Amanda N. Zangrillo, PsyD, BCBA-D

Amanda N. Zangrillo, PsyD, BCBA-D

Department Director, MMI Severe Behavior Program
Associate Professor
402-559-8866 | Email

Munroe-Meyer Institute
Severe Behavior Program
985450 Nebraska Medical Center
Omaha, NE 68198-5450

VIEW MMI SEVERE BEHAVIOR PROGRAM SERVICES

Professional Summary

Amanda Zangrillo, Psy.D., BCBA-D is an Associate Professor and Department Director of the Severe Behavior Program at the University of Nebraska Medical Center’s Munroe-Meyer Institute. She received a Bachelor of Science in Human Development and Family Life from University of Kansas in 2003. From 2003 to 2007, she worked as a Research Assistant and Coordinator of Clinical Operations at the Marcus Autism Center in Atlanta, Georgia. There, she gained valuable experience in the application of Behavior Analytic principles in the assessment and treatment of severe destructive behavior and the application of early intensive behavioral intervention (EIBI) in the treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorder. During this time, she also earned a Master’s of Science degree from Georgia State University in Educational Psychology and Board Certification Behavior Analyst credential. She later earned a Doctorate of Psychology in School Psychology from University of Southern Maine. Currently, Dr. Zangrillo works as the Director of the Severe Behavior Program where she oversees the day treatment, intensive outpatient, follow-up clinics. The Severe Behavior Program clinics provide assessment and treatment to children with severe problem behaviors. The aim of services is to provide evidence-based behavioral assessment, intervention, and training to individuals and their caregivers, focusing on decreasing problematic and maladaptive behaviors and teaching functional, alternative behaviors using the principles of Applied Behavior Analysis.

Dr. Zangrillo also serves as the director of training for internship and postdoctoral fellowship experiences completed in the Intensive Applied Behavior Analysis Track (iABA), which includes experiences in the Severe Behavior Program, Early Intervention Program, and Pediatric Feeding Disorders Program.

Specialty Certifications

• Licensed Psychologist, Nebraska (License No. 854) (2014 – present)
• Board Certified Behavior Analyst, Doctoral Level (BCBA # 1-09-5765) (2009 – present)
• Medication Aid Certification, Nebraska DHHS (2013 – present)

Education

• Psy.D., University of Southern Maine, Portland, ME, 2012
• MS, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, 2008
• BS, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, 2003

Teaching

• HPSY 920: Assessment and Treatment of Severe Behavior Disorders
• HPSY 914: Behavior Psychology in Autism and Related
• Clinical and Research Practica in Severe Behavior Program and Autism Diagnostic Clinic for Undergraduate-, Masters-, and Doctoral- level Students

Research Interests and Projects

• Function-based approaches to understanding and treating severe behavior disorders
• Behavioral approaches to the assessment and treatment of symptoms of autism spectrum disorder
• Verbal behavior
• Factors effecting treatment adherence
• Caregiver training programs related to accessing and implementing support/treatment services for treatment of autism spectrum disorder

Publications from PubMed

Selected Publications (within the last 5 years)

*denotes graduate student co-authors

• Brown, K. R.*, Zangrillo, A. N., Gaynor, R. (2020). Effects of caregiver implemented group contingencies on siblings’ destructive behavior. Behavioral Development, 25(1), 30–39. https://doi.org/10.1037/bdb0000093
• Zangrillo, A. N., Simmons, C. A. *, Fisher, W. W., & Owen, T. O. (2020). Use of a paired-stimulus demand analysis to evaluate demands for inclusion in Functional Analyses. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 53(2), 665-667. https://doi.org/10.1002/jaba.651
• Owen, T. O., Fisher, W. W., Akers, J. A., Sullivan, W. E., Falcomata, T. S., Greer, B. D., … & Zangrillo, A. N. (2020). Treating destructive behavior reinforced by increased caregiver compliance with the participant’s mands. The Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis. Published in early view. doi.org/10.1002/jaba.674
• Fuhrman, A. M., Greer, B. D., Zangrillo, A. N., & Fisher, W. W. (2018) Evaluating competing activities to enhance functional communication training during reinforcement schedule thinning. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 51, 931-942. doi.org/10.1002/jaba.486
• Fisher, W. W., Greer, B. D., Mitteer, D. R., Fuhrman, A. M., Romani, P. W., & Zangrillo, A. N. (2018). Further evaluation of differential exposure to establishing operations during functional communication training. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 51(2), 360-373.
• Zangrillo, A. N., Fisher, W. W., Greer, B. G., Owen, T. O., & DeSouza, A. A. (2016). Treatment of escape-maintained challenging behavior using chained schedules: An evaluation of the effects of thinning positive plus negative reinforcement during functional communication training. International Journal of Developmental Disabilities, 62, 147-156. doi: 10.1080/20473869.2016.1176308
• Zangrillo, A. N., Warzak, W. J., Volkert, V. V., Valleley, R. J., Shriver, M. D., Rodriguez, N. M.,…Allen, K. D. (2016). The Munroe-Meyer approach: Continuous integration of didactic instruction, research, and clinical practice. The Behavior Analyst. doi: 10.1007/s40614-016-0062-9
• Fisher, W. W., Greer, B. G., Romani, P. R., Zangrillo, A. N., & Owen, T. O., & (2016). Comparisons of synthesized and individual reinforcement contingencies during functional analysis. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 49, 1-21. doi: 10.1002/jaba.314

Professional Affiliations

• Association for Behavior Analysis International
• Nebraska Association for Behavior Analysis

Awards

• Munroe Meyer Institute Faculty Stand Out award (2017)