Consultation and Autism-School Services Staff
Zbigniew Golonka, Ph.D., BCBA-D, is the Director of Adult Behavioral Services in Connecticut and a licensed psychologist. He is responsible for the quality of behavioral supports provided to the adults served by the agency. Dr. Golonka also provides behavioral consultation services to a number of Connecticut schools, agencies, and families and oversees a large staff that provides services to children on the spectrum. He is one of the founding member of the Institute’s collaborative Master’s Program with Fitchburg State College, a degree designed to provide students with a MA in Applied Behavior Analysis. He has taught courses in applied behavior analysis (ABA), supervised students to obtain applied behavioral competencies identified by the ABA board, taught research and supervised Master’s Projects. Dr. Golonka’s professional experiences include serving as a Behavioral Consultant for Columbus Medical Services, as the Clinical Supervisor at the Biobehavioral Unit at the Children's Hospital in Philadelphia, and as a Supervisor of the Neurobehavioral Stabilization Unit of Bancroft Neurohealth in New Jersey. He obtained his Ph.D in Educational Psychology from the University of Iowa.
Charles Newfield, Ph.D., BCBA-D, is the Director of Children’s Behavioral Services for The Institute in Connecticut and is a licensed psychologist. He currently provides behavioral consultation and classroom management services to over a dozen Connecticut school districts and oversees a large staff that provides services to children on the spectrum. He is one of the founding member of the Institute’s collaborative Master’s Program with Fitchburg State College, a degree designed to provide students with a MA in Applied Behavior Analysis. He has taught courses in applied behavior analysis (ABA), supervised students to obtain applied behavioral competencies identified by the ABA board, taught research and supervised Master’s Projects.Dr. Newfield has taught courses in applied behavior analysis (ABA), supervised students to obtain applied behavioral competencies identified by the ABA board, taught research and supervised Master’s Projects. Prior to joining The Institute, Dr. Newfield served as a Behavioral Consultant for the ACES school programs in Connecticut and for several Developmental Disabilities Centers in New York. Dr. Newfield obtained his Ph.D in Experimental Psychology from Adelphi University. His professional interests include program development and functional assessment in schools.
Barry Morgenstern, Ph.D., BCBA-D, is the Director of Research in Connecticut. His responsibilities include designing and implementing applied research projects related to ABA, effective teaching strategies and efficient and successful methods of staff training. He also provides behavioral and educational consultation in classrooms in several schools. Dr. Morgenstern has extensive experience working for and with school systems implementing intensive ABA services for children with autism and is the former Executive Director of the Bay School in California, a school for young children with autism. Dr. Morgenstern formerly held the position of Assistant Professor at Mercy College, teaching courses in special education and applied behavior analysis. Dr. Morgenstern received his Ph.D. in Special Education and Applied Behavior Analysis at Ohio State. His research interests include motivational operations and effective methods of staff training.
David Gallaway, Psy.D., BCBA-D, is a licensed clinical psychologist and one of the Institute’s Autism Program Directors in Connecticut. He is responsible for the overall coordination of a school based program serving young children with autism spectrum disorder in an inner-city Connecticut school. Dr. Gallaway previously worked as a Behavioral Consultant at South Shore Mental Health in Plymouth, MA, providing applied behavioral and consultative services to individuals, families, schools, and agencies in southeastern Massachusetts. Dr. Gallaway completed his undergraduate work at the University of Connecticut and received his Psy.D. from the University of Hartford.
Liz Lyons Sellinger, Ph.D., BCBA-D, is a licensed psychologist, certified special education teacher and one of the Institute's Program Directors in the state of Connecticut. Dr. Sellinger provides behavioral and academic consultation to local school districts at the primary, secondary, and tertiary levels of intervention. She received her PhD from the University of Southern Mississippi in the area of school psychology with an emphasis in applied behavior analysis. Prior to joining the Institute, Dr. Sellinger provided school consultation services (including school wide positive behavior supports) to a number of schools in the state of Mississippi. In addition, she completed her pre-doctoral internship at the May Institute with a focus in children with autism and children with traumatic brain injury. Her areas of interest include functional assessment of social and academic behaviors, evidence based teaching methodologies (e.g., Direct Instruction, Precision Teaching), and staff training in Applied Behavior Analysis.
