Dr. Kelly Kates McElrath

Adjunct Professor

Kelly Kates McElrath, Ph.D., BCBA-D, CBIS is a board certified behavior analyst at the doctoral level (BCBA-D) with brain injury specialist certification (CBIS) and 25 years of experience in applied behavior analysis across a variety of settings.  Such settings include in-home, residential, inpatient hospital, and private and public schools.  She is currently the lead behavior analyst at the Bucks County Schools Intermediate Unit #22.  Dr. McElrath’s range of expertise includes functional assessment and analysis of problem behavior (FBA), autism and related disorders (ASD), emotional behavior disturbance (E/BD), traumatic brain injury (TBI), and school-wide positive behavior supports. As a consultant in educational settings, she works collaboratively to develop positive behavior support plans for students who exhibit challenging behavior, implement systems change for school-wide positive behavior interventions and supports, creates and delivers staff trainings, conducts workshops, and presents at professional development events. Dr. McElrath is also a member of the BrainSTEPS team in Bucks County, as well as a concussion management team member. She has presented both locally and nationally at conferences on a variety of topics related to applied behavior analysis. Dr. McElrath has served as Member-At-Large for Penn ABA and as the chair of the Crime and Delinquency Special Interest Group (SIG) for the Association for Behavior Analysis International (ABAI).  In her role as lead behavior analyst, she organizes professional development for Type II continuing education events for behavior analysts working in Bucks County, PA. Dr. McElrath has 19 years of experience teaching graduate and undergraduate courses in applied behavior analysis and special education, in both campus-based and distance learning formats. Her professional academic interests currently include school-based functional analysis of behavior, verbal behavior, school-wide positive behavior interventions and supports, use of inter-teaching in college courses, and online learning.