Lauriello Mixes Teaching, Mentorship and Research to Create a Career in Behavior Analysis

Jennifer Lauriello oversees clinical operations for Lehigh University Autism Services (LUAS) and  provides supervision for the Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs) who work directly with clients. She also provides mentorship and training to graduate students who are pursuing their BCBA credential. 

In addition to her supervisory role with LUAS,  Lauriello is in her third year of the COE’s Special Education doctoral program. “One of the things that really drew me to the clinic was having the ability to pursue additional graduate education while I was working,” she said. 

Lauriello began her career at a residential school after receiving her undergraduate degree in neuroscience. “I was working with older kids, largely 16 to 21, who had more intense behavioral needs and then transitioned to working with adults with traumatic brain injury,” she said. “I learned to apply all of the skills to this new population.” 

While working at the residential school, Lauriello earned her master’s degree in special education.But, as Lauriello worked in the school’s short-term stabilization unit, she found that she liked teaching more than responding to crises. So, she transitioned to an agency that provided home- and community-based services for children ages 3 to 21. 

“I came to Lehigh because I wanted the opportunity to work with younger kids and implement the naturalistic interventions that Autism Services uses in our sessions,” she continued. Naturalistic interventions focus on teaching clients the skills they will need in the world. “In most of my previous work, if I asked a client to label an item or show me something, I used pictures and flashcards at a table,” she said. “We see that clients can't always apply the skills developed in this way when they're playing or when they're with their families or peers later on.” 

“I always say a really good session doesn’t look like hard work because everyone's having so much fun.” 

At Lehigh’s Autism Services, the sessions are play-based. “We want to capitalize on our clients’ motivation, ensure that they want to engage with us, and follow their lead to incorporate opportunities to teach the skills that we're working on,” Lauriello said. “I always say a really good session doesn’t look like hard work because everyone's having so much fun.” 

Working at LUAS and enrolling in the COE’s Special Education doctoral program have allowed Lauriello to grow her clinical skill set, while developing and implementing interventions in a clinical setting. Her position also allows her to teach future clinicians and LUAS staff  to incorporate naturalistic interventions with clients. 

“Mentorship is very important to me,” Lauriello added. “I want to continue to teach other clinicians how to use these skills and prepare to become BCBAs.”

Working full time while enrolled in a Ph.D. program is a lot to balance, but it has also provided Lauriello with opportunities to pursue research within the clinic. She appreciates the seminars that help her dive deeper into specific topics and research opportunities with her advisor and program peers, which help Lauriello to further develop her research skills. 

“One of the things that I really like about the COE is that there are so many different programs, and we have the ability – to some degree – to pick and choose classes from across those programs,” she said. “For example, this semester I'm taking a class with Dr. Kern on grant writing, but I've also been able to take some classes within the Educational Leadership program including Organizational Leadership and Change Management with Dr. Hochbein.” 

Lauriello appreciates the opportunity to learn from a variety of perspectives, professors, and a broader range of peers from across the COE programs. “I do think that's something that really makes Lehigh stand out,” she said. “One of the challenges I've had is that there are so many classes that I want to take across all of the different programs and I don't have enough time.” 

Lauriello is currently working on her qualifying project, a meta-analysis focused on feedback that is delivered to special education teachers. “I'm looking at all of the research that has been conducted where special education teachers receive feedback, and I’m evaluating which feedback characteristics are most effective,” she said. She’s hoping to take the results of this meta-analysis and develop an intervention study for her dissertation that looks at applying some of these characteristics to determine ways that feedback can be delivered more effectively. 

“Because I directly supervise our BCBAs, determining how we can decrease the time necessary for staff to complete assignments, reduce cancellations, and improve other variables related to their performance with our clients is especially important to me,” she added.

Lauriello loves working in the clinic and hopes to continue her involvement in clinical programming after completing her degree. “I don't want to be too far removed from clients,” she said. “But I also like teaching and I like mentorship, so I think that a role in academia is something that I would enjoy.” 

Learn more about Lehigh University Autism Services and the services they provide and opportunities to expand your career with the COE’s Special Education program.