Kathryn Peterson, PhD, BCBA-D

Kathryn Peterson, PhDKathryn Peterson, PhD, BCBA-D, is the Associate Director of the Intensive Pediatric Feeding Disorders Program at Children’s Specialized Hospital, an affiliate faculty member in the Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology at Rutgers University, and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pediatrics, Child Neurology and Neurodevelopmental Disabilities Division in Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. Dr. Peterson received a Bachelor’s of Science from the University of Nebraska at Omaha (2006), a Master’s in Behavior Analysis from The Pennsylvania State University (2008), and a PhD in Behavior Analysis from the University of Nebraska Medical Center (2013). Dr. Peterson completed her post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Nebraska Medical Center’s (UNMC) Munroe-Meyer Institute with Dr. Cathleen Piazza as her mentor and then spent five years as an Assistant Professor at UNMC. Currently, she specializes in the assessment and treatment of pediatric feeding disorders. Dr. Peterson has served on the board of editors and as a guest action editor for the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis and was the recipient of the 2017 Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior’s Contribution of the Year award. Dr. Peterson has published her research in numerous peer-reviewed journals, authored book chapters, and conducted trainings and presentations both nationally and internationally. Dr. Peterson also has fulfilled numerous roles on the board for the Heartland Association for Behavior Analysis (HLABA), including President, and recently received the HLABA Award of Excellence for her leadership in outreach activities and service to behavior analysis.

Research Publications

Select Peer-Reviewed Publications

  • Phipps, L. A., Peterson, K. M., & Piazza, C. C. (2022). Indices of Happiness and Unhappiness during Treatment of Pediatric Feeding Disorders, Behavioral Interventions, https://doi.org/10.1002/bin.1863
  • Andersen, A. S., Hansen, B. A., & Peterson, K. M. (2021). An evaluation of trial-based functional analyses of inappropriate mealtime behavior. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 55(1), 264-289. DOI: 10.1002/jaba.888
  • Peterson, K. M., Ibañez, V. F., Volkert, V. M., Zeleny, J. R., Engler, C. W., & Piazza, C. C. (2021). Using telehealth to provide outpatient follow-up to children with avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 54(1), 6-24. DOI: 10.1002/jaba.794
  • Haney, S. J., Piazza, C. C., Peterson, K. M., & Greer, B. D. (2021). An Evaluation of a Renewal-Mitigation Procedure for Inappropriate Mealtime Behavior. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 54(3), 903-927. DOI: 10.1002/jaba.815
  • Kirkwood, C. K., Piazza, C. C., & Peterson, K. M. (2021). A comparison of function- and nonfunction-based extinction for inappropriate mealtime behavior. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis,54(3). 928-945. DOI: 10.1002/jaba.825
  • Crowley, J. G., Peterson, K. M., Piazza, C. C., & Fisher, W. W. (2020). Treating food selectivity as resistance in children with autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 53(4), 2002-2023. DOI: 10.1002/jaba.711
  • Ibañez, V. F., Kirkwood, C. A., Zeleny, J. R., Peterson, K. M., & Piazza, C. C. (2020). A pilot study on increasing intake and sucking for infants receiving supplemental feedings. Behavioral Development, 25(2), 88–97. https://doi.org/10.1037/bdb0000077
  • Ibañez, V. F., Piazza, C. C., & Peterson, K. M. (2019). A translational evaluation of renewal of inappropriate mealtime behavior. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 52, 1005-1020. DOI: 10.1002/jaba.647
  • Peterson, K. M., Piazza, C. C., Ibañez, V. M., & Fisher, W. W. (2019). Randomized controlled trial of an applied behavior-analytic intervention versus wait-list control for food selectivity in participants with autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 52, 895-917. DOI: 10.1002/jaba.650
  • Peterson, K. M., & Ibañez, V. F. (2017). Food selectivity and autism spectrum disorder: Guidelines for assessment and treatment. Teaching Exceptional Children, 50, 322-332. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0040059918763562
  • Peterson, K. M., Piazza, C. C., & Volkert, V. M. (2016). Comparison of a modified-Sequential Oral Sensory approach to an applied behavior-analytic approach in the treatment of food selectivity in children with autism spectrum disorders. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 49, 485-511. DOI: 10.1002/jaba.332
  • Peterson, K. M., Volkert, V. M., & Milnes, S. M. (2016). Evaluation of practice trials to increase self-drinking in a child with a feeding disorder. Behavior Analysis in Practice, 10, 167-171. doi: 10.1007/s40617-016-0147-7
  • Peterson, K. M., Piazza, C. C., Luczynski, K. C., & Fisher, W. W. (2016). Virtual-care delivery of applied-behavior-analysis services to children with autism spectrum disorder and related conditions. Behavior Analysis: Research and Practice, 17, 286-297.Doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/bar0000030
  • Peterson, K. M., Volkert, V. M., & Zeleny, J. R. (2015). Increasing self-drinking in children with feeding disorders. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 48, 436-441. DOI: 10.1002/jaba.210
  • Volkert, V. M., Peterson, K. M.,Zeleny, J. R., & Piazza, C. C. (2014). A clinical protocol to increase chewing and assess mastication in children with feeding disorders. Behavior Modification, 38(5), 705-729. DOI: 10.1177/0145445514536575

Select Publications Continued: Book Chapters and Invited Works in Special Issues

  • Fisher, W. W., Fuhrman, A. M., Greer, B. D., Ibañez, V. F., Peterson, K. M., & Piazza, C. C. (in press). Ethical Considerations with Balancing Clinical Effectiveness with Research Design
  • Peterson, K. M., Ibañez, V. F., & Guerrero, L. (in press). Self-Care Skills. In Applied Behavior Analysis: A Comprehensive Handbook. J. L. Matson (Eds.)
  • Peterson, K. M., Ibañez, V. F., & Phipps, L. M. (in press). Handbook of autism and pervasive developmental disorder. ABA and Food Related Disorders. In J. L. Matson (Ed.) Springer International Publishing, Switzerland.
  • Ibañez, V. F., Peterson, K. M., Crowley, J. G., Haney, S. D., Andersen, A. S., & Piazza, C. C. (2019). Pediatric Prevention: Feeding Disorders. In special issue of Pediatric Clinics on Pediatric Prevention, edited: H. S. Roane.
  • Peterson, K. M., Piazza, C. C., Kirkwood, C. A., Ibañez, V. F., & Crowley, J. G. (2018) Assessment of pediatric feeding disorders. In J. L. Matson (Ed.), Handbook of childhood psychopathology and developmental disabilities: Assessment. In J. L. Matson (Ed.) 415-431. New York: Elsevier.
  • Volkert, V. V., Patel, M. R., & Peterson, K. M.(2016). Food refusal and selective eating. In J. K. Luiselli (Ed.), Behavioral health promotion and intervention in intellectual and developmental disabilities (Evidence-based practices in behavioral health). (157-161). Springer International Publishing, Switzerland.

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