Kristen Padilla, Ph.D., NCSP, LSSP, BCBA, LBA

Dr. Kristen L. Padilla, NCSP, LSSP, BCBA, LBA, is a clinical associate professor in the Department of Educational Psychology Department and serves as the director of the Baylor Center for Developmental Disabilities (BCDD). Dr. Padilla is a school psychologist and Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA). Her primary scholarly interests are in the areas of the validity and reliability of assessments based in applied behavior analysis, behavior analytic practices in school settings, and assessment training and education for behavior analysts. She is currently writing a textbook titled, Assessment and Measurement in Applied Behavior Analysis. Dr. Padilla has served as a co-investigator on multiple state and federal grants focusing on supporting parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), equipping teachers who work with individuals with ASD, providing interdisciplinary professional training in ASD and consulting with teachers working with emergent bilinguals with and without disabilities.

As director of the BCDD, Dr. Padilla supervises graduate students specializing in school psychology and applied behavior analysis that provide assessment, intervention, and consultation services. She also coordinates programming efforts and works with local agencies to provide trainings in working with children with ASD and behavioral difficulties. She teaches graduate courses in practicum in applied behavior analysis, assessment in applied behavior analysis, and interdisciplinary leadership training in autism and neurodevelopmental disabilities.

Prior to working at Baylor University, Dr. Padilla spent several years working with children in classroom and clinic settings. She worked as a school psychologist conducting intellectual, academic, and social-emotional assessments; counseling students; and providing behavior consultation.

Dr. Padilla has received several awards for her outstanding service to the field. She is the past award recipient for the Early Career Spotlight Award from the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP), the Outstanding School Psychologist award from the Texas Association of School Psychologists (TASP), and Task Supervisor of the Year by Baylor’s Diana Garland School of Social Work.

Degrees

PhD
2020 |Baylor University

EdS
2010 | Baylor University

BA
2004 | University of Texas Austin

Certifications

• Licensed Behavior Analyst (LBA) | 2018
• Licensed Specialist in School Psychology (LSSP) | 2010
• Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) | 2014
• Nationally Certified School Psychologist (NCSP) | 2019

Research Interests

• Assessment in applied behavior analysis
  validity and reliability of criterion-referenced and functional behavioral assessments based in applied behavior analysis
• Behavior analysis in education
  behavior analytic practices in schools, teacher training and consultation in behavior management

Select Publications

• Behavior analysis: A Systematic Review in Behavior Modification
  “Validity and Reliability Evidence of Assessments Based in Behavior analysis: A Systematic Review”
  with co-authors Dr. Regan Weston, University of Dayton - Ohio,; Grant B. Morgan, associate professor; Providence Lively, graduate student; and Nicole O'Guinn, graduate student
• Surveying the field in Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders
  “Global assessment use and practices in applied behavior analysis: Surveying the field”
• Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders
  “Content validity evidence for the Verbal Behavior Milestones Assessment and Placement Program”
  with co-author(s) Dr. Jessica Akers, assistant professor, Baylor University

Select Presentations

• National Association of School Psychologists Annual Convention | 2022 | Boston, MA
  “Implementation is Hard: PBIS in Early Childhood Programs”
  with Nori Ryland, graduate student
• National Association of School Psychologists Annual Convention | San Antonio
  “Evidence-based Interventions for School Psychologists”
  with Laura Phipps, graduate student, Allison Gutierrez, graduate student, Genevieve Williams, graduate student, and Alexander Beaujean, professor

External Grants

• U.S. Department of Health and Human Services - Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB) | $2,318,529
  Autism Consortium of Texas Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (ACT LEND)
• U.S. Department of Education - Office of English Language Acquisition | $2,999,257
  Project ¡LEER! Literacy, Language, and Social-Emotional Support for English Learners with and without Disabilities in Inclusive Settings to Improve Reading Outcome

Courses

• Practicum in ABA
• Assessment in ABA