Joshua Jessel

Assistant Professor

Dr. Joshua Jessel completed his master’s degree at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County where he worked with individuals who exhibited severe challenging behavior on the neurobehavioral inpatient unit of the Kennedy Krieger Institute. He went on to earn his doctoral degree at Western New England University with his primary research focusing on the assessment and treatment of challenging behavior among Autistic children. Dr. Jessel continued to extend this line of research as a postdoctoral fellow at a clinic in Texas and has since directed multiple research-based outpatient clinics across the United States.

Dr. Jessel’s current research interests involve (a) developing safe and efficient methods of assessing challenging behavior exhibited by children with intellectual and developmental disabilities and (b) evaluating different skill-based treatments informed by those assessments. Dr. Jessel has published more than 50 peer-reviewed research articles and book chapters.

Designing novel practical functional assessment and skill-based treatment procedures.

Incorporating a trauma-informed care framework into functional assessment and skill-based treatment procedures.

Evaluating comprehensive models for addressing challenging behavior using consecutive controlled case series.

Raghunauth-Zaman, N., Jessel, J., & Chou, V. (accepted). Parent guided communication training with neurotypical toddlers of three Latin American families. Behavior Analysis in Practice.

Izquierdo, S. M., Jessel, J., Jones, E. A., & Fiani, T. (2024). Functional analysis of contextually inappropriate social behavior in children with Down Syndrome. Behavior Modification. Advanced Online Publication. https://doi.org/10.1177/01454455231222912

Jessel, J., Fruchtman, T., Raghunauth, N., Leyman, A., Howard, M., Lemos, F. M., Costa Val, H., & Hanley, G. P. (2023). A Two Step Validation of the Performance-Based IISCA: A Trauma-Informed Functional Analysis Model. Behavior Analysis in Practice. Advanced Online Publication. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-023-00792-2

Iannaccone, J., & Jessel, J. (2023). Varying reinforcer dimensions during differential reinforcement without extinction: A translational model. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 56(2), 470-482. https://doi.org/10.1002/jaba.973

Fiani, T., & Jessel, J. (2022). Practical functional assessment and behavioral treatment of challenging behavior for clinically-based outpatient services: A consecutive case series evaluation. Education and Treatment of Children, 45, 211-230. https://doi.org/10.1007/s43494-022-00071-9

Jessel, J., Rosenthal, D., Hanley, G. P., Gary, L., Boucher, M. B., Howard, M., Perrin, J., Lemos, F. M. (2022). On the occurrence of dangerous problem behavior during functional analysis: An evaluation of 30 applications. Behavior Modification, 46(4), 834-862. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F01454455211010698  

Jessel J., Ingvarsson, E. T., Kirk, H., Whipple, R., & Metras, R. (2018). Achieving Socially Significant Reductions in Problem Behavior following the Interview-Informed Synthesized Contingency Analysis: A Summary of 25 Outpatient Applications. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 51, 130-157. https://doi.org/10.1002/jaba.436

MacDowell, P., Lemos, F., & Jessel, J. (accepted). Severe Behavior Problems. In M. R. Dixon, P. Sturmey, and J. L. Matson (Eds.), Handbook of Early Intervention for Autism Spectrum Disorders Second Edition. Springer.

Jessel, J., & Saini, V. (2023). Aggression and Tantrums. In J. L. Matson (Ed.), Handbook of Applied Behavior Analysis for Children with Autism: Clinical Guide to Assessment and Treatment. Springer Nature. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-27587-6_15

Jessel, J., & Jessel, C. (2023). Functional Assessment. In J. L. Matson (Ed.), Handbook of Clinical Child Psychology: Theory to Practice. Springer Nature. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-24926-6_19

Jessel, J., & Metras, R. (2023). Experimental Functional Analysis. In J. L. Matson (Ed.), Handbook of Applied Behavior Analysis (pp. 481-500). Springer Nature. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-19964-6_26

Jessel, J., Rajaraman, A., & Dowdy, A. (2022). ABA Treatment Approaches to Problem Behavior. In J. L. Matson and P. Sturmey (Eds.), Handbook of Autism and Pervasive Developmental Disorders (pp. 997-1015). Springer Nature. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-88538-0_43

Jessel, J. (2022). Practical functional assessment. In J. Leaf, J. Cihon, J. Ferguson, M. J. Weiss (Eds.), Handbook of Applied Behavior Analysis Interventions for Autism (pp. 443-464). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-96478-8_23   

Jessel, J., Dowdy, A., & Corey P. (2021). Research Methods in Special Education – Chapter 10 Overview. Invited podcast recorded and produced by SLACK books. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CL5olzPNpbo

Jessel, J. (2021). Expert Review Series discussing On the Occurrence of Dangerous Problem Behavior during Functional Analysis: An Evaluation of 30 Applications. Invited podcast recorded and produced by FTF Behavioral Consultants. https://ftfbc.com/courses/on-the-occurrence-of-dangerous-problem-behavior-during-functional-analysis-an-evaluation-of-30-applications-2021-1-ceu/

Jessel, J. (2021). Safety, Control, Acceptability, and the World’s Fastest FA with Joshua Jessel. Invited podcast recorded and produced by the Practitioner Scientist Podcast. https://open.spotify.com/episode/6LntWjrlj1X73kQIisNPj1?si=9tZDYB_iQ8qqeCgwFNBHwQ

Jessel, J. (2020). Expert Review Series discussing A Translational Evaluation of Transitions. Invited podcast recorded and produced by FTF Behavioral Consultants. https://ftfbc.com/courses/a-translational-evaluation-of-transitions-1-ceu/

Jessel, J. (2020). Rich to lean error correction w/ Dr. Joshua Jessel. Invited podcast recorded and produced by ABA Wizard. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rich-to-lean-error-correction-w-dr-joshua-jessel/id1510264715?i=1000485320353

Jessel, J. (2019, November). Punishment and its fallout. Invited podcast recorded and produced by Functional Relations. http://functionalrelationspodcast.libsyn.com/s1e4-punishment-and-its-fallout

Jessel, J. (2018). Episode 66: Latency functional analyses with Dr. Joshua Jessel. Invited podcast recorded and produced by ABA Inside Track. https://www.abainsidetrack.com/get-ceus/episode-66-latency-fas

Jessel, J., & MacDowell, P. (2024). Designing and Implementing Different Variations of the Practical Functional Assessment. Workshop presented at Family of Kidz, Long Island, New York.

Jessel, J. (2024). Practical Functional Assessment and Skill-Based Treatment: Introduction and Design Training. Workshop presented as a Behavior University Webinar.

Jessel, J. (2022). Scientific advances in the functional assessment of problem behavior. Workshop presented at Avaliação Funcional Prática (IISCA) e intervenção para Comportamentos-Problema, Luna Educação Conference in Curitiba, Brazil.

Jessel, J. (2022). Scientific advances in the treatment of problem behavior. Workshop presented at Avaliação Funcional Prática (IISCA) e intervenção para Comportamentos-Problema, Luna Educação Conference in Curitiba, Brazil.

Jessel, J. (2021). When is a functional analysis of problem behavior necessary? Pragmatic Boundaries and Practical Solutions. Workshop presented virtually at Practical Behavior Analysis, LLC.