Lauren Swensen Meade, Ph.D., is a Clinical Coordinator and obtained her doctorate in Developmental Psychology from the University of Connecticut, with a focus in language development in children with autism. Her responsibilities include curriculum development, behavior assessments, development of individualized behavior intervention plans, and staff training in ABA for both school based and home programs. Her research interests include the expansion of language and play skills.
Erica Quinn, M.S., BCBA, is a Program Director in one of the Institute’s Autism Programs in Connecticut. She is responsible for coordinating school-based autism services for numerous children across several schools. Ms. Quinn has many years experience in providing educational service based on applied behavior analysis and is the current president of the Connecticut Association for Applied Behavior Analysis. She received her Masters in Applied Behavior Analysis from Northeastern while working as a case manager/teacher in a home-based program at the New England Center for Children.
Patricia Fitzsimons-Austin, M.S., BCBA, is a Program Director. Patricia has over 18 years experience applying the principles of behavior to special needs populations including children and adults with developmental disabilities and children with significant problem behavior and psychiatric diagnoses. She has authored or co-authored a variety of local and national presentations on the subjects of parent training, staff training, and teaching children with autism. Patty co-authored Parenting Tools for Positive Behavior Change, a 30-hour competency-based parenting curriculum. She has worked in the foster care systems in Florida and Connecticut and was the Director of Behavior Analysis Services at Connecticut Center for Child Development. She received her Master of Science degree in Behavior Analysis from University of North Texas. In 2007, she was named Outstanding Alumnus from University of North Texas’ Department of Behavior Analysis. Her current interests include research and practice in parent training, and in effective teaching and generalization of communication, social, and play skills in children with autism.
Tracey Easton, M.S., BCBA ,is a Clinical Coordinator in the Institute’s Autism Program. She is responsible for curriculum development, functional assessments, behavior intervention plan, as well as staff and parent training in applied behavior analysis. She obtained her Master’s in Special Education with a focus in Behavior Analysis from a cooperative training program between The Institute and Johnson State College in Vermont. Tracey is currently conducting research on the effectiveness of group contingencies for increasing pro-social behaviors.
Nichole Collins, M.S., BCBA, is a Clinical Coordinator in the Institute’s Autism Program. Currently she is responsible for coordinating school-based behavior and curriculum programs for a number of Connecticut school districts. Her previous professional experience includes being a behavioral specialist, case manager, and teacher at The New England Center for Children, where she developed and implemented curriculum and behavior intervention programs in residential and school settings for behaviorally challenged adolescents. She received her Master’s Degree in Applied Behavior Analysis from Northeastern University in 2006. Ms. Collin’s research interests includes teaching self-management strategies to students in school-based programs.
Danielle Adams, M.Ed., BCBA, is a Clinical Coordinator in the Institute’s Autism Program. Ms. Adams is responsible for curriculum development, staff and parent training in ABA methodology for both school and home programs. She received her Master’s in Education with a focus in Behavior Analysis from a cooperative training program between The Institute and Fitchburg State College in Massachusetts. Ms. Adams' research interests include staff training in applied behavior analysis.
Allison Roe, M.S., BCBA, is a Clinical Coordinator in the Institute's Connecticut Autism Program. Her responsibilities include development and implementation of IEPs, development of academic and discrete trial instruction, implementation and modification of general education curricula, development of behavioral programming and consultation with school staff. Previously, Ms. Roe has held positions as a teacher in a residential program at The New England Center For Children and an Inclusion Facilitator at a public school in Massachusetts. Ms. Roe holds a Master's Degree in Special Education.
