Toni Rose Agana, PhD, BCBA-D, LBA
Assistant Professor, MMI iCASD
Program Coordinator, Autism Care for Toddlers Clinic, Central Omaha
Board Certified Behavior Analyst
Toni Rose T. Agana, PhD, BCBA-D is an Assistant Professor at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, Munroe-Meyer Institute. Agana is also the Program Coordinator for the Autism Care for Toddlers Clinic in the integrated Center for Autism Spectrum Disorders. Agana received a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology at the University of North Texas; a Master’s degree in Behavior Analysis at Simmons University; a PhD in Applied Behavior Analysis at Caldwell University under the supervision of Dr. Tina M. Sidener. Previously, Agana was a Pre-Doctoral and Post-Doctoral Fellow from the University of Nebraska Medical Center under the mentorship of Dr. Nicole M. Rodriguez.
Agana’s research interests include developing and evaluating early intervention strategies for young learners with developmental disabilities, with an emphasis on play and language development. She is passionate about integrating child development. In her clinical work, Agana is dedicated to providing evidence-based behavioral interventions to autistic children and their families. She values collaboration with clients, caregivers, and other key stakeholders to ensure access to meaningful learning experiences tailored to each child’s developmental level and background.
- Fellowship: UNMC Munroe-Meyer Institute, 2025.
- Internship: UNMC Munroe-Meyer Institute, 2024.
- PhD: Caldwell University, 2024.
- MS: Simmons University, 2018.
- BA: University of North Texas, 2014.
Specialty Certifications
- Board Certified Behavior Analyst.
- Licensed Behavior Analyst.
Agana provides patient care services at UNMC Munroe-Meyer Institute integrated Center for Autism Spectrum Disorders.
Clinic Location: Autism Care for Toddlers Clinic, Central Omaha.- Agana, T. R. T., Sidener, T. M., Rodriguez, N. M., Reeve, S. A., & Pane, H. M. (2025). An analysis of the generalization of pretend play from real objects to toys. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 58(3), 478–489. https://doi.org/10.1002/jaba.70017.
- Pane, H. M., Agana, T. R. T., Sidener, T. M., Reeve, S. A., Kisamore, A. N., & Nirgudkard, A. (2024). Teaching Toy Play Skills to Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Review of the Literature. Behavioral Interventions, 40(2). https://doi.org/10.1002/bin.70016.
- Agana, T. R. T., Sidener, T. M., Pane, H. M., & Reeve, S. A. (2024). Comparing Development-Matched and Age-Matched Play Targets: A Replication and Extension. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 57(4), 1016–1030. https://doi.org/10.1002/jaba.2910.
- Assessments and Interventions in Applied Behavior Analysis.
- Child Psychology.
- Introduction to Applied Behavior Analysis.
- Autism spectrum disorder.
- Caregiver training.
- Early intervention.
- Play development.
- Social Validity.
- Verbal behavior.
- Graduate Student Research Award, Behavioral Development, 2024.
- Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Scholarship, Massachusetts Professionals Behavior Analysts (BABAT), 2022.
- American Psychological Association.
- Association for Behavior Analysis International.
- Behavior Development Special Interest Group.
- Nebraska Association for Behavior Analysis.
- New Jersey Association for Behavior Analysis.
University of Nebraska Medical Center
Munroe-Meyer Institute
985450 Nebraska Medical Center
Omaha, NE 68198-5450
Explore programs and services available through MMI's integrated Center for Autism Spectrum Disorders (iCASD) Department.