Peter Gerhardt Author

Jessica is a Behavior Analyst with over 20 years’ experience in the Clinical Practice of Applied Behavior Analysis. She earned her BCBA in 2009 and is completing her doctorate in ABA at Endicott College. She has a strong clinical and research interest in the development, implementation, and evaluation of teaching applied skills to children, adolescents, and adults on the Autism Spectrum. Her primary interest is in the area of sexuality education for persons on the autism spectrum. Peter Gerhardt, Ed.D., is the Executive Director of the EPIC School in Paramus, NJ. Dr. Gerhardt has over 40 years of 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 book chapters on the needs of adolescents and adults with ASD and has presented nationally and internationally on this topic. Dr. Gerhardt serves as Co-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 currently serves as adjunct faculty in the Institute for Behavioral Studies at Endicott College. Dr. Gerhardt received his doctorate from Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey’s Graduate School of Education. Justin Leaf, Ph.D., is the Co-Director of Research and Director of Training for Autism Partnership Foundation and Assistant Director of Doctoral Training in ABA at Endicott College. Currently, Justin leads the research team at Autism Partnership Foundation, which conducts research nationally and internationally. His research interests include examining methods to improve social behaviors, comparing different teaching methodologies, and evaluating long term outcomes for individuals diagnosed with autism. Justin has over 100 publications in either peer reviewed journals, books, or book chapters and has presented at both national and international professional conferences and invited events. Justin also recently edited a book entitled Handbook of Social Skills and Autism Spectrum Disorder; and have co-authored two books entitled Clinical Judgment and The Autism Partnership Method: Social Skills Groups. Justin is an Associate Editor for Review Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders and serves on editorial boards for several other journals. Mary Jane Weiss, Ph.D., BCBA-D, LBA is a licensed clinical psychologist, a Board Certified Behavior Analyst, and a licensed behavior analyst. She is the Director of Programs in Applied Behavior Analysis at Endicott College, where she oversees the Ph.D. in ABA and the master’s programs in ABA and in Autism and ABA. At Melmark, she is a Senior Director of Research. Dr. Weiss is a regular presenter at national conferences and publishes frequently on ABA and its application to individuals with ASD. She is on the Board of Association for Science in Autism Treatment, is an advisor to the Cambridge Center for Behavioral Studies, serves on the Scientific Council of the Organization for Autism Research, is on the Professional Advisory Board of Autism New Jersey, and is a regular contributor to the ABA Ethics Hotline.