Nicola Cefalo
Director of ABA Services
Hello! I’m Nicola, Psychologist (CH), Behavior Analyst and co-founder of DDA.
In 2017, I discovered how behavior analysis can actually help children with autism, so from that point on, I began providing behavioral services based on the principles of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) to people with autism and other disabilities.
I knew that my knowledge was insufficient and that I needed to learn more to give my students as many opportunities as possible to be independent, autonomous, socialize, and communicate.
In December 2020 I completed the VCS (Verified Course Sequence) in ABA at the University of Salerno.
In March 2021, I obtained the Board Certified Behavior Analysts® (BCBA®) certification from the BACB® and in 2022 the International Behavior Analyst® (IBA®) certification from the IBAO®.
Families deserve a professional who demonstrates competence and is connected to other professionals with a code of ethics that protects clients.
I often attend international scientific conferences to be updated and present my research. For example, I presented a poster in Boston (2022) on “Teaching Vocal Imitation Of Prolonged Sounds To A Young Adult With Autism.”
I have expanded my studies on specific methodologies such as precision teaching and direct instruction, which are based on systematic methods and extensive research and are used to achieve academic outcomes such as: reading, math, science, etc.
These technologies are perhaps the most fully validated instructional tools that have ever been implemented in American schools (Binder & Watkins, 1990; Johnson & Street, 2004).
For example, in a paper presented at the ABAI international conference in 2021, I showed how to apply these technologies to teach a 17-year-old boy with autism advanced math skills.
I currently work as a behavior analyst and assistant behavior analyst. I am involved in assessing clients and designing individualized intervention programs.