Tonya Davis, Ph.D., BCBA
Professor Director, Applied Behavior Analysis Program Special Education Program Director
Dr. Tonya N. Davis is a professor of educational psychology, specializing in special education and Applied Behavior Analysis. Dr. Davis received her Ph.D. in special education with a specialization in autism and developmental disabilities from the University of Texas at Austin and her B.S. in special education and M.S.Ed. in educational psychology from Baylor University. Dr. Davis is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst-Doctoral Level (BCBA-D).
She currently serves as the coordinator of the undergraduate Special Education Program and the master's in educational psychology with concentration in ABA programs. Prior to joining the faculty, she was a special education teacher and in-home applied behavior analysis therapist.
Dr. Davis’s research interests involve applied behavior analysis and developmental disabilities, such as autism. The primary focus of her research involves the treatment of severe challenging behavior among individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Within this line of work, she conducts research on communication interventions and teaching strategies for children with autism and related disorders. Additionally, her research includes identification of best practices in teaching other professionals, such as teachers and behavior analysts to implement evidence-based practices. Her applied research is predominantly conducted at Baylor CARE and in public schools.
Her work, which she routinely presents at national meetings, has appear in such prestigious journals as Developmental Neurorehabilitiation, Behavioral Interventions, Behavior Analysis in Practice, Education and Training in Autism and Developmental Disabilities, and Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders. Dr. Davis currently serves on the editorial board of Behavior Modification and as an associate editor for Journal of Developmental and Physical Disabilities, as well as the Journal of Behavioral Education.
She currently teaches courses in the special education undergraduate teacher education program as well as courses in the master’s and doctoral Applied Behavior Analysis specialization. In 2014, Dr. Davis was selected as a Baylor Fellow and in 2022 she was awarded with the Baylor University Outstanding Faculty in Scholarship, Tenured.
Degrees
M.S.Ed.
2004 | Baylor University
B.S. in Special Education
2002 | Baylor University
Ph.D. in Special Education
2008 | Univertisty of Texas, Austin
Certifications
- Board Certified Behavior Analyst-Doctoral (BCBA-D) | 2006
- Teacher Certification: Generic Special Education | 2002
- Elementary Self-Contained Grades 1-8 | 2002
Research Interests
- Improving Communication Among Individuals with Developmental Disabilities
- Treatment of Challenging Behavior Among Individuals with Developmental Disabilities
Expertise
- Special Education
- Developmental Disabilities
- Behavior Management
- Autism Spectrum Disorders
- Applied Behavior Analysis
Affiliations
- Texas Association for Behavior Analysis
- Council for Exceptional Children
- Association of Behavior Analysis International