QUICK FACTS about the Munroe-Meyer Institute Severe Behavior Department
Mission
In this department we serve and improve quality of life of children and adolescents (as well as their caregivers) who display destructive behavior by:
- Providing the most advanced, comprehensive and effective treatment services.
- Continuing the advancement of treatments through clinical research.
History
- Severe behavior services have been provided at Munroe-Meyer Institute (MMI) since 2006. At the time, the department was joined with the Center for Autism Spectrum Disorders (CASD).
- In 2019, the severe behavior program became an independent department within MMI.
- We have served over 500 families since 2006.
Organization
- Three faculty members are licensed psychologists and/or board certified behavior analysts (BCBAs) at the doctoral level
- Five BCBAs
- 2-4 PhD students (also with BCBA credential)
- Two predoctoral interns
- 1-2 postdoctoral fellows (also with BCBA credential)
- About 25 registered behavior technicians
- Five administrative support staff members
- Interdisciplinary supports
Clinical Services
Through the use of applied behavior analysis, the severe behavior department provides services to children through day-treatment, intensive outpatient, and outpatient therapy services. The severe behavior department also provides evaluation and transition support at the time of discharge (in-home, school and community.)
Education and Research Activities
*denotes graduate student co-authors
- Brown, K. R.*, Zangrillo, A. N., Gaynor, R. (2020). Effects of caregiver implemented group contingencies on siblings’ destructive behavior. Behavioral Development, 25(1), 30–39. https://doi.org/10.1037/bdb0000093
- Zangrillo, A. N., Simmons, C. A. *, Fisher, W. W., & Owen, T. O. (2020). Use of a paired-stimulus demand analysis to evaluate demands for inclusion in Functional Analyses. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 53(2), 665-667. https://doi.org/10.1002/jaba.651
- Owen, T. O., Fisher, W. W., Akers, J. A., Sullivan, W. E., Falcomata, T. S., Greer, B.D., … & Zangrillo, A. N. (2020). Treating destructive behavior reinforced by increased caregiver compliance with the participant’s mands. The Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis. Published in early view. doi.org/10.1002/jaba.674
- Fuhrman, A. M., Greer, B. D., Zangrillo, A. N., & Fisher, W. W. (2018) Evaluating competing activities to enhance functional communication training during reinforcement schedule thinning. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 51, 931-942. doi.org/10.1002/jaba.486
- Fisher, W. W., Greer, B. D., Mitteer, D. R., Fuhrman, A. M., Romani, P. W., & Zangrillo, A. N. (2018). Further evaluation of differential exposure to establishing operations during functional communication training. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 51(2), 360-373.
- Zangrillo, A. N., Fisher, W. W., Greer, B. G., Owen, T. O., & DeSouza, A. A. (2016). Treatment of escape-maintained challenging behavior using chained schedules: An evaluation of the effects of thinning positive plus negative reinforcement during functional communication training. International Journal of Developmental Disabilities, 62, 147-156. doi: 10.1080/20473869.2016.1176308
- Zangrillo, A. N., Warzak, W. J., Volkert, V. V., Valleley, R. J., Shriver, M. D., Rodriguez, N. M.,…Allen, K. D. (2016). The Munroe-Meyer approach: Continuous integration of didactic instruction, research, and clinical practice. The Behavior Analyst. doi: 10.1007/s40614-016-0062-9
- Fisher, W. W., Greer, B. G., Romani, P. R., Zangrillo, A. N., & Owen, T. O., & (2016). Comparisons of synthesized and individual reinforcement contingencies during functional analysis. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 49, 1-21. doi: 10.1002/jaba.314
Contact
Amanda N. Zangrillo, PsyD, BCBA-D - Director, Severe Behavior Department
402-559-8863 | Email Dr. Zangrillo
Tara Fahmie, PhD, BCBA-D - Associate Director, Severe Behavior Department
402-559-8863 | Email Dr. Fahmie