Stephen R. Anderson

Dr. Anderson is a child psychologist and board-certified behavior analyst with more than 40 years of experience. Prior to joining Summit in 1995, he worked for The May Institute in Boston, MA, as Vice President and Director of Transitional Services. He also held several positions at the Kansas Neurological Institute in Topeka, KS.

Dr. Anderson has played an integral role in advancing research and intervention with individuals with autism. Beginning with his landmark study in 1987, Dr. Anderson replicated and extended the seminal work of Dr. Ivar Lovaas which forever changed the way in which providers work with children with autism and provided the platform for providing evidence-based treatment for children with autism. He has served as Adjunct Assistant Professor at a number of colleges and universities including the University of Kansas, Northeastern University, the State University of New York at Buffalo, and Buffalo State College. He has published journal articles, book chapters, and one book on the education and treatment of people with autism or other developmental disabilities.

He is active in and has held several leadership roles on local, state, and national advisory boards as well as professional organizations including the Association of Professional Behavior Analysts (APBA), Council on Autism Services, and New York State Association for Behavior Analysis. He played an instrumental role in developing the New York State Clinical Practice Guidelines which continue to guide and influence treatment for young children with autism throughout New York and has influenced practice nationally as well. He worked with national professional agencies, including, Autism Speaks and APBA to advocate for healthcare reform, autism insurance, and licensure for behavior analysts.

Since Dr. Anderson’s arrival at Summit in 1995, the organization has experienced tremendous growth. Summit established Western New York’s first intensive diagnostic clinic for Autism Spectrum Disorders. Dr. Anderson initiated Summit’s Early Autism Program (EAP), the first of its kind in Western New York, which provides intensive, one-on-one intervention and has improved the lives of hundreds of children and their families who deal with the challenge of autism every day. He developed various consulting services within Summit to provide behavioral training and support to school districts throughout Western New York. Under Dr. Anderson’s direction, Summit began providing OPWDD (Office of People with Developmental Disabilities) services which now support more than 800 individuals and their families.