Victoria Ryan, M.S., BCBA, is a Clinical Coordinator in The Institute’s Autism Program. She has a Master's in Behavior Analysis from the University of North Texas. During her graduate program, Victoria was a teaching fellow at the University of North Texas, and implemented and developed curriculum and behavioral programming as well as conducted research in staff management for a school district's autism services program. She is currently responsible for curriculum development, behavior protocol development, and staff training for school-based programs.
Katherine Foster, M.Ed., is a Clinical Coordinator in the Autism Program. Her past experience with other agencies included working with adults in residential and vocational settings as well as working in a specialized school for medically fragile and multiply disabled children. Ms. Foster has experience intervening with highly challenging behavior; training, developing, and maintaining discrete trial curricula; assessing student progress; and making data-based decisions about student progress.
Aydrien Cathcart, M.S., BCBA, is a Clinical Coordinator in the Autism Program. She holds a Master’s degree in Behavioral Education with a concentration in Applied Behavior Analysis from Simmons College. During her educational preperation, she worked as a home-based Clinical Coordinator for Early Intervention-aged students with Autism at Horace Mann Educational Associates. Her previous experience also included work with students of various ages who had multiple educational, developmental, social, and behavioral needs. Ms. Cathcart currently coordinates school-based behavioral and curricular programs.
Mary Polino-Testone, M.Ed., is a Clinical Coordinator in theAutism Program. Formerly a residential counselor with Wayside Youth and Family Services, Ms. Polino-Testone has experience providing direct services, 1 to 1 counseling, and group counseling to adolescents with psychiatric and family problems. In her current position, she coordinates a school-based autism program, provides 1:1 discrete trial instruction, develops behavioral and academic programs, and provides consultation services.
Jill Spero is a Clinical Coordinator for the Behavioral Program. Ms. Spero received a B.A. from Binghamton University in Mathematics and History. She earned a Master of Arts degree in Guidance and Rehabilitation of people with disabilities from the Teachers College of Columbia University. JMs. Spero is currently responsible for developing and maintaining behavioral programs, providing consultation services to teachers, training school and The Institute’s staff to implement behavioral programs, and monitoring student progress.
Christine Rebelo, M.S., BCBA, Clinical Coordinator - Autism Program. She holds a Master's in Education with a focus in Behavior Analysis from a cooperative training program between The Institute and Fitchburg State College in Massachusetts. Christine is responsible for curriculum development, FBAs, behavior assessments, the development of individualized behavior intervention plans, staff and parent training in ABA for school based programs and coordinating services across the school and home settings.
Kathryn Cyr, Clinical Coordinator. Kathryn received her Initial Educator Certificate and a BS in Elementary Education from Southern Connecticut State University. She also has a Graduate Academic Certificate in Applied Behavior Analysis from the University of North Texas. She is pursuing an M.Ed. with a specialization in Reading. Her responsibilities include curriculum development, behavior assessments, development of individualized behavior intervention plans, and staff training in ABA. Kathryn's research interests include the use of Precision Teaching and Direct Instruction for teaching children with autism.
Bethany Perra, M.Ed., BCBA, Clinical Coordinator-Autism Program. She holds a Master’s in Education with a focus in Behavior Analysis from a cooperative training program between The Institute and Fitchburg State College in Massachusetts. Bethany is responsible for curriculum development, FBAs, behavior assessments, the development of individualized behavior intervention plans, staff and parent training in ABA for school based programs and coordinating services across the school and home settings. Her research interests include verbal behavior and the use of Direct Instruction with children on the spectrum.
Kara Hann, M.A., is a Consultant and received a Masters in Teaching from Sacred Heart University. She graduated with a B.A in Psychology with a Minor in Social Work from Providence College. Kara brings with her more than 12 years of practical hands-on experience in the deliver of ABA services to children on the autism spectrum including program design, curriculum development, and supervision.