Janani Vaidya, M.S., BCBA, LBA (IL), IBA
Title:
Assistant Professor, Mentorship Coordinator, Applied Behavior Analysis Programs
Programs/Classes Taught:
- ABA 500 Concepts and Principles in Applied Behavior Analysis
- ABA 512 Verbal Behavior
- ABA 516 Radical Behaviorism
- ABA 517 Experimental Analysis of Behavior
- ABA 520 Supervision and Training in Applied Behavior Analysis
Areas of Expertise:
- Applied Behavior Analysis
- Interbehaviorism
- Constructional Approach and Nonlinear Contingency Analysis
- Sexuality and Gender
- Consent and Assent
- Cultural Humility and Cultural Responsiveness
- Supervision and Staff Training
- Clinical Behavior Analysis
Biography:
Janani Vaidya, M.S., BCBA, LBA (IL), IBA (they/them) received their Masters in Applied Behavior Analysis from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology in 2015. Their applied experience is in providing behavior analytic services to adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities in residential, day program, and community settings. Janani's research and dissemination efforts utilize a constructional and contextual approach to support clients, staff, and behavior analysis. They have conducted this work in the areas of sexual behavior and gender, consent and assent-based practice, clinical behavior analysis, supervision and staff training, and cultural humility and cultural responsiveness, to name a few. Janani’s work has been published in a variety of peer-reviewed outlets, including Behavior Analysis and Social Issues, Behavior Analysis in Practice, and Frontiers in Psychology. As a researcher, they are affiliated with the Louisiana Contextual Science Research Group and the Assent Lab. As faculty at National Louis University, Janani serves as mentorship coordinator of the ABA programs, guiding students in building core professional skills and navigating personal-professional contexts as part of their graduate training. Since 2024, Janani is also a student in the PhD in Community Psychology program at NLU.
Education:
M.S., Applied Behavior Analysis, The Chicago School of Professional Psychology, Chicago, US
P.G. Diploma, Counseling, SIES College of Arts, Science, and Commerce, Mumbai, India
B.Sc., Psychology, Ethiraj College for Women, Chennai, India
Selected Publications:
Vaidya, J., as Louisiana Contextual Science Research Group (2023). Promoting appetitive learning of consensual, empowered vulnerability: A contextual behavioral conceptualization of intimacy. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, 1200452. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023
Sandoz, E. K., Vaidya, J., Smith, B. M., Campbell, J., & Kellum, K. K. (2023). Building values-consistent repertoires of gender marginalized academics. In R. A. Rehfeldt, E. Rassmussen, & T. Cihon (Editors). Women in behavior science (pp. 55-82). Routledge.
Vaidya, J., as Louisiana Contextual Science Research Group (2021). Beyond “yes means yes”: A behavioral conceptualization of affirmative sexual consent. Behavior and Social Issues, 30, 712-731. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42822-021-00066-y
Levy, S., Siebold, A., Vaidya, J., Truchon, M. M., Dettmering, J., & Mittelman, C. (2021). A look in the mirror: How the field of behavior analysis can become anti-racist. Behavior Analysis in Practice, 15, 1112–1125. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-021-00630-3
Leland, W., Stockwell, A., & Vaidya, J. (2021). Supporting ontogenic and cultural compassion building for the LGBTQ2IA community. In J. Sadavoy & M. Zube (Editors). A scientific framework for compassion and social justice (pp. 180-186). Routledge.
Contact Information: jvaidya@nl.edu
