Jennifer Zarcone

Professional Biography

I am currently an Associate Professor in the Department of Child and Family Studies and Co-Director of the Florida Center for Inclusive Communities at the University of South Florida. I teach courses in the ABA program each semester on Ethics and the Community applications of ABA. Before coming to USF, I was the Chief Clinical Officer and the Director of the National Autism Center at the May Institute in Randolph, MA. Prior to my role at the May Institute, I worked in medical/clinical settings at the Kennedy Krieger Institute, the University of Rochester Medical Center, and the University of Kansas Medical Center.

I have served in several leadership positions at the state and national level (see the list of roles below) as well as being elected as a Fellow of ABAI. I have served as an Associate Editor for the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, the Journal of Intellectual Disabilities Research, and the American Journal of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. I provide consultation and clinical support to families and providers about challenging and interfering behavior, staff training, and developing clinical service standards. My areas of research interest are in the assessment and treatment of challenging and interfering behavior for individuals with autism and intellectual disabilities across the life span, evaluating the effects of psychotropic medication on challenging behavior, and identifying effective methods for teaching parents and staff using competency-based training methods.

Although I have not served in any role with FABA, I have served as a committee member on state boards in Massachusetts (BABAT) and New York (NYSABA). I have also served on the board and as president of Maryland ABA. I have previously served on the ABAI Science and Practice Boards as well as in the role of Conference Coordinator for submissions to the ABAI annual conference on the Practice Track. I have also co-chaired the ABAI Autism Conference for three years. Finally, I have served on the Advisory Board for the Women in Behavior Analysis (WIBA) for 6 years.

As a clinician, educator, researcher, and organizational leader, I offer a comprehensive view of behavior analysis. I have been fortunate to have received mentorship both within our field and outside of behavior analysis in clinical psychology, international disability research, and leadership development which has allowed me to view our work from a broader perspective. Given the variety of settings I have worked in, I feel this allows me to effectively represent and advocate for FABA members across all areas.

In addition, Florida’s ABA landscape is at a critical crossroads. We are confronting urgent infrastructure gaps, fraud, and a tightening Medicaid reimbursement environment. As your Member at Large, I will focus on:

• Protecting Funding: Finding creative systemic solutions to support state organizations without compromising care.
• Bridging the Gap: Using implementation science to help fill the gap between research and practice.
• Amplifying Voices: Ensuring FABA actively champions vulnerable populations and their families to ensure access to care.

I would like to help FABA address these challenges while supporting the science of behavior analysis in Florida in the role of Member at Large. Thank you for your consideration.