News and Knowledge

OAR recently welcomed three members to its Scientific Council, known informally as SCOAR. SCOAR provides expert information to OAR on matters related to research and current practice, assisting the board of directors in developing its research strategy, objectives, and priorities. SCOAR also oversees the annual research competition and ensures the highest quality reviews for prospective OAR research studies.

Teal Benevides, Ph.D., MS, OTR/L is an occupational therapist and researcher. Dr. Benevides currently serves as an associate professor in the Department of Occupational Therapy at Augusta University and maintains a joint appointment in the Institute of Public and Preventive Health at the university. In that work, she collaborates with autistic partners to address pressing medical and mental health priorities faced by the autism community, including understanding and reducing racial/ethnic disparities in care for individuals on the autism spectrum.

She has partnered with other principal investigators who have applied for OAR funding and served as a grant reviewer. She’s delighted to join SCOAR to work together with other members to advance the state of autism research. She hopes, she says, “to contribute to the discussions of authentic alliance with the autism community, especially regarding autistic preferences for research, available services and supports, and a focus on underserved communities whose voices are not usually ‘at the table’. Advancing research in collaboration with the autism community is essential for the success and well-being of those who are impacted by the findings.”

Oliver Wendt, Ph.D., is the director of the Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) and Autism Research Lab at the University of Central Florida. His lab develops AAC interventions and technologies for minimally verbal individuals on the autism spectrum.

SCOAR member Joanne Gerenser, Ph.D., a friend and colleague of Dr. Wendt’s, persuaded Dr. Wendt to join the council, though he notes that he knew about OAR by virtue of having received an applied research grant in 2012. The technology he developed as a result of that funding has been featured on several news shows, including CBS Sunday Morning and CNN iReport, among others. He has served as a reviewer for the competition since he received funding.

He’s delighted to work with an organization that excels in promoting applied research projects that lead to direct benefits for the autism community. “It is impressive to see the broad portfolio of OAR-sponsored projects that not only include research-based endeavors but also range from family resources to hiring initiatives for adults on the spectrum to education materials for classroom teachers,” he says.

Rachel Taylor, Ph.D., BCBA-D has supported individuals diagnosed with neurodevelopmental disorders for more than 20 years. Currently, she is the founder and chief executive officer of Center for Applied Behavior Analysis in Los Angeles. In this role, she oversees the organization’s operations across all of its services, including in-home, school, and community-based services. Her current interests include protecting against a potential divide between science and practice and demonstrating how applied behavior analysis (ABA) produces socially significant improvements regardless of age or diagnosis.

Doctor Taylor received her first grant from OAR nearly 15 years ago to study how collecting data electronically compared to paper and pencil collection, which culminated in an empirical publication, she notes.

She believes that as an active member of the Council, she can help “to ensure the provision of evidence-based supports for individuals diagnosed with ASD.” She is “honored to support OAR given its long established history of supporting applied behavior analysis and protecting our scientific foundations.”

“During these uncertain times, my goal as a member of the Scientific Council is to support all efforts aimed at disseminating best practices for supporting individuals with ASD,” she says.