Neurodevelopmental conditions are complex, highly individualized, and often misunderstood. Autism Spectrum Disorder, ADHD/ADD, learning disabilities, intellectual disability, executive dysfunction, language-based difficulties, memory weaknesses, Tourette syndrome, and related developmental profiles rarely present in a simple or isolated way. Accurate understanding requires far more than a checklist, a brief observation, or a single test score. It requires expertise in development, learning, behavior, cognition, communication, adaptive functioning, and the many ways brain-behavior differences appear across children, adolescents, and adults.
This webinar series is designed to give BCBAs, psychologists, educators, school professionals, clinicians, and related service providers a deeper understanding of neurodevelopmental assessment through the combined lenses of educational psychology, clinical neuropsychology, and applied behavior analysis.
Dr. Vanetta LaRosa brings a rare and highly specialized background to this training. She is a Licensed Psychologist, Licensed Behavior Analyst, and Board Certified Behavior Analyst at the doctoral level. Her doctorate is in Educational Psychology, with a focus on human learning and development. She completed a postdoctoral respecialization certification in clinical neuropsychology, along with advanced professional training in neuropsychological assessment and interpretation.
With more than 25 years of clinical, educational, and behavioral experience, Dr. LaRosa has developed deep expertise in Autism Spectrum Disorder, ADHD/ADD, learning disabilities, intellectual disability, executive dysfunction, and complex neurodevelopmental profiles. Her work bridges the gap between diagnosis and real-world intervention, helping professionals understand not only what diagnosis may be present, but how an individual learns, communicates, processes information, regulates behavior, adapts to the environment, and functions in daily life.
This series is further strengthened by the contribution of Dr. Elkhonon Goldberg, Ph.D., ABPP-CN, a world-renowned clinical neuropsychologist and cognitive neuroscientist. Dr. Goldberg is internationally recognized for his work on frontal lobe functions, executive functioning, memory, hemispheric specialization, and brain-behavior relationships. His teaching offers a neuropsychologically focused look at Autism Spectrum Disorder, memory-based learning difficulties, executive dysfunction, ADHD/ADD, Tourette syndrome, and related conditions. His scientific contributions have helped advance understanding of the frontal lobes, memory, hemispheric specialization, and functional cortical organization.
Together, Dr. Goldberg and Dr. LaRosa offer a powerful bridge for the field of ABA. Dr. Goldberg provides the neuropsychological and brain-based foundation, while Dr. LaRosa translates those concepts into applied behavior-analytic, educational, diagnostic, and treatment-planning implications. This collaboration gives professionals a richer model for understanding how brain systems, learning history, executive functions, memory, reinforcement, behavior, and assessment data come together in real-world clinical and educational practice.
Although this series addresses a broad range of neurodevelopmental profiles, Autism Spectrum Disorder remains a central focus because of its increasing prevalence and its frequent overlap with other developmental, cognitive, behavioral, and psychiatric concerns. Current CDC ADDM Network data estimate that approximately 1 in 31 eight-year-old children in monitored U.S. communities were identified with Autism Spectrum Disorder, based on 2022 surveillance data published in 2025. This reflects an increase from the prior estimate of 1 in 36 based on 2020 data.
Autism Spectrum Disorder is defined in the DSM-5-TR as involving persistent differences in social communication and social interaction, along with restricted or repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, or activities. These may include differences in social reciprocity, nonverbal communication, peer relationships, flexibility, sensory processing, repetitive behaviors, and focused interests. These characteristics must cause clinically meaningful impairment and cannot be better explained by intellectual disability or global developmental delay alone.
High-quality assessment matters because neurodevelopmental conditions frequently overlap. A child may present with autism and ADHD, ADHD and a learning disability, intellectual disability with autism-like features, anxiety that masks or exaggerates social difficulties, or executive dysfunction that disrupts learning and behavior across settings. Without careful assessment, professionals may misinterpret the function of behavior, miss underlying cognitive or language weaknesses, or develop interventions that do not match the individual’s actual learning profile.
A strong evaluation does not rely on one score, one observation, or one instrument. Best-practice assessment uses a comprehensive, multi-method approach that may include developmental history, caregiver interview, record review, direct clinical observation, standardized testing, adaptive behavior assessment, rating scales, cognitive and language measures, and professional clinical judgment. In autism evaluations specifically, standardized tools such as the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, Second Edition, or ADOS-2, provide structured opportunities to observe autism-related behaviors in a systematic and evidence-based way. The ADOS-2 supports diagnostic decision-making but should not be used as the sole basis for diagnosis.
In these webinars, participants will learn not only what standardized tools measure, but why those findings matter. Dr. LaRosa explains how assessment data can be connected to diagnosis, treatment planning, educational recommendations, service eligibility, behavior plans, parent guidance, and individualized intervention. The training highlights how cognitive, language, memory, executive functioning, sensory, behavioral, and adaptive profiles shape the way individuals function in real life.
What makes this webinar series different is its integration of clinical neuropsychology and ABA. Rather than treating diagnoses as labels, the series shows how assessment findings can guide meaningful intