Professional Summary:
Dr. Kathryn Peterson is the Director of Intensive Feeding Program Operations at Children’s Specialized Hospital. She is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and an affiliate faculty member in the Rutgers Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology. She received a Bachelor of Science from the University of Nebraska at Omaha and a Master of Arts in behavior analysis from The Pennsylvania State University. She earned a Ph.D. in behavior analysis and completed a post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC), where she subsequently served as an assistant professor for five years. Dr. Peterson specializes in the assessment and treatment of pediatric feeding disorders. She has published her research in numerous peer-reviewed journals, authored book chapters, and conducted trainings and presentations both nationally and internationally. Dr. Peterson also serves on the board of editors and as a guest associate editor for the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis. She has served as a routine ad-hoc reviewer and associate editor for flagship journals, such as Behavior Analysis in Practice, Behavior Analysis: Research and Practice, and Pediatrics. She was the 2016 recipient of the Award of Excellence from the Heartland Association for Behavior Analysis; the 2017 recipient of the Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior’s Contribution of the Year award; and the the 2021 recipient of the Pennsylvania State University’s People to Watch award. She has fulfilled numerous roles on the boards for the Heartland and Nebraska Associations for Behavior Analysis. She has secured grant awards through UNMC’s Pediatrics, Diversity, and the Munroe-Meyer Institute’s guild funds to support her research.
Education:
Postdoc, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, 2014
Ph.D., University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, 2013
MA, Pennsylvania State University, Harrisburg, PA, 2008
BS, University of Nebraska, Omaha, NE, 2006
Courses Taught:
Assessment and Treatment of Pediatric Feeding Disorders
Research Ethics
Introduction to Applied Behavior Analysis
Behavioral Principles of Learning
Practicum in Applied Behavior Analysis
Primary Research Interests:
Assessment and treatment of pediatric feeding disorders
Change-resistant behavior in children with autism
Publications
Phipps, L. A., Haney, S. J., Zeleny, J. R., Peterson, K. M., Andersen, A. S., & Orloski, S. (2022). Using behavior-analytic treatment to teach tongue lateralization skills to children with Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder. Clinical Case Studies, 10.1177/15346501221092112
Mitteer, D. M., Peterson, K. M., Crowley, J. G., & Greer, B. D. (in press). Transition-related problem behavior and Applied Behavior Analysis. In J. L. Matson (Ed.), Handbook of applied behavioral analysis for children with autism: Clinical guide to assessment and treatment. (pp. X–Y). New York: Springer Nature.
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. In D. J. Cox, M. T. Brodhead, & S. P. Quigley (Eds.), Research ethics in behavior analysis: From bench to bedside. (pp. X–Y). Cambridge, MA: Academic Press, Elsevier.
Peterson, K. M., Ibañez, V. F., & Guerrero, L. (in press). Self-Care Skills. In J. L. Matson (Eds.) Applied Behavior Analysis: A Comprehensive Handbook. (pp. X-Y). New York: Springer Nature.
Peterson, K. M., Ibañez, V. F., & Phipps, L. M. (2022). Food-Related Disorders and Applied Behavior Analysis. In J. L. Matson (Ed.). Handbook of autism and pervasive developmental disorder. (pp. 1017-1036). Springer International Publishing, Switzerland.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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., 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.
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.
Stocco, C. S., Luczynski, K. L., & Peterson, K. M. (in press). Applied behavior analysis. Oxford Bibliographies.
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.
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.
Lee, N., Vladescu, J. C., Reeve, K. F., & Peterson, K. M. (2018). Effects of behavioral skills training on the stimulus control of safety training. Journal of Behavioral Education, 28, 187-203.
Peterson, K. M., & Ibañez, V. F. (2017). Food selectivity and autism spectrum disorder: Guidelines for assessment and treatment. Teaching Exceptional Children, 50, 322-332.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Zangrillo, A. N., Warzak, W. J., Volkert, V. M., Valleley, R., Shriver, M. D., Rodriguez, N. R., Peterson, K. M….Allen, K. D. (2016). The Munroe-Meyer Approach: Continuous integration of didactic instruction, research, and clinical practice. The Behavior Analyst, 39, 157-166.
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.
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, 1-2