Welcome to the Diversity in ABA Lab! In this Lab students are mentored by Dr. Sneha Kohli Mathur, who encourages and advises students on research topics that they are passionate about. Together, we create research projects and initiatives with real world implications, and learn from each other in the process. Our focus is on diversities of all kinds, and how these impact quality ABA service delivery. Some aspects we delve into are diversity of minds, diversity of experiences, diversity of cultural backgrounds and expectations, and diversity of needs. Unlike many psychology labs, we utilize both qualitative and quantitative data, striving to understand the lived experiences of those we serve in order to better our ABA practices and elevate the voices of our clients.
Currently, the three research projects we are working on are:
1. Interviewing autistic adults who underwent ABA in order to understand their experiences with ABA
2. Cultural considerations in ABA- how does the language (English v. a different primary language) that ABA services are delivered in impact the families experiences of ABA.
3. Program Development for a four year Autism Support Program at USC- complete from bridge in (from high school) to bridge out (successful placement and retention of employment).
Jeffrey Salmons, BCBA
My name is Jeff Salmons and am currently in the Education Leadership Program at Rossier pursuing my doctorate in Education (EdD). I have been a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) for over 10 years while working in a variety of settings across home, community, and school. I am currently a Program Specialist with an Emphasis in Behavior in public education. My research interests are in the areas of professional development, school – based Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA), Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP) development, and BIP implementation, My 2 biggest professional goals are to complete my EdD program and meet the requirement for the BCBA doctrine distinction (BCBA-D). Couple fun facts about me are that I married my highschool sweetheart, have 2 awesome boys, and we are currently looking for a dog to join our family!
Bianca Crame
I am a second year graduate student at USC in the ABA program. I was born in the Philippines and moved to Los Angeles when I was 7 and have been here since. I attended UCLA for undergraduate and majored in Psychology with a minor in Disability Studies. I am very passionate about integrating Neurodiversity and ABA, as well as centering autistic voices in the field of ABA. One fun fact about me is that I have 3 fish tanks.
Alissa Seleznov
After working in an ABA agency post undergrad i knew that I wanted to get my BCBA right away. Now that I am in the process, my interests have grown into different areas of research such as developing a support program for autistic adults entering college and the workforce as well as using ACT to change altruistic behaviors.
Cassidy O’Connell
Hi everyone, my name is Cassidy! My research interests include working with older ASD individuals and discovering the best ways to support them in college and job experiences. My goal is to contribute to this research to help create an easy and fulfilling transition from services to college or the workforce. After I earn my Master’s degree I plan to obtain my BCBA and work in early intervention services and with older ASD individuals by supporting them in their job search process. When I am not at school, working at FirstSteps, or studying I love spending time with my twin sister at the beach and walking my dog, Frankie!
Cheng Liu (Quinn)
I am really interested in how culture and family play a role in the development, prognosis and treatment of psychopathologies. I would love to expand culturally-responsive and neurodiversity-inclusive ABA in China. One fun thing about me is that I have two really really cute cats.
Madeline Mier
I am a first year at USC. My area of research interests is centered around the provision of compassionate care within the field of ABA. Additionally, I am interested in exploring the ways in which practitioners can cultivate diversity and cultural responsiveness within their practice. A fun fact about myself is that I have been vegetarian for ten years.