Noha Minshawi enjoys being around children. In high school, she was convinced her career would center on children.

That plus an interest in behavioral intervention led her to pursue a degree in psychology at The Ohio State University.

"I was interested in how behavior modification could be used to change and teach new behaviors," said Minshawi, now a psychologist and clinical director for the Christian Sarkine Autism Center at Indiana University Riley Hospital for Children.

During college, Minshawi participated in an in-home study of an autistic child. That gave her first-hand experience to see how specific behavior practices worked in the family setting.

"That first experience, seeing the challenges, understanding the science behind what was going on with the child and seeing the rewards of our techniques was intriguing for me," she said.

Her desire to learn more pushed her to pursue a master's degree and doctorate from Louisiana State University, and later to accept a position at the Sarkine Center.

At Riley, Minshawi works with patients in a clinical setting, oversees research studies and trains future psychologists or residents.

"I really love working with kids with severe behavior problems," she said. "A lot of people don't want to do that."

How did you manage to stand out in a crowd and advance quickly in your career?

Right now, people understand more and more about the necessity of behavior intervention in children. I really focus on that when training other physicians and psychologists.

What was your first job or entrepreneurial experience? How did it affect your future?

My first real experience was working with a 2-year old. I got to see first-hand the impact of a child with autism on a whole family. You can't help but experience that when going into a person's home on a daily basis. The impact on the parents and the siblings and seeing the dynamics in real life has been a powerful experience for me.

As clinical providers we know the science behind what we are doing, but being able to tell the family how it is going to work for them and knowing how it's going to happen day in and day out from the clinic to the home is the most important thing I've taken away.

What's the toughest mistake you ever made and what did you learn from it?

The biggest challenge, for me, was working on an in-patient unit for children with severe behavior problems. I learned the complexity of the behavior problems children face. Having seen it, the most severe behavior gives you the confidence to work with almost anybody and see why early intervention is important.

I've worked with kids who have to wear protective equipment at all times because they are a risk to hurt themselves. It helps you be able to react calmly and follow the treatment plan.

How important is it to have a mentor? Did anyone in particular help you advance in your career?

It's really important to have a mentor, especially in an academic medical setting. Without people who can guide you and give you advice and room to make your own choices it would be a lot more challenging.

My parents always told me that you don't say "no" to new opportunities. You accept and try things out. You don't know where they will lead.

What advice would you give to other young people trying to get started in psychology?

Seek out experiences and work in a variety of settings. You should gain clinical experience and seek out opportunities to be a part of research studies.