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Department of Psychology: academic staff

Office Rm. 1025, NEB
Telephone (+353) 091 493457
E-mail olive.healynuigalway.ie

Dr. Olive Healy, BA, PhD, BCBA-D

Olive graduated from University College Cork with PhD and BA degrees. She is a certified Behaviour Analyst with the Behaviour Analyst Certification Board with over 10 years of experience in the application of behaviour analysis to the treatment of developmental disorders and intellectual disability.
In 1998, Olive was responsible for opening and directing the first government funded ABA school for the treatment of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in Ireland. She has been involved in the establishment of four additional treatment centres for ASD using ABA as the primary educational intervention. Olive has treated young children and adolescents with differential diagnoses of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Asperger Syndrome (AS), Landau-Klefner Syndrome, Retts Disorder, Intellectual Disability (ID), Visual Impairment and Acquired Brain Injury.
Olive lectures on the MSc and structured PhD programmes in Applied Behaviour Analysis which prepare students to become expert practitioners who can work effectively within systems to improve the quality of services in the fields of intellectual and developmental disabilities, education, rehabilitation and mental health.

Research Interests

Olive Healy's research interests are in the following areas:

Evidence-based treatments and non-scientific practices in the treatment of autism spectrum disorder;
Behavioural procedures to increase socially significant behaviour and to decrease and eliminate challenging behaviour;
Longitudinal investigations of the effectiveness of applied behaviour analysis in the education and treatment of children with developmental disorders;
Large scale Irish studies to inform policy makers in the area of service design and appropriate intervention;
Use of bio-feedback mechanisms in the treatment of challenging behaviour;
Treatments of enuresis in multiple populations;
Validation of instruments for the identification of multiple behavioural excesses and deficits.
Assessment and treatment of severe problem behavior including Self-Injury;
Evaluation of behavioural curricula to improve reading abilities;
Investigations of the co-variation of variables within developmental disabilities;
Component analysis of behavioral interventions;
Precision teaching to evoke fluent repertoires in multiple populations and its effects on retention, performance and application;
Behavioural Interventions in the rehabilitation of persons with Acquried Brain Injury, Tourettes Syndrome and Emotional Behaviour Disturbance.

Publications

McTiernan, A., Leader, G. & Healy, O. (2011). Analysis of risk factors and early predictors of challenging behavior for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders.
Brosnan, J., & Healy, O. (2011). A review of behavioral interventions for the treatment of aggression in individuals with developmental disabilities. Research in Developmental Disabilities.
Duffy, C., & Healy, O. (2011). Spontaneous communication in autism spectrum disorder: A review of topographies and interventions. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders.
Devlin, S., Healy, O., Leader, G. & Hughes, B.M. (2010) Comparison of behavioral intervention and sensory-integration therapy in the treatment of challenging behavior. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders.
Lydon, H., Healy , O., & Leader, G. (2010). A comparison of Video Modeling and Pivotal Response Training to teach pretend play skills to children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders , (5), 872-884.
O’Connor A.B. & Healy, O. (2010). Long-term post-intensive behavioral intervention outcomes for five children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, (4), 594-604.
Healy, O. & Leader, G. (2010). Assessment of Rituals and Stereotypy. In J. L. Matson, & P. Sturmey (Eds.), International handbook of autism and pervasive developmental disorders. New York: Springer.
McGarrell, M., Healy, O., Leader, G., O' Connor, J., & Kenny, N. (2009). Six reports of children with autism spectrum disorder following intensive behavioural intervention using the Preschool Inventory of Repertoires for Kindergarten (PIRK). Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, (4), 594-604.
Healy, O., Leader, G., & Reed, P. (2009). Applied Behavior Analysis and the Treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorders in the Republic of Ireland. In Leon V. Berhardt (Ed.)., Advances in Medicine and Biology. Volume 8. Nova Science Publishers, Inc.
Murphy, O., Healy, O., & Leader, G., (2009). Risk factors for challenging behaviour for 157 children with autism spectrum disorder in Ireland. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 3, 474-482.
Leader, G. & Healy, O., o’ Connor, J. (2009). Early intensive behavioural intervention in the treatment of autism. In P. Reed & Osborne, L. (Eds.) Behavioral Theories and Interventions for Autism. Arnold: London.
Devlin, S., Leader, G., & Healy, O. (2009). Comparison of behavioral intervention and sensory-integration therapy in the treatment of self-injurious behaviour. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders 3, 223-231.
Grey I., Healy O., Leader, G., & Hayes, D (2009). Using a TIME TIMER to increase appropriate waiting behavior in a child with developmental disabilities. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 30, 359-366.
Murphy, O., Healy, O., & Leader, G., (2009). Risk factors for challenging behaviour for 157 children with autism spectrum disorder in Ireland. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 3, 474-482.
Lydon, H., Healy, O., Leader, G., & Keohane, D.D., (2008). The effects of intensive tact instruction on three verbal operants in non-instructional settings by two children with autism. Journal of Speech-Language Pathology and Applied Behavior Analysis, Special Issue, 35-46.
Devlin, S., Healy, O., Leader, G., & Reed, P. (2008). The analysis and treatment of problem behaviour evoked by auditory stimulation. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders 2, 671-680.
Healy, O., Leader, G., O' Connor, J., & Kenny, N. (2008). Three years of intensive applied behavior analysis: A case study. Journal of Early Intensive Behavioral Intervention, 4-22.
Healy, O., Leader, G., Honan, R., Leslie, J. & Cullinan, V. (2007). Statistical Outcomes and Best Practice: A Reply. The Irish Psychologist.
Healy, O., Greer, D., & Barnes-Holmes, D. (2003). The comprehensive application of behaviour analysis to schooling: A school wide approach to teaching. The Irish Psychologist, 30, , 21-23.
Greer, R.D., Keohane, D., Healy, O. (2002). Quality and applied behavior analysis. The Behavior Analyst Today, 3 (2) 120-132.
Barnes-Homes, Y., Barnes-Holmes, D., Roche, B., Healy, O., Lyddy, F., Cullinan,V., Hayes, S.C. (2001). Psychological development. In S. Hayes, D. Barnes-Holmes & B. Roche (Eds.), Relational frame theory: Creating an alternative behavioural agenda in language and cognition., Reno NV: Context Press.
Hayes, S.C., Fox, E,, Gifford, E., Wilson, K,, Barnes-Holmes, D., & Healy, O. (2001). Derived relational responding as learned behaviour. In S. Hayes, D. Barnes-Holmes & B. Roche (Eds.), Relational frame theory: Creating an alternative behavioural agenda in language and cognition. , Reno NV: Context Press.
Barnes, D., Healy, O. & Hayes, S. C., (2000). Relational frame theory and the relational evaluation procedure: Approaching human language as derived relational responding. In J. Leslie & D. Blackman (Eds.), Experimental and Applied Analysis of Human Behavior. , Reno NV: Context Press.
Healy, O., Barnes, D., & Smeets, P.M. (2000). Derived relational responding as generalized operant behaviour. Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 48, (3), , 511-537.
Healy, O., Barnes, D., & Smeets, P.M. (1998). Derived relational responding as an operant: The effects of between-session feedback. The Psychological Record, 74, 207-227.