Who We Are
Charis Lauren Wahman is an assistant professor of special education and a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst-Doctoral (BCBA-D). She is also affiliated faculty in School Psychology. Her research primarily focuses on training early childhood teachers on evidence-based practices within the framework of Positive Behavior Supports (PBS) to stop suspension and expulsion of preschool children and family-centered practices.
Karen Houston is a first year PhD student in Special Education, with a focus in Early Childhood Mental Health and Behavior. She graduated with her Master of Arts in Behavior Analysis from the University of North Texas in 2020, and obtained her Bachelors of Science in Communication Sciences and Disorders from The University of Texas at Austin in 2018. Currently, Karen is a BCBA supervisor for Master's level ABA students and works on various research projects relating to social-emotional wellbeing of early childhood students, suspension and expulsion of preschool children, and training paraprofessionals who work with students in early childhood special education classrooms.
Sylvia Piskorowski is a second-year graduate student in the Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) program at Michigan State University. In 2021, she graduated from MSU with a degree in Psychology and a minor in Youth and Society. She has spent two years working at the Early Learning Institute at MSU providing direct ABA services to children with autism, and she is excited to be a part of this lab to broaden her horizons to the Lansing Public Schools! Her MA thesis will investigate the use of PECS to increase communication and decrease inefficient behaviors in kids with ASD.
Mallory Haynie is a first-year graduate student in the Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) program at Michigan State University. In 2022, she graduated from Grand Valley State University with a B.S. in Psychology and a Minor in Sociology. She participated in research at Grand Valley State University during her undergraduate degree. She is intrigued by the nuances of social interactions between young children with intellectual and developmental disabilities.