaks sitting with those students. At just 13 years old, she became a peer model at a local ABA company, volunteering in both the children’s and teen social groups. It was there that she discovered her passion for the field.
When she turned 18, Regan became an RBT and worked in the field for a short time before moving out of state. Not long after, she worked as a direct support professional in a group home, supporting residents who were mostly independent. When she moved back home, she returned to ABA as a Behavior Technician and realized she still had a passion for the field, just in a different way. She found she really enjoyed the administrative side of things and is now working toward a dual major in Business Administration and Human Resource Management.
Outside of work and school, Regan loves watching Law & Order: SVU with her husband, playing video games, traveling and shopping. She is also excited to be welcoming her first baby, a little girl, this December.