Mary Barbera

Mary Barbera is an American behavior analyst and author who works on autism.[1][2] She is known for her work on using Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) for children with autism. Her books include The Verbal Behavior Approach (2007), a book about Applied Behavior Analysis and B. F. Skinner's analysis of verbal behavior.[3]

Mary Barbera
Born
Mary Alice Lynch

(1965-01-19) January 19, 1965 (age 59)
Reading, Pennsylvania, United States
NationalityAmerican
Known forApplied Behavior Analysis (ABA)
Spouse(s)Charles F. Barbera
Children2
Academic background
EducationAlvernia University (Ph.D., 2011)
University of Pennsylvania (MSN)
West Chester University (BSN, 1986)
InfluencesB. F. Skinner

Education

Barbera got her Ph.D. from Alvernia University in 2011, where she wrote her thesis on fluency-based autism training.[4][5] She is a doctoral-level Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA-D).[6] She also has an MSN in Nursing Administration from the University of Pennsylvania and a BSN from West Chester University (1986).[1][7]

Career

After Barbera's son Lucas was diagnosed with autism in 1999,[8] she founded the Autism Society of America's Berks County Chapter.[9][10][11] Since becoming a behavior analyst in 2003, she has also worked as the lead behavior analyst for the PA Verbal Behavior Project from 2003 to 2010.[7][12]

Since 2015, Barbera has taught classes that were based on Applied Behavior Analysis.[13][14] Many clinics and organizations, including the Autism Centers of Michigan, have used her methodology.[15]

Family

Mary Barbera is married to Dr. Charles F. Barbera, an Emergency Medicine physician.[7] She has two sons. Her eldest son Lucas has autism, and her son Spencer is a college student.[8]

Publications

Some publications by Mary Barbera are:[16]

Selected presentations

Further reading

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 Croteau, Jeanne (2019).Waiting And Worrying About Autism? What You Can Do Right Now. Forbes.
  2. Tower Health (2018). Reading Hospital Unveils Legacy Wall and Pictorial History Book Commemorating 150th Anniversary.
  3. Barbera, M., and Rasmussen, T. (2007). The verbal behavior approach: How to teach children with autism (reviewed by N. C. Wilde, V. A. Evans & S. Axelrod). The Behavior Analyst Today, 8(3), 360-362.
  4. Barbera, M.L. (2011). The effects of fluency-based autism training on emerging educational leaders. Doctoral Dissertation. Alvernia University.
  5. Alvernia Magazine. Summer 2014 (52).
  6. Lucinda Literary.
  7. 7.0 7.1 7.2 Session 12 – Dr. Mary Lynch Barbera, BCBA-­D. Behavioral Observations.
  8. 8.0 8.1 Barbera, Mary (2019). Can Children with Severe Autism be Happy? Archived 2020-10-06 at the Wayback Machine. Finding Cooper's Voice.
  9. Barbera, M. L. (2007). The experiences of “autism mothers” who become Behavior Analysts: A qualitative study. The Journal of Speech and Language Pathology–Applied Behavior Analysis, 2(3), 287-305.
  10. Urban, Mike (2019). Reading's Genesius Theater produces sensory-friendly 'Little Mermaid' for autistic children Archived 2020-10-08 at the Wayback Machine. Reading Eagle.
  11. Book - The Verbal Behavior Approach: How to Teach Children with Autism and Related Disorders Archived 2020-10-06 at the Wayback Machine. Asperger's Society of Ontario.
  12. The Pennsylvania Verbal Behavior Project.
  13. 3 Steps to Take Today if You're Worried Your Toddler Might Have Autism. Medium.
  14. Caregiver's Corner Archived 2020-10-07 at the Wayback Machine. Behaviorbabe.
  15. The Verbal Behavior Approach: How to Teach Children with Autism and Related Disorders Archived 2020-03-03 at the Wayback Machine. Autism Centers of Michigan.
  16. Publications by Mary Barbera Archived 2020-10-07 at the Wayback Machine.

Other websites