Kristina Gerencser, PhD, BCBA-D

Board Certified Behavior Analyst

Assistant Professor, Emory University School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics

Kristina R. Gerencser, PhD, BCBA-D, is an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Emory University School of Medicine and a board-certified behavior analyst doctorate (BCBA-D) and Program Manager for the Language and Learning Program at Marcus Autism Center.

Dr. Gerencser has worked with children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and related disabilities in home-, center- and school-based programs targeting skill acquisition and reducing challenging behavior.

Dr. Gerencser completed her post-doctoral fellowship at Marcus Autism Center in the Complex Behavior Support Program. She holds a doctorate in disability disciplines, with a specialization in applied behavior analysis from Utah State University, and received her master’s in behavior analysis from Western Michigan University.

Dr. Gerencser’s research interests include strategies for promoting appropriate social and play skills, as well as increasing verbal behavior in individuals with autism. She is primarily interested in targeting appropriate play skills and the development of effective training procedures to disseminate evidence-based interventions.

Publications

• Akers, J.S., Higbee, T.S., Gerencser, K.R., & Pellegrino, A.J. (2018). An evaluation of group activity schedules to train children with autism to play hide-and-seek with typically developing peers. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 51, 553-570.
• Gerencser, K.R., Higbee, T.S., Contreras, B.P., Pellegrino, A.J., Gunn, S.L. (2018). Evaluation of interactive computerized training to teach paraprofessionals how to implement errorless discrete trial instruction. Journal of Behavioral Education, 27, 461-487.
• Scheithauer, M., Muething, C.S., Silva, M.R., Gerencser, K.R., Krantz, J., & Call, N.A. (2018). Using caregiver report on the impact of challenging behavior exhibited by children with autism spectrum disorder to guide treatment development and outcomes. International Journal of Developmental Disabilities.
• Gerencser, K.R., Higbee, T.S., Akers, J.A., & Contreras, B.P. (2017). Evaluation of interactive computerized training to teach parents to implement photographic activity schedules with children with autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 50, 567-581.
• Akers, J.S., Higbee, T.S., Pollard, J.S., Pellegrino, A.J., & Gerencser, K.R. (2016). An evaluation of photographic activity schedules to increase independent playground skills in young children with autism. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 49, 954-959.
• Brodhead, M.T., Higbee, T.S., Gerencser, K.R., & Akers, J.S. (2016). The use of a discrimination-training procedure to teach mand variability to children with autism. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 49, 1-15.
• Akers, J.S., Pyle, N., Higbee, T.S., Pyle, D., & Gerencser, K.R. (2015). A synthesis of script fading effects with individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A 20-year review. Review Journal of Autism and Developmental, 2, 1-17.
• Brodhead, M.T., Higbee, T.S., Pollard, J.S., Akers, J.S., & Gerencser, K.R. (2014). The use of linked activity schedules to teach children with autism to play hide-and-seek. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 47, 645-650.

• Gerencser, K.R. (2019). Promoting social and play skills through activity schedules and social scripts. Presentation for Berry College, Rome, GA. 
• Gerencser, K.R., Lomas Mevers, J., & Muething, C.S. (2018) The effects of response dependent and response independent progressive time delay during functional communication training. Presented at the 44th Annual Convention of the Association for Behavior Analysis International, San Diego, CA. 
• Gerencser, K.R., Higbee, T.S., Contreras, B.P., Pellegrino, A.J., & Gunn, S.L. (2017). Evaluation of interactive computerized training to teach paraprofessionals how to implement errorless discrete trial instruction. Presented at the California Association for Behavior Analysis 35th Annual Western Regional Conference on Behavior Analysis, Anaheim, CA. 
• Gerencser, K.R., Higbee, T.S., Contreras, B. P., Pellegrino, A.J., & Gunn, S.L. (2017). Evaluation of interactive computerized training to teach paraprofessionals how to implement errorless discrete trial instruction. Paper presented at the 43rd Annual Convention of the Association for Behavior Analysis International, Denver, CO.
• Gottlieb, E., Gerencser, K.R., & Scheithauer, M. (2017). The use of electronics and prompting strategies to promote compliance. Presented at the 10th annual Georgia Association for Positive Behavior Support Conference, Duluth, GA. 
• Gerencser, K.R., & Hoffmann, A.N. (2016). Using technology to provide training, teaching, and reinforcement for children with autism spectrum disorder. Presented at the 6th Annual Utah Association for Behavior Analysis Conference in Salt Lake City, UT. 
• Gerencser, K.R., Higbee, T.S., Akers, J.A., & Contreras, B. (2016). An evaluation of an interactive computerized training to teach parents to implement a photographic activity schedule. Presented at the California Association for Behavior Analysis 34th Annual Western Regional Conference on Behavior Analysis, San Jose, CA. 
• Gerencser, K.R., Higbee, T.S., Akers, J.A., & Contreras, B. (2016) An evaluation of an interactive computerized training to teach parents to implement a photographic activity schedule. Paper presented at the California Association for Behavior Analysis 34th Annual Western Regional Conference on Behavior Analysis, San Jose, CA. 
• Gerencser, K.R., Higbee, T.S., Akers, J.A., & Contreras, B. (2015). An evaluation of an interactive computerized training to teach parents to implement a photographic activity schedule. Paper presented at the 41st Annual Convention of the Association for Behavior Analysis International, San Antonio, TX.