About the Author
Dr. Maeve Donnelly has been working through joys and challenges with children and their families for over 20 years. Originally hailing from the Chicago area, she majored in human development and sociology during her undergraduate studies at Boston College. She earned a Master’s degree (MS) in Applied Behavior Analysis from Northeastern University and a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Behavior Analysis from Western New England University. She has been a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst® since 2005, and she is a Licensed Applied Behavior Analyst and Licensed Special Education Administrator (all levels) in Massachusetts. Dr. Donnelly has worked in private and public schools as well as in home and community settings with children who are diagnosed with autism and/or identify as autistic or with other neurodiversity. She is a core faculty member in the Applied Behavior Analysis programs housed in the Department of Applied Psychology at Northeastern University. Her recent published research centers around the acquisition of self-care (self-help) skills and toilet training for children with disabilities.
Dr. Donnelly is also a mother to three children currently attending elementary and middle schools. She lives just outside of Boston with said children, her husband, two guinea pigs, and a goldendoodle puppy. In the midst of her busy household, Dr. Donnelly credits her composure to her reliance on the scientific principles of behavior (specifically her awareness of positive reinforcement), as well as her understanding of development as a sequence of experiences. With these perspectives, she believes that everyone can learn some approximation of everything, that there is no such thing as a bad child or a bad parent, and that behavior is rarely, if ever, unchangeable. She also believes that everyone can use a little extra support, which is why this website exists.
About the Website
The purpose of this website and corresponding brochures is to raise awareness of behavior analytic methods and strategies for resolving common childhood concerns in the area of pediatric primary care. In addition to the well-known and efficacious methods for reducing problem behavior and teaching functionally equivalent replacement behaviors, behavior analysis researchers and practitioners have developed and validated intervention methods to address common child development issues. These interventions address toilet training, supporting healthy sleep, teaching functional communication skills, increasing food variety, developing play skills, completing home routines and self-help tasks, improving peer interactions, increasing physical activity and fitness, teaching safety skills, and more. There has long been a call from within the field of applied behavior analysis to bring information about these evidence-based practices to pediatric primary care providers (e.g., Allen et al., 1993; Bruni & Lancaster, 2019; Friman, 2010). Correspondingly, pediatrician survey results have revealed that pediatricians may have less training or confidence to address these types of problems (i.e., related to sleep, behavior, peer interactions, etc.; e.g., Boreman et al., 2007; Leaf et al., 2004; Nasir et al., 2016). Thus, the information shared in these materials is intended to bridge that gap by providing caregivers with behaviorally-based strategies as well as resources to turn to for more specialized information as needed.
References
Allen, K. D., Barone, V. J., & Kuhn, B. R. (1993). A behavioral prescription for promoting applied behavior analysis within pediatrics. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 26(4), 493–502. https://doi.org/10.1901/jaba.1993.26-493
Boreman, C. D., Thomasgard, M. C., Fernandez, S. A., & Coury, D. L. (2007). Resident training in developmental/behavioral pediatrics: Where do we stand?. Clinical Pediatrics, 46(2), 135–145. https://doi.org/10.1177/0009922806290456
Bruni, T. P., & Lancaster, B. M. (2019). Applied behavior analysis in pediatric primary care: Bringing ABA to scale. Behavior Analysis: Research and Practice, 19(1), 5–13. https://doi.org/10.1037/bar0000152
Friman, P.C. (2010). Come on in, the water is fine: Achieving mainstream relevance through integration with primary medical care. The Behavior Analyst, 33, 19-36. doi: 10.1007/BF03392201. PMID: 22479124; PMCID: PMC2867503
Leaf, P. J., Owens, P. L., Leventhal, J. M., Forsyth, B. W., Vaden-Kiernan, M., Epstein, L. D., Riley, A. W., & Horwitz, S. M. (2004). Pediatricians' training and identification and management of psychosocial problems. Clinical Pediatrics, 43(4), 355–365. https://doi.org/10.1177/000992280404300407
Nasir, A., Watanabe-Galloway, S., & DiRenzo-Coffey, G. (2016). Health Services for Behavioral Problems in Pediatric Primary Care. The Journal of Behavioral Health Services & Research, 43(3), 396–401. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11414-014-9450-7
Disclaimer
The information shared in this website is intended to support caregivers as they begin to address common childhood concerns. The strategies reflect an approach based in positive reinforcement via applied behavior analysis. The information in this website is not intended to replace behavior therapy or services nor should it replace any medical services. Rather, it is meant to provide a perspective and beginning framework to help caregivers support children’s natural developmental sequences and concerns using the science of behavior. Any concerns that exceed the information and strategies provided herein should be directed to the appropriate provider for individualized evaluation and recommendations.
Behavior analysis refers to the science of behavior. Applied behavior analysis is the application of that science to help individuals achieve meaningful behavior change. For more information about applied behavior analysis and the professional practice of behavior analysis:
The Behavior Analyst Certification Board: www.bacb.com
Consumer Resources: https://www.bacb.com/consumer-resources/
Association for Professional Behavior Analysts: www.apbahome.net
Guidelines and Position Statements: https://www.apbahome.net/page/guidelinesstatements
Association for Behavior Analysis International: www.abainternational.org
Funding
This project was funded by a Public Awareness Grant from the Society for the Advancement of Behavior Analysis (https://saba.abainternational.org/) with matching funding from Northeastern University.
Share Your Feedback
Your feedback on the content and utility of this website is valuable and appreciated!
Please consider engaging with one of the brief surveys linked below. Surveys are designated as human subjects research by the Northeastern University Institutional Review Board. Both surveys are anonymous, but you will have the opportunity to enter your contact information at the end. Optional contact information will be collected separately from survey responses and will be confidentially maintained.
Survey For Pediatric Care Professionals: https://neu.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_d0BWtdNwJne5FeS
Survey For Primary Caregivers/Parents: https://neu.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6tfLqAdiwAuRJsy
Have a Question?
Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions or want to learn more about Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA).