Munroe-Meyer Institute
UNMC_Acronym_Vert_sm_4c
University of Nebraska Medical Center

Patricia K. Zemantic, PhD, LP, BCBA-D, LBA

Director of Autism Diagnostic Clinic, MMI iCASD
Assistant Professor, MMI iCASD
Board Certified Behavior Analyst

402-559-0049

Patricia Zemantic, PhD, BCBA-D

Patricia K. Zemantic is a licensed psychologist and a board-certified behavior analyst with over 15 years of professional experience working with individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and their families.

She currently serves as the Director of the Autism Diagnostic Clinic (ADC) at the Munroe-Meyer Institute (MMI), where she oversees comprehensive autism diagnostic evaluations—conducting approximately 500 annually—as well as social skills groups and caregiver training programs. ADC was among the first clinics to implement EarliPoint, an FDA-approved diagnostic tool for children aged 16 to 30 months. Zemantic has developed practical procedures for integrating EarliPoint into standard clinical care and provides consultation to other clinics seeking to integrate EarliPoint into their clinical practice.

Her research centers on rapid assessment methodologies for ASD, skill acquisition, caregiver-mediated interventions, family empowerment, caregiver well-being, and healthcare disparities affecting individuals with ASD and their families. Most recently, she has participated in a multi-site FDA clinical trial aimed at validating EarliPoint as both a diagnostic tool for children aged 31 to 84 months and a progress monitoring tool for children aged 15 to 84 months. She is research reliable on the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, Second Edition (ADOS-2), the gold standard diagnostic tool for ASD.

  • Fellowship: Center for Autism Spectrum Disorders - University of Nebraska Medical Center MMI, 2020.
  • Internship: Center for Autism Spectrum Disorders - University of Nebraska Medical Center MMI, 2019.
  • PhD: School Psychology - University of Oregon, 2019.
  • MS: Special Education - University of Oregon, 2016.
  • BA: Psychology (Mental Health) - Southern Connecticut State University, 2008.

Specialty Certifications

  • Board Certified Behavior Analyst.
  • Licensed Behavior Analyst - Nebraska.
  • Licensed Psychologist - Iowa.
  • Licensed Psychologist - Nebraska.
  • Research reliable, ADOS-2.

Zemantic provides patient care services at the UNMC Munroe-Meyer Institute integrated Center for Autism Spectrum Disorders.

Clinic Locations:
  • Zemantic, P. K., Kurtz-Nelson, E., Barton, H., Safer-Lichtenstein, J., & McIntyre, L. L. (2022). Advocacy and empowerment: Service utilization for children with autism spectrum. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 52, 4986-4993. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-021-05329-6
  • McClain, Maryellen B., Roanhorse, T., Harris, Bryn, Heyborne, M., Zemantic, P. K., & Azad, G. (2021). School-based Autism Evaluations in the COVID-19 Era. School Psychology, 36(5), 377-387. doi: https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1037/spq0000447
  • Simmons, C. A., Zangrillo, A. N., Fisher, W. W., & Zemantic, P. K. (2022). An evaluation of a caregiver-implemented stimulus avoidance assessment and corresponding treatment package. Behavioral Development, 27(1-2), 1. https://dx.doi.org/10.1037/bdb0000107 

Educating Students with Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, Texas State.

 

Graduate Teaching Fellow

  • Early literacy for diverse learners.
  • Intermediate literacy for diverse learners.
  • Practicum field experience.
Supervised college teaching assistant
  • Educational assessment.
  • Foundations of clinical supervision.
  • Intellectual assessment.
  • Caregiver and family empowerment
  • Caregiver mediated interventions
  • Caregiver well-being
  • Rapid assessment methodologies for ASD
  • Phoenix Award for Excellence in Faculty Clinical Services, UNMC Munroe-Meyer Institute, 2022.
  • School Psychology, Outstanding Student Award, University of Oregon, 2018.
  • College of Education Doctoral Research Award, University of Oregon, 2018.
  • Trainers of School Psychologists Along with Pearson Clinical, 2018.
  • Florence Wolfard Fund Award, University of Oregon, College of Education, 2015.
  • School Psychology travel grant, University of Oregon, 2013-2018.
  • American Psychological Association.
integrated Center for Autism Spectrum Disorders

University of Nebraska Medical Center
Munroe-Meyer Institute 
985450 Nebraska Medical Center
Omaha, NE 68198-5450

Clinic Appointments

Child smiling playing with a colorful fidget, Adobe Stock.
Department Services

Explore programs and services available through MMI's integrated Center for Autism Spectrum Disorders (iCASD) Department.