Faculty

Dr. Sarah C. Mead Jasperse began her early career in applied behavior analysis (ABA) with the New England Center for Children (NECC) in Massachusetts (USA) as a direct care teacher in their residential program. During this time, her passion for evidence-based behavior management and teaching strategies was ignited. She also began her training in the assessment and intervention of severe and disruptive behavior while at NECC.

In 2007, she relocated to Abu Dhabi to assist in the establishment of NECC-Abu Dhabi (now the Mohammed bin Rashid Center for Special Education operated by the New England Center for Children). Here, her interest in dissemination, training, and the establishment of culturally-relevant practices began. While she was working full-time at NECC-AD, she also completed the necessary post-Master’s coursework and supervised experience to become a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) in 2011.

After three years in Abu Dhabi, she returned to the USA to complete her doctoral work at the University of Florida under the mentorship of Dr. Brian Iwata. Under his supervision, she continued to hone her skills in the assessment and intervention of severe and disruptive behavior and began a line of research regarding the prevention of the development of severe and disruptive behavior. She graduated in 2017 and has held the Board Certified Behavior Analyst-Doctoral (BCBA-D) credential since that time.

Her work in the areas of prevention, assessment, and intervention then took her to the University of Kansas where she was an Adjust Faculty member and the director of a therapeutic day school. During this time, she taught at the undergraduate-, Master’s-, and doctoral-level, supervised the clinical work and research activities of students, and oversaw all clinical and administrative activities at one of the training sites for students in the Department of Applied Behavioral Science.

Next, she relocated to Aurora University, in the Chicago area, where she was an Assistant Professor and the Program Director of the Department of Applied Behavior Analysis at the university. In this role, she oversaw the graduate and undergraduate training and directly supervised her graduate students working in a variety of community-based ABA programs in the region, including residential programs, therapeutic day schools, and early intervention centers. Her graduate students worked clinically with individuals ranging in age from early childhood through geriatric populations and conducted research in the areas of assessment and treatment of severe disruptive behavior, the prevention of the development of disruptive behavior, functional skill acquisition, and staff training and supervision.

In 2020, Dr. Mead Jasperse joined the faculty of Emirates College for Advanced Education as an Assistant Professor. In this role, she teaches graduate-level courses, conducts and supervises applied research, and works with community partners to support training and dissemination efforts. She is a member of the Editorial Boards of the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis and Education and Treatment of Children, an Advisor with the Cambridge Center for Behavioral Studies, and serves as a guest reviewer for a variety of scientific journals in the fields of behavior analysis and education.

INVITED CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS

• Mead, S. C. Evaluations of preventive effects of established treatments for problem behavior (Invited address). Heartland Association for Behavior Analysis, Omaha, NE (2017, March).
• Mead, S. C. Preventive effects of established treatments for problem behavior. Beyond the Diagnosis: Autism Across the Life Span. Overland Park, KS. (2017, March).
• Mead, S. C. Treatment “failures” in ABA: What they are and how to remedy them. (Pre-conference workshop). Heartland Association for Behavior Analysis, Omaha, NE (2017, March).

Also presented as an invited presentation at:

• • Kansas Association for Behavior Analysis, Overland Park, KS (2018, January)
  • Minnesota Northland Association for Behavior Analysis, Bloomington, MN (2019, September).

CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS

• Mead, S. C., Iwata, B. A, Roscoe, E. M., & Schlichenmeyer, K. J. Functional analysis screening procedure for aggression. Professional Association of Behavior Analysts, Seattle, WA (2015, March).

Also presented at:

• • Psychological Society of Ireland, Division of Behaviour Analysis, Galway, Ireland (2015, April)
  • Association for Behavior Analysis, San Antonio, TX (2015, May)
  • Berkshire Association for Behavior Analysis and Therapy, Amherst, MA (2015, October).
• Mead, S. C., Iwata, B. A., & Koehler, L. J. Effects of appropriate request repertoire size on the development of problem behavior. Florida Association for Behavior Analysis, Daytona Beach, FL. (2015, September).

Also presented at:

• • Association for Behavior Analysis, Chicago, IL (2016, May).