Tyler-Curtis Elliott
Tyler-Curtis Elliott was born in Athens, GA, on August 12, 1998. In January 2022, Tyler-Curtis starred on the Lifetime TV show "Leave it To Geege," produced by the Emmy-winning production company World of Wonder. On Leave it to Geege, Tyler-Curtis shows his life to the world, including his passion for behavior analysis, relationship with the Taylor family, and pursuit of an autism diagnosis. His parents, Regina and Derek Elliott, have resided in Athens, GA while working at ESP camp with their youngest son Clete Elliott. Clete has multiple developmental disabilities, including both Autism and Tuberous Sclerosis Complex. Because of his connection with his brother, Tyler-Curtis became inspired to start working at ESP camp at 15 years old. At ESP, he developed a passion for working with and advocating for people with developmental disabilities. It was there, at ESP camp, where he met his best friends Geege Taylor and Pootie Taylor.
Tyler resides in Athens, Ga, with his best friends and roommate Geege Taylor (64) and Pootie Taylor (19). After a while of everyone living together, their new show "Leave it to Geege" aired on national television to show the world just how crazy their life is. Tyler is a very energetic person who has gained the nickname "Tyler-Tylenol" because he is so loud and hyper that you will need one. A great representation of this is exhibited on the show by presenting real-life conflicts and situations Tyler is presented with daily. Throughout the show, we see Tyler go through many life events, such as becoming a Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst (BCaBA), then earning his Special Education Adapted Curriculum (P-12) Level 4 teaching certificate later in July. In each episode, we see the bond between Tyler, Pootie, Geege, and other characters as they show the world how Autism has changed their life.
Tyler is seeking a profession in academia and has obtained a Bachelor of Science in Special Education (2020) and Bachelors of Art in Spanish (2021). This upcoming Spring (2022), he will obtain a Masters in Education in Special Education and Applied Behavior analysis and will continue his education in the Fall (2022), where he will begin his Ph.D. in Special Education at UGA. Currently, Tyler focuses on educational and behavioral research to apply to teacher training programs. As Tyler says, "We know what works in education. We know how the teaching practices result in students learning. In other words, we know what works. So why are we not using that knowledge? Why are we not doing what works?" One of Tyler's long-term goals is to help more teachers and educators study behavior analysis and apply the principles to their teaching practices. Tyler hopes to use his platform developed through Leave it to Geege to share the science of behavior analysis with the world.