Olive Healy—director of research at the Irish Centre for Autism and Neurodevelopmental Research and a lecturer in psychology at the National University of Ireland, Galway—will be the featured speaker for MCPER’s 2013 Mollie Villeret Davis Symposium. Healy will present “Child and Family Research Outcomes at the Irish Centre for Autism and Neurodevelopmental Research” at 4 p.m. on April 22 in the Al Kiva Room (SZB 104), followed by a reception. Admission is free, and participants can receive 1.5 BCBA continuing education credits. To RSVP, send an e-mail with “Autism” in the subject line to rsvp@meadowscenter.org.
Healy’s research focuses on the assessment and treatment of behavioral problems in autism and related conditions. She is currently on the editorial board of five scientific journals and has more than 15 years of experience in the application of behavior analysis to the treatment of developmental disorders and intellectual disabilities. Healy played a leading role in establishing behavior analysis as recognized division of the Psychological Society of Ireland. In 1998, Healy was involved in opening and directing the first government-funded applied behavior analysis school for the treatment of autism spectrum disorders in Ireland and establishing four additional treatment centers that use applied behavior analysis as the primary educational intervention for autism spectrum disorders. She has served as an expert witness in a number of court cases involving individuals with special needs.