A career in education isn’t always a straight path. Sometimes, it can take unexpected turns, leading to opportunities that change everything. For Koshila Ratnayake, that journey took her from feeling stuck in her career to discovering a passion she never saw coming—all the way in Abu Dhabi.
“I felt like I had hit a plateau after building my career as an educator,” said Ratnayake, a client support associate for The New England Center for Children’s (NECC) ACE® Department. “I knew I didn’t want to become an administrator, but I didn’t feel the same passion for teaching that had fueled me for so many years.”
Ratnayake, who was considering quitting teaching altogether, added that a conversation with a close friend changed everything. Her friend, who worked with Abu Dhabi’s education authority (ADEK), introduced her to autism education and encouraged her to apply for a position at The Mohammed bin Rashid Center for Special Education operated by NECC (MRC-NECC).
“I applied, and the rest is history!” she said.
That leap of faith from Virgina, USA, to Abu Dhabi, UAE, led to one of the most transformative experiences of her life. “Living in the UAE was, hands down, the most cherished time of my life,” she recalled. “I moved to Abu Dhabi when I was 24 years old, with no other plan except to build my career. It taught me independence, resilience, and a deep appreciation for cultural diversity.”
At MRC-NECC, Ratnayake honed her skills working with individuals with autism and contributed to innovative language and play-based learning initiatives. “The biggest lessons I took from my time there were the value of being self-reliant and the importance of always staying curious,” she said.
After several years in Abu Dhabi, Ratnayake was ready for a new challenge and decided to move to the United States, specifically Florida, where she served as the private program coordinator for NECC’s Consulting and Public School Services (PSS) Department. The position was anything but routine; she managed a home-based program while ensuring her student had access to meaningful experiences.
“From case management logistics to guiding my student through international airports, no two days were ever the same,” she explained. “I supported my case student in experiencing significant occasions, some requiring air travel, such as attending a wedding in a different state and visiting NECC-Southborough for routine clinical visits. We would always travel with her family, which created unique opportunities for skill generalization across various people and settings. For example, we worked on identifying community signs in the airport and on the airplane and practiced describing surroundings during a city bus tour. These experiences not only enhanced her learning but also allowed her to apply her skillset in relevant, real-time instances.”
While different, each of her roles with NECC deepened her expertise, and shaped her next move: joining NECC’s ACE team, where she could combine her love for education and technology to make a global impact.
Ratnayake’s decision to move to Southborough, MA, to work as a client support associate for ACE over returning to Abu Dhabi wasn’t easy. However, the support she received from her NECC supervisors in the PSS department at the time time—Amy Geckler and Tracey Toran — “helped me see where my strengths could make the biggest impact,” she said.
Since joining the ACE team, Ratnayake has worked on projects with a global reach, including supporting with the development and review of eLearning materials for internationally accredited coursework, which can help NECC staff who work outside of the United States earn their applied behavior analysis (ABA) credentials. “It’s been both exciting and rewarding to blend ABA content and instructional design to create something that will not only help professionals earn a credential but will also benefit the educators and learners they serve,” she shared.
Ratnayake is excited to see how the ACE, and her career, continue to evolve. “The beauty of NECC’s ACE program is that it’s always adapting to meet the unique needs of its users,” she said. “The team is full of talented, passionate people who go above and beyond to support educators and enhance ABA-based instruction.”
Reflecting on her career so far, Ratnayake is grateful for the ways in which NECC has helped her integrate her love for education with her growing expertise and fascination in technology and ABA. “I’ve always had great communication with my supervisors about my career passions, and together, we’ve worked to find the right path for me at NECC,” she said. “I’ve been incredibly lucky to have strong supervisors and colleagues who’ve taught me the importance of taking pride in my work, always learning, and showing empathy—for myself and for those around me.”
For young professionals considering a career in autism education, Ratnayake offers this advice: “The field is so much bigger than ABA instruction and programming. It includes technology, instructional design, project management, business development, and many other exciting sub-fields. Whether you strive to embark on the clinical route and become a behavior analyst, or work within the other aforementioned areas, I would advise taking your time to learn as much as possible, expose yourself to professional development opportunities within your passion, and utilize the knowledge you gain to create your own unique perspective in order to leave a lasting contribution in the field of autism education,” shared Ratnayake.
For Ratnayake, the limitless opportunities in this field and at NECC are special. “NECC offers so many unique ways to build a career by combining your skills and passions to make a meaningful impact. I’m incredibly grateful to be part of it and can’t wait to see where this journey takes me next,” she said.