BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Sandra R. Gomes, Ph.D., BCBA-D

President

Sandra R. Gomes, Ph.D., BCBA-D is an Assistant Director at the Somerset Hills Learning Institute and has worked in the field of autism treatment for over 10 years.  She earned her Masters and Doctorate Degree in Applied Behavior Analysis from Caldwell University.  Her thesis entitled: Teaching a Generalized Repertoire of Joint Attention Skills to Children with Autism, won the ABAI Autism SIG Student Research Award in 2011.  She has presented at local, national, and international conferences on teaching joint attention skills to young children with autism.  Her book review, Effective Practices for Children with Autism: Education and Behavioral Support Interventions That Work, was featured in the newsletter of the New Jersey Association for Behavior Analysis in 2009.  Her research interests include joint attention, social skills, food refusal, and stimulus control. (Term Ends: June, 2019)

Kate E. Cerino Britton, Ed.D., BCBA

President Elect

Kate E. Cerino Britton, Ed.D., BCBA is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst and a certified teacher of the handicapped, and has worked with individuals with autism since 1997. She is currently the Principal of the education program at the Alpine Learning Group. She holds a Masters in Educational Administration from Caldwell College and Special Education from Long Island University and a doctoral degree in Educational Leadership, Management, and Policy from Seton Hall University. She serves on the New Jersey Association for Behavior Analysis Board of Directors as the President-Elect and has presented at national and international conferences on increasing socialization, problem solving, small group and dyad instruction, promoting safety, and augmentative communication. (Term Ends: June, 2019)

Kevin J. Brothers, Ph.D., BCBA-D

Treasurer/Finance Chair

Kevin J. Brothers, Ph.D., BCBA-D is the founding Executive Director of the Somerset Hills Learning Institute. Dr. Brothers earned his doctorate in Developmental and Child Psychology from the University of Kansas in 1999. Having studied with Donald M. Baer, Ph.D., Patricia J. Krantz, Ph.D., and Lynn E. McClannahan, Ph.D., his research interests include issues in stimulus control, organizational behavior management, and incorporating digital technology in autism treatment. Dr. Brothers’ articles have been published in the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis and the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disabilities. He co-authored, with Dr. Anthony Cammilleri, the chapter: The Baer Necessities: Observation, Measurement, and Analysis, published in A Small Matter of Proof: The Legacy of Donald M. Baer in 2003. Previous positions include those held at the Princeton Child Development Institute (PCDI), Bancroft, Autism New Jersey, Lawrence Kansas Public School District, and as an educational consultant to public schools and families. (Term Ends: June, 2019)

Suzanne Buchanan, Psy.D., BCBA-D

Government Affairs Chair

Suzanne Buchanan, Psy.D., BCBA-D is the Executive Director of Autism New Jersey, a licensed psychologist and Board Certified Behavior Analyst – Doctoral (BCBA-D). She earned a doctorate in clinical psychology from Long Island University and has worked in the autism field for more than twenty years. Dr. Buchanan provides Autism New Jersey with clinical leadership; disseminates information regarding evidence-based intervention to parents, professionals, and the media; and advises public policy efforts from a clinical perspective. Her interests include family resilience, informed decision-making about autism intervention, and contributing to the development and implementation of state policies that impact the autism community and the professionals who support them. She has played a pivotal role in passage and implementation of the autism insurance law, facilitated the creation of a job code for BCBAs recognized by the Department of Education, and advises multiple state departments on the ethical and effective delivery of ABA services. She currently serves as the Government Affairs Chair of the New Jersey Association for Behavior Analysis and is the co-author of Applied Behavior Analysis and Autism: An Introduction and other agency publications. (Term Ends: June, 2019)

E. Dennis Machado, M.A.

Communications Chair

E. Dennis Machado currently serves as Assistant Director at Somerset Hills Learning Institute, a private, non-profit program, serving individuals with autism.  He has presented and participated on volunteer committees at state conferences, and presented posters at both state and national conferences, including NJABA, Autism NJ and the Association of Behavior Analysis International (ABAI) Annual Convention.  He holds a Master’s degree in Applied Behavior Analysis from Caldwell University. His current research interests include stimulus control, and concept formation.  He has worked with children in home, school and community settings for over 10 years. (Term Ends: June, 2019)

Emily Gallant, Ph.D., BCBA

Student Representative/Membership Chair

Emily Gallant, Ph.D., BCBA is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst and an instructor and researcher at Somerset Hills Learning Institute. She earned her M.A. and Ph.D in Applied Behavior Analysis from Caldwell University and has worked in the field of autism treatment for 11 years. Emily has presented her master’s thesis, doctoral dissertation, and the Institute’s research at local, state, national, and international conferences, and her master’s thesis research was recently published in Behavioral Interventions. Her research interests include stimulus control and stimulus fading procedures for children with autism, concept formation and stimulus equivalence, and organizational behavior management.  (Term Ends: June, 2019)

Mary Lou Kerwin, Ph.D., BCBA-D

University Program Liaison

Mary Lou Kerwin, Ph.D., BCBA-D is Professor and Department Head of Psychology as well as the Executive Director of the Center for Behavior Analysis at Rowan University. She received her Ph.D. in Developmental and Counseling Psychology from the University of Notre Dame, and is a licensed psychologist as well as a BCBA-D. Her research interests include pediatric feeding disorders, behavioral treatments for drug addiction, parenting interventions for mothers in drug treatment, and treatments for autism.  (Term Ends: June, 2019)

Elena Garcia-Albea, Ph.D., BCBA-D

Representative-At-Large

Elena Garcia-Albea, Ph.D., BCBA-D is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst and public school consultant in NJ. Dr. Garcia-Albea earned her Masters and Doctorate degrees in Applied Behavior Analysis from Caldwell University. She has been working with children with disabilities for over 15 years in both private and public schools. Her Master’s thesis, entitled: Using Audio Script Fading and Multiple Exemplar Training to Increase Vocal Interactions in Children with Autism, was recently published in the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis. She has presented at numerous local, national, and international conferences on teaching children with autism language and social skills, such as empathetic behavior. Her clinical and research interests include teaching prosocial behavior, perspective taking, empathy, observational learning, and food refusal. (Term Ends: June, 2020)

Alexis Higgins Battaglia M.Ed., BCBA.

Representative-at-Large

Alexis Higgins Battaglia M.Ed., BCBA. is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst with over twenty years of experience working with children, adolescents and adults with autism, developmental disorders with behavioral challenges, as well as those with intellectual disabilities. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, a Master’s degree in Special Education, and holds a Teacher of the Handicapped certificate in the state of NJ. Ms. Higgins Battaglia is the Owner/Director of Progressive Therapy of NJ, which provides consultations to public and private schools and clients, supervision and training of staff, and development and implementation of individualized programs for individuals with disabilities. In addition, she has presented at local, national, and international conferences.

Ms. Higgins Battaglia, as a behavior analyst and business owner, has had the unique opportunity to work with hundreds of professionals in the field of ABA as well as with the administration of public school systems throughout her career. This opportunity has allowed Ms. Higgins Battaglia to advocate in the public school settings for ethical, effective practices within the classroom while maintaining a level of professionalism with the administration that allows for her to promote understanding of best practices. She has supervised a vast number of BCBAs on the ways to apply clinical practices within the school environment while educating administration on the processes to best suit the needs of their students. These students have spanned over more than 30 school districts in NJ in rural, suburban and urban settings. Ms. Higgins Battaglia is passionate about promoting the science of ABA to all people, especially those servicing the students in the public schools of NJ and brings that passion to NJABA as Representative at Large.  (Term Ends: June, 2019)