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Title
BCBA-D Clinical Manager; Director of Research and Training

Kathryn M. Peterson, Ph.D., BCBA-D

Director of Training and Research

Professional Summary:

Kathryn Peterson, Ph.D., BCBA-D is an associate professor in the Department of Pediatrics at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and the director of training and research at the Children’s Specialized Hospital Pediatric Intensive Feeding Program. Dr. Peterson has specialized in the assessment and treatment of Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder and pediatric feeding difficulties for the past 15 years and has held faculty positions at the University of Nebraska Medical Center and Emory University School of Medicine. Dr. Peterson has published her research in numerous peer-reviewed journals, authored over a dozen book chapters, and has secured grant funding through the University of Nebraska Medical Center’s Pediatrics and Diversity funds to conduct her research. Dr. Peterson has received several awards recognizing her scholarly accomplishments, including the Heartland Association for Behavior Analysis Award of Excellence (2016); the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis Contribution of the Year Award (2017); and the Pennsylvania State University’s People to Watch award (2022). Dr. Peterson has served on the boards for numerous ABA Chapter organizations, and as the former President of the Heartland Association for Behavior Analysis (2014-2015). She has conducted trainings and presentations both nationally and internationally, served on the editorial boards and as an ad-hoc reviewer and action editor for numerous peer-reviewed journals, and currently serves as an associate editor for the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis.

Education

Postdoc, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, 2014

Ph.D., University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, 2013

M.A., Penn State University, Harrisburg, PA, 2008

B.S., University of Nebraska Omaha, Omaha, NE, 2006

Courses Taught

  • Pediatric Feeding Disorders
  • Learning
  • Development Across the Lifespan

Research Interests

  • Assessment and Treatment of Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder and Pediatric Feeding Disorders

Publications (Last Five Years)

  1.  Ibañez, V. F., Kirkwood, C. A., Peterson, K. M., & Perrino, N. (in press). Comparison of bolus placement on the posterior versus venter tongue as treatment for packing. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis.
  2. Sharp, W., & Peterson, K. M. (in press). Big ideas in the assessment and treatment of Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder. In Big Ideas in Eating Disorders. Weissman, R. Elsevier, Inc.
  3. Auten, E. M., Peterson, K. M., & Aley-Martinez, M. (2025). Assessment and Treatment of Pediatric Feeding Disorders. In Clinical and Organizational Applications of Behavior Analysis, 2nd Ed. Roane, H., Ringdahl, J., Falcomata, T., & Sullivan, W. Elsevier, Inc.
  4. Peterson, K. M., Auten, E. M., & Crowley-Zalaket, J. G. (2025). Mitigation of relapse of challenging mealtime behavior. In Behavioral Treatments for Individuals with Autism: Promoting Longevity and Durability. Kranak, M. Elsevier, Inc.
  5. Peterson, K. M., Bachmeyer-Lee, M., Kirkwood, C. A., Borrero, C., & Crowley, J. G. (2025). Competency to address pediatric feeding disorders. In Applied Behavior Analysis for Clinical, Educational, and Training Applications. Cox, D. & Vladescu, J. Elsevier publishing.
  6. Auten, E. M. & Peterson, K. M. (2024). From purees to portion-based meals: Building complex feeding repertoires. In Toward Durability and Generalization in the Treatment of Autism. Mitteer, D. M. Springer Publishing.
  7. Auten, E. A., & Peterson, K. M. (2026). The role of re-presentation in the treatment of liquid expulsion. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, Advanced Online Publication.
  8. Andersen, A. A., Crowley-Zalaket, J. G., Zeleny, J., Engler, C. W., Peterson, K. M., Miles, A., & Piazza, C. C. (2024). Long-term outcomes after behavior-analytic intervention for pediatric feeding disorders. Journal of Developmental and Physical Disabilities/ 36, 1039–1054. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10882-024-09960-w
  9. Taylor, T., Phipps, L. E., Peterson, K. M., & Mead, S. (2024). A systematic review and comprehensive discussion of social validity measurement. Child Youth and Care Forum, 54, 265-302. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10566-024-09812-w
  10. Peterson, K. M., Crowley-Zalaket, J. G., & Ibañez, V. F. (2024). An evaluation of simultaneous presentation, differential reinforcement, and fading in the treatment of ARFID. Behavior Analysis in Practice.
  11. Mitteer, D. M., Peterson, K. M., Crowley, J. G., & Greer, B. D. (2023). Transition-related problem behavior and Applied Behavior Analysis. In J. L. Matson (ed.), Handbook of Applied Behavior Analysis for Children with Autism, Autism and Child Psychopathology Series, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-27587-6_13
  12. Engler, C. W., Ibañez, V. F., Peterson, K. M., & Andersen, A. A. (2023). Responding during extinction-based treatment of food refusal. Behavioral Interventions, 38(4), 1-28. 10.1002/bin.1974
  13. Peterson, K. M., Ibañez, V. F., & Guerrero, L. (2023). Self-Care Skills. In Applied Behavior Analysis: A Comprehensive Handbook. J. L. Matson (Eds.)
  14. Teichberg-Sabath, L., & Peterson, K. M. (2022). A systematic review of methods for teaching advanced feeding skills to children with feeding disorders. Rutgers The State University of New Jersey, Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology ProQuest Dissertations & Theses. 29998196.
  15. 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
  16. Phipps, L. A., Peterson, K. M., & Piazza, C. C. (2022). Indices of happiness and unhappiness during treatment of pediatric feeding disorders, Behavioral Interventions, 37(3). https://doi.org/10.1002/bin.1863
  17. Andersen, A. S., Hansen, B. A., & Peterson, K. M. (2022). An evaluation of trial-based functional analyses of inappropriate mealtime behavior. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 55(1), 264-289.
  18. Fisher, W. W., Fuhrman, A. M., Greer, B. D., Ibañez, V. F., Peterson, K. M., & Piazza, C. C. (2022). Ethical Considerations with Balancing Clinical Effectiveness with Research Design.
  19. Peterson, K. M., Ibañez, V. F., & Phipps, L. M. (2022). Handbook of autism and pervasive developmental disorder. ABA and Food Related Disorders. In J. L. Matson (Ed.) Springer International Publishing, Switzerland.
  20. 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.
  21. 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.
  22. 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.