ABA Journey at Holy Family
LEARN ABOUT ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF PSYCHOLOGY KATHARINE CROCE’S PATH TO BECOMING AN EXPERT IN APPLIED BEHAVIOR ANALYSIS
You might be wondering how a program in applied behavior analysis finds its way to Holy Family University and how students find their way into behavior analysis. Get ready for the ride to learn about that journey!
As an undergraduate student, majoring in psychology and criminal justice, at La Salle University, I studied hard, loved what I was learning with inspiring professors, and my plan was to work with juvenile delinquents. Growing up, I was fascinated why some of the kids (good, kind, popular) made detrimental choices that resulted in an unproductive pathway. That was my why - to understand the causes and how I could affect change.
In the summer of 2003 before my senior year, I looked to get job experience in my field, finding a tiny posting in the newspaper classifieds (which is where you found jobs then) that only said “Psychology and Education majors call this number.” As an enthusiastic 20-year-old I called the number and spoke to a mother with two children under the age of three, diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), starting an in-home applied behavior analysis (ABA) program. That summer changed my life as I witnessed miraculous transformation in those children from ABA therapy. The boy I worked with went from being someone who didn’t speak but screamed and cried for most of the day to someone who started speaking, becoming more independent each day. I could see the significant impact this had not only on him but also his family, allowing them to do the things that we all take for granted, such as going to the park or grocery store, even attending preschool. I returned to school in the fall with a slightly different goal, to learn more about behavior analysis and ASD and to help others know the impact ABA could have.
During my senior year, I had an internship at St. Gabriel’s Hall in Audubon, a home for adjudicated youth to serve their sentence, and receive treatment and education to transform into productive citizens. As a part of their dismissal, students completed a culminating project. One of the students’ presentations was about the Philadelphia SEPTA trains. It was an amazing presentation; he was an encyclopedia, knowing everything there was to know about the trains, answering any question. He was at St. Gabe’s after taking a joy ride on a SEPTA train, having made a model of the SEPTA system and learning the schedule and exactly when conductors would get on and off. This intense hyper-focused interest sounded like what I was learning about ASD. But it was unlikely that diagnosis was on anyone’s radar, as awareness for ASD was just beginning. Remembering my why, my curiosity grew about behavior analysis. If this boy had received ABA services, would it have changed his trajectory?
Upon graduation, I started my master’s at Temple University in behavior analysis. I was fortunate to have Dr. Saul Axelrod and Dr. Phil Hineline among my mentors, instilling in me the basic foundations of behavioral principles (and a passion for self-monitoring) that I was able to put into practice through practicum experiences.
My first practicum was at the Bucks County Intermediate Unit #22 with board certified behavior analyst, Dr. Kelly McElrath, learning about supporting students with ASD in school settings utilizing ABA. It was this experience, being trained by a once-in-a-lifetime mentor and role model who I still look up to this day, that made me the board certified behavior analyst that I am today.
While working with Kelly at the IU, I learned about her mentor Dr. Joseph Lalli whom she worked with at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s Biobehavioral Unit at Children’s Seashore House (the ‘place to be’ back in the day in Philadelphia to learn about and be trained in applied behavior analysis). Not only did Dr. McElrath work with Dr. Lalli, but they also worked with Holy Family’s Dr. Maria Agnew ’90. Dr. Lalli worked at Children’s Seashore House until 1999, when he joined the faculty at Holy Family.
Soon after, Dr. Agnew was recruited by Dr. Claire Ann Sullivan, who had been her advisor at Holy Family during her undergraduate program in special education. Dr. Agnew and Dr. Lalli wanted to replicate the work that they did at Seashore House at Holy Family. Dr. Lalli was a beloved mentor, teacher, colleague, brilliant researcher, and an avid Philadelphia sports fan, with an incredible sense of humor, whose tenure was sadly shortened by an unexpected cancer diagnosis to which he succumbed in 2001. However, in his short time at Holy Family, he laid the foundation for what is now the ABA minor and the newly launched master’s degree in applied behavior analysis. Another part of the journey!
During my time with Dr. McElrath, I was introduced to Dr. Agnew, who was developing the first ever course in ASD at Holy Family, designed to help teacher education candidates prepare to support uniquely abled learners. Dr. Agnew accepted my request to join her as an intern to help build and teach the course content of this course. I was so grateful for the opportunity not only to share my knowledge about ASD with others, but also to learn the ins and outs of being a college-level instructor. It was bittersweet when that experience ended, but it sparked a new passion in me that I didn’t know existed. After that, I jumped on every chance I had to train and teach others.
Dr. Agnew helped to fulfill Dr. Lalli’s vision of the minor in applied behavior analysis and championed the program to ensure all graduates were leading the way in supporting students with ASD. Throughout the years Dr. Agnew and I stayed in touch, supporting each other’s endeavors, with our circles running parallel, until the winter of 2023 when a position for a psychology professor opened at Holy Family and our worlds reconnected. Not only did I have the exciting opportunity to come back to where it all started for me, it felt I had come full circle as the University asked me to take the lead on developing a master’s program in behavior analysis! A match made in heaven for me!
Over the past 18 months we have been building a master’s of science in behavior analysis and a 4+1 program where undergraduates can continue on and earn their master’s degree one year after completion of their undergraduate program. At the core, we strive to cultivate a community of compassionate and competent behavioral practitioners.
Through hands-on instruction, mentoring, and supervision, we will empower our students to integrate the principles of behavior into both practice and research, while prioritizing the well-being of professionals. Our goal is to equip graduates with the skills and knowledge necessary to design behavioral programs that affect positive, socially significant outcomes in the world.
Uniquely, the program is offered through dynamic, interactive, synchronous online instruction, blending the best instructional modalities into a completely virtual world, feeling more like a traditional classroom. Students develop a sense of community with their faculty and peers through the intersection of synergizing instruction and meaningful collaboration and discussion, all from the comfort of their own home.
Consistent with Holy Family’s tradition of teneor votis (I am bound by my responsibilities), students are inspired to advocate for social justice, shape public policy and witness to the dignity of each person and the oneness of the human family. Behavior analysts, too, are “bound by their responsibilities” ensuring the highest quality of care for the clients they support, by providing compassionate, evidenced-based interventions that lead to an improved quality of life. At its core, the goal of behavior analysts is to help clients improve their lives by changing behaviors that are barriers to achieving their goals.
The mission of teneor votis is what led me to Holy Family, guiding us to build this program as a tribute to Dr. Joe Lalli’s incredible legacy. It is also an honor to help bring to life the ABA program that Dr. Maria Agnew has so passionately championed over the years. Our deepest hope is to inspire the next generation of behavior analysts—empowering them to elevate the field, push the boundaries of our science, and become true agents of change for those who need our support the most.
Though our journeys have taken us in different directions, our foundation began at Holy Family. Like a guiding light, it calls us back—because family is forever. No matter where life takes you, the mentorship, love, and support of this community remain with you every step of the way. And sometimes, that journey leads you right back home, where Holy Family is always ready to welcome you with open arms.
Lifelong learning and mentorship are at the heart of who we are, and we are committed to passing that legacy on to the next generation of behavior analysts. Are you ready to make a difference in the world through behavior analysis? Discover how Holy Family University can help you achieve your goals and create meaningful change.