ABOUT DR. JULIE BOWEN

Ginger Rhode is the deputy superintendent for academic achievement in the Canyons School District in Sandy, Utah. Previous assignments in other school districts have included director of special education, director of federal and state programs, elementary school principal, junior high school vice principal, and teacher in elementary and secondary classrooms for severe behavior disordered/emotionally disturbed students.

Dr. Rhode is an adjunct faculty member at the University of Utah in the Educational Psychology Department. She has taught numerous university classes and has published many books, journal articles, book chapters, and professional papers. Her main areas of interest and expertise include classroom and schoolwide management, social skills training, generalization and maintenance of behavior, legal issues affecting students with disabilities, and providing a rigorous academic environment for all students.

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ABOUT DR. ELAINE CLARK

Dr. Elaine Clark is a professor and chair of the Department of Educational Psychology at the University of Utah, where she has been a faculty member since 1983. The major focus of Dr. Clark’s research is low-incidence disabilities, in particular children and adolescents with autism and traumatic brain injuries who have serious behavioral and psychological problems. She has co-authored articles, chapters, and books and is the principal investigator on two projects funded by the U.S. Department of Education to prepare school psychology practitioners and faculty who have expert knowledge in the area of autism spectrum disorders. Dr. Clark has been recognized for her service to children with disabilities and the preparation of school personnel to work with these and other school-age populations. Most recently, she was recognized by the Council of Directors of School Psychology Programs for significant and sustained contributions to the field and given the Jack Bardon Distinguished Service Award by APA’s Division 16. Dr. Clark has a Ph.D. in School Psychology from Michigan State University and another one from Brigham Young University in Clinical Psychology (neuropsychology specialization).  

ABOUT DR. HEIDI BLOCK

Heidi Block has worked with children on the autism spectrum and their families for more than twelve years in clinical, educational, and research settings. She has been involved with both the development and implementation of social skills training programs. Her research interests in autism include adult outcomes, assessment, and evidence-based treatments. 

ABOUT TERISA GABRIELSON

Terisa Gabrielsen is a doctoral candidate in School Psychology at the University of Utah. After 25 years of teaching business at the community college level, Terisa changed fields and has focused her research on screening toddlers for early identification of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) through their pediatricians. She has recently been working with interdisciplinary leadership teams of medical and other professionals to improve standards of care for children with ASD, including health care provider training. Terisa has also teamed with university psychologists and graduate students to develop and deliver social skills treatment programs for elementary and secondary students. 

ABOUT JULIA HOOD

Julia Hood is a doctoral candidate in School Psychology at the University of Utah. She is currently a school psychologist intern for Granite School District, where she works in elementary and secondary schools and oversees autism assessment and qualification as co-chair of the autism team for the district.  She has worked with students in self-contained settings, resource settings, and general education.  She has been using Superheroes Social Skills in her elementary school in small groups and also for classwide instruction in general education and self-contained classrooms.

ABOUT BENJAMIN SPRINGER

Space Lieutenant Springer has been battling super villains in Sector 13 since the great Android Revolution of 2616. His spaceship, the Unicorn of Destiny, boasts light speed and a full armory of laser cannons and time warps. In his free time, he visits the blue moons of the Milky Way and challenges intergalactic gladiators to feats of strength and endurance. When not traveling the galaxy, Lieutenant Springer moonlights as a school psychologist and behavior specialist in the state of Utah. He has a Master’s degree in School Psychology and is currently a doctoral candidate in the School Psychology program at the University of Utah. Lieutenant Springer is married and has three beautiful children. In addition to these cosmic achievements, Lieutenant Springer also provided all of the illustrations for the Superheroes Social Skills program.

ABOUT KEITH RADLEY

Keith Radley is a doctoral candidate in School Psychology at the University of Utah.  He has extensive experience implementing positive behavior interventions and supports and working with students with challenging behaviors within the public school system. Keith has also taught substance abuse prevention classes at the high school level. He has presented social skills classes at a specialized school for children with ASD and has trained teachers and parents on social skills curriculum implementation. In the future, he looks forward to researching effective ways of incorporating parents as partners in social skills training.