Meet Miguel Flores of Flex Learning in Long Beach

Today we’d like to introduce you to Miguel Flores.

Miguel, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I started out working in the field of behavior analysis about eight years ago. After I completed my Bachelor of Arts degree, I started working with a child with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and after a few challenges and successes, I decided that this was the area for me. I initially started out as a behavior technician, which is the person who works directly one on one with the child.

After about a few years, I decided to pursue my Master’s degree and become credentialed to work as a Clinical Supervisor, overseeing and training behavior technicians. Since then, I have worked in a few different positions, essentially doing the same type of work. Throughout my time in different organizations, I decided that I wanted to obtain a bit more autonomy and create a company that I could call my own, and one that would eventually have an amazing work culture. This has led to me pursuing a doctoral degree in Business Psychology (expected graduation date is 2021!) and simultaneously opening up my own applied behavior analysis company.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
That is a great question. I would say that the road so far has been a good combination of some rough patches with a lot more smooth. Some of the struggles so far are that as I have become more invested in my company, I have had to figure out how to balance my personal and professional life–sometimes leading to missed opportunities or extremely long days.

One of the other factors is that as I am pursuing my advanced degree, it has led to some moments of feeling overwhelmed and a bit stressed. However, even with these challenges, one of the things that I really like to focus on is positive. One question I continually ask myself is how is this moment helping me reach my ultimate goals? I can usually find some part of a challenge that can be used as a moment of learning. I think that this is extremely important given that for us to move forward and progress, we must learn from our experiences in the direction of where we want to be.

Flex Learning – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
My company is called Flex Learning and we deliver evidence-based applied behavior analytic treatment, primarily to children and adolescents with developmental disabilities (e.g., Autism Spectrum Disorder, Intellectual Disability, Down Syndrome, Angelman Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, etc). This means that we work one on with the individuals to change socially important behaviors. We utilize a family-centered approach to ensure that all of those involved in the individual’s life are fully included–we have found that this leads to an overall better quality of life. Some of the things that we focus on when delivering these services can include improving social skills, reducing challenging behaviors, increasing communication, or teaching them how to complete adaptive skills. While some times that progress can be gradual, to us and their families it can mean the world.

At the moment, I am slowly building up the company and doing so strategically so that I can ensure as much success as a startup company can have. I would say that what sets us apart from the others is our well-rounded approach and our commitment to top-notch training. Flex Learning is predicated on the idea that flexibility in everyday functioning contributes to meaningful changes in socially significant behavior. It is our belief that the needs of the clients we serve can be best met through, a partnership with their parents/caregivers and other professionals involved in their lives. Our company values when working with clients include being: aware with compassion, present in our interactions with others, and invested in continued learning. As a workplace, we believe in the following for our employees: promoting a work-life balance, engaging in collaborative interactions, promoting open communication, and focus on self-awareness.

What is “success” or “successful” for you?
I define success as ensuring you are engaging in activities that are bringing you closer towards your ultimate goal. I think that success can be seen as fluid characteristic that, depending on how you look at it, can never be fully met. I think that as long as you are engaging in behaviors that will lead you to your own defined successes, then you are on the right track. Success for everyone is different and for me it means, at this moment in time, having a life filled with love, happiness, and a lot of mental flexibility to get you through the tough times.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.flexlearningbx.com
• Phone: 5626618900
• Email: miguel@flexlearningbx.com
• Instagram: flexlearning_bx
• Facebook: facebook.com/flexlearningbx

Suggest a story: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.