Penulis: Joseph H. Cihon

Justin B. Leaf, Ph.D.,  BCBA-D, is the Co-director of Research for the Autism Partnership Foundation and the Associate Director of Doctoral Programs in ABA at Endicott College. Dr. Leaf received his doctorate degree in behavioral psychology from the Department of Applied Behavioral Science at the University of Kansas. He worked directly under the mentorship of Dr. James Sherman and Dr. Jan Sheldon. Currently, Dr. Leaf leads the research team at Autism Partnership Foundation, which conducts research projects both nationally and internationally. His research interests include examining methods to improve social behaviors for children and adolescents with autism and develop friendships, comparing different teaching methodologies, evaluating parameters of reinforcement, and evaluating long term outcomes for individuals diagnosed with autism. Dr. Leaf has more than 100 publications in peer-reviewed journals or book chapters and has presented at both national and international professional conferences and invited events. He serves or has served on several editorial boards f for prominent behavior analytic and autism journals. Joseph H. Cihon, Ph.D., BCBA-D,  is the Co-Director of Research for the Autism Partnership Foundation. Dr. Cihon received his bachelor’s degree in special education from Fontbonne University; master’s degree in behavior analysis at the University of North Texas under the mentorship of Dr. Shahla Alai-Rosales, Dr. Jesus Rosales-Ruiz, and Dr. Manish Vaidya; and his doctoral degree at Endicott College under the mentorship of Dr. Mary Jane Weiss. He has more than 15 years of experience working with children, adolescents, and adults diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder and other developmental disabilities in home, school, and community settings. His research interests include evaluating approach-based interventions, shaping, increasing favorable interactions among children, their families, and interventionists, developing contingencies to promote generalization and maintenance, and improving mealtimes for selective eaters. Dr. Cihon has published in and served as a reviewer for several prominent journals and presented research at national and international conferences. Julia L. Ferguson, M.S.,  is the Research and Assessment Coordinator for the Autism Partnership Foundation. Dr. Ferguson received her bachelor’s degree in applied behavior analysis and her master’s degree in behavior analysis from the University of North Texas under the mentorship of Dr. Shahla Ala’i. She is currently pursuing her doctoral degree in applied behavior analysis at Endicott College under the mentorship of Dr. Mary Jane Weiss. Dr. Ferguson has more than eight years of experience working with children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder in home, school, community, and clinical settings. Her research interests include evaluating social skills interventions for individuals diagnosed with ASD, staff training, evaluating best practice interventions, and comparing different teaching methodologies for individuals diagnosed with ASD. Dr. Ferguson has published many articles in peer-reviewed journals, authored book chapters, and has presented at national and international conferences. Mary Jane Weiss, Ph.D., BCBA-D, LABA,  is Associate Dean of Applied Behavior Analysis, Director of the Ph.D. in ABA, and Professor at Endicott College, where she has been for ten years. Dr. Weiss also does research with the team at Melmark. She has worked in the field of ABA and autism for more than 35 years. She received her doctorate in clinical psychology from Rutgers University in 1990 and became a Board Certified Behavior Analyst in 2000. Dr. Weiss previously worked for 16 years at the Douglass Developmental Disabilities Center at Rutgers University. Her clinical and research interests center on defining best practice ABA techniques, exploring ways to enhance the ethical conduct of practitioners, teaching practitioners  to integrate compassionate care and cultural humility into their work, training staff to be optimally effective at instruction and at collaboration, and maximizing family members’ expertise and adaptation. She serves on the Scientific Council of the Organization for Autism Research, is on the board of Association for Science in Autism Treatment, is a regular contributor to the ABA Ethics Hotline, and is an adviser to the Cambridge Center for Behavioral Studies. She is a regular reviewer for several professional journals and is a frequent member of service committees for various organizations.