CE Library for QASP-S and QBAs

Clinic Director at Step By Step Academy, a position she has held since 2009, where she previously served as Training and Behavior Plan Supervisor,Outreach and Training Coordinator, Program Supervisor/Outreach Support Technician and Behavior Technician.

Christine regularly publishes and presents at professional conferences on the topic of autism and behavioral support. Her areas of expertise include ABA, training, individual education plans (IEPs), treatment planning and behavior modification and behavior management. She has a BA in Psychology and minor in Sociology from Ohio State University. A Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst (BCaBA), Christine trained in Applied Behavior Analysis with the University of North Texas and is certified in Crisis Prevention.

Michele LaMarche is the co-founder of Special Learning, Inc. She is also the founder and Executive Director of Step By Step Academy (SBSA), a highly-regarded centre-based non-profit Autism treatment centre in Columbus, Ohio. Since its formation almost ten years ago, SBSA has touched the lives of over one thousand students through rigorous application of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) treatments, resulting in exceptional outcomes.

Ms. LaMarche, with over fifteen years of professional experience in the field of ABA, uses her knowledge of behavioral treatment to produce ground breaking, effective, empirically validated curricula, a critical factor in successfully mainstreaming hundreds of students with ASD. With her credentials and work through Special Learning and SBSA, she has changed the lives of countless individuals and families affected by ASD.

Angela Sallerson, OTR/L is a registered occupational therapist with over 40 years of experience in the field of occupational therapy. For the past 20 years, she has specialized in treating children with Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) in various settings. As a SIPT certified Senior Ready Approach therapist, she was a protégé of Bonnie Hanschu, creator of the Ready Approach, a highly effective methodology that incorporates sensory strategies throughout the day in a natural environment.

In her role as a sensory processing expert for Imua Family Services in Maui, HR, she helps children 3 to 6 with behavioral difficulties which impact their educational progress. Research indicates up to 16% of school aged children may be affected by this disorder. In children with autism, the rate of prevalence range from 75% to 90%. Bonnie has devoted her life to learning how to help children with Autism overcome this challenge so that they can achieve fulfilling lives.

Amanda Fishley, MA, BCBA, COBA is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst and Certified Ohio Behavior Analyst. She received her Master’s degree in Special Education/ABA from The Ohio State University. She has been working with in the field of ABA for over ten years.

She has experience working with children, adolescents and adults in school, home and mental health settings. These experiences have allowed her to work closely with parents, teachers, paraprofessionals, as well as mentoring and supervising behavior analysts. She is the Associate Director of Clinical Solutions for Special Learning, creating and presenting educational materials and promoting Special Learning’s mission to positively impact the special needs community.

Peter Gerhardt, Ed.D., is the Executive Director of the EPIC School in Paramus, NJ.  Dr. Gerhardt has more than 35 years’ experience utilizing the principles of Applied Behavior Analysis in support of adolescents and adults with autism spectrum disorders in educational, employment, residential and community-based settings. He is the author or co-author on a number of articles and chapters on the needs of adolescents and adults with ASD and has presented nationally and internationally on this topic. 

Dr. Gerhardt serves as Chairman of the Scientific Council for the Organization for Autism Research and is on numerous professional advisory boards including the Cambridge Center for Behavioral Studies.  He received his doctorate from Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey’s Graduate School of Education.

Melanie is a dually certified and licensed Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) and Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA). She is the Clinic Director of the Speech Therapy Group and The Verbal ABA Clinic at STG. She received her Bachelors of Science degree in Communication Disorders and Masters in Speech Language Pathology from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, in 1999 and 2001, respectively. She also received her Masters of Education in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) and Autism from Endicott College, where she is currently working towards her PhD in ABA.

Her clinics are private practices focus on the areas of verbal behavior and swallowing/feeding disorders.  Melanie’s main research interests include collaboration between speech pathology and behavior analysis, as well as verbal behavior, feeding disorders and organizational behavior management.

Dr. Syed is currently with Lehigh University’s Special Education Department as Professor of Practice and Clinical Director for Lehigh University Autism Services.  Previously, Dr. Syed was an Assistant Professor of Special Education at Manhattanville College.

Dr. Syed has over 10 years experience in the field of applied behavior analysis, general and special education, autism, and developmental disabilities as a classroom teacher, Special Education Itinerant Teacher, ABA home based therapist, and behavioral supervisor for center and home based services.  Dr. Syed has worked in early intervention, preschool, and school aged settings, as well as with adults.

In 2018, Dr. Syed was selected as a Top Tier International Partnership Discovery Fellow in the Inaugural Fellowship Class of the Global Autism Project, a nonprofit organization that provides training for local international practitioners in the utilization of evidence-based practices when working with people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Her research interests lie in verbal behavior, ethical practices in behavior analysis, and the implementation of behavior analysis to curriculum and teaching. 

Ann Beirne, MA, BCBA is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst with over two decades of experience working with individuals with autism spectrum disorder.

She has provided direct services to children and families in home environments, schools, and residential programs. Her work with this population has spanned the lifespan, including toddlers, young children, adolescents and adults with developmental disabilities.

Ms. Beirne is co-author of the textbook Understanding Ethics in Behavior Analysis:  Practical Applications available from Routledge Publishing in 2019.

Dr. Bailey received his PhD from the University of Kansas and is currently Professor Emeritus of Psychology at Florida State University where he was a member of the graduate faculty for 38-years and produced a record 63 PhDs. He is currently Director of the FSU Panama City Masters Program in Applied Behavior Analysis. 

Dr. Bailey has published over 100 peer-reviewed research articles, is a past editor of the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, and is co-author of Research Methods in Applied Behavior Analysis, How Dogs Learn, Ethics for Behavior Analysts, 2nd Expanded Edition, How to Think Like a Behavior Analyst, and 25 Essential Skills and Strategies for Professional Behavior Analysts, all co-authored with Dr. Mary Burch.