University of California
Project Title: Applied Behavior Analysis for Neurorehabilitation: A Website to Disseminate Accurate Information and Resources
This collaborative project brings together experts in behavior analysis and neurorehabilitation, particularly in acquired brain injury (ABI).
The project is led by Rebecca J. Barall, M.Ed., CBIS, BCBA, LBA, who is currently a PhD candidate at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, Munroe-Meyer Institute. Rebecca is a Certified Brain Injury Specialist through the Brain Injury Association of America. She currently serves as President-Elect of the Rehabilitation and Independent Living SIG of the ABAI. Rebecca is passionate about increasing awareness and access to evidence-based behavioral services for individuals with ABI.
Thurka Thillainathan, MA, RBA (Ont.), BCBA is a PhD student in the ABA program at Brock University in Ontario, Canada. She brings extensive clinical experience working with adults with acquired brain injury at the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute.
Chris M. Schaub, MS Ed, BCBA, LBA has worked in the brain injury field since 1995, primarily with adults in post-acute, intensive neurobehavioral settings. He has presented at numerous professional conferences in both brain injury and behavior analysis and has published on the application of ABA in neurorehabilitation and in managing neurobehavioral complications..
Michael Mozzoni, PhD, BCBA-D, LABA, QBISP-T is a doctorate-level behavior analyst and certified brain injury specialist clinical trainer. Since 1985, he has worked with individuals with brain injuries and has served in key leadership roles, including treasurer for both the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine (ACRM) Interdisciplinary SIG and the Academy for the Certification of Brain Injury Specialists (ACBIS). He has received numerous awards and has published widely in brain injury rehabilitation.
In 2024, the International Brain Injury Association (IBIA) reported brain injury as the leading cause of death and disability worldwide. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), an estimated 5.3 million people live with a disability related to brain injury in the U.S., and in both the U.S. and Europe, brain injury accounts for over one million hospital admissions per year, per the CDC and IBIA, respectively.
The primary goal of this project is to develop a comprehensive website that promotes the education, dissemination, and advocacy of behavior-analytic science and practices across key target audiences in the context of neurorehabilitation, including educators, students, scientist-practitioners, healthcare providers, parents/caregivers of brain injury survivors, and brain injury survivors themselves. The site will focus on applied behavior analysis (ABA) principles and interventions specifically tailored for individuals with acquired brain injury (ABI) including traumatic brain injury (TBI) and non-traumatic brain injury (nTBI). This website will serve as a tool for the accurate dissemination of ABA for ABI while also fostering a shared community for resource exchange, including but not limited to opportunities for engagement, experience, supervision and career development.
This initiative addresses a significant gap in the behavior analytic field by promoting greater awareness, knowledge, and implementation of ABA in neurorehabilitation. Importantly, it seeks to improve the quality and accessibility of evidence-based services for individuals with ABI and their support networks, representing a critical area of global need.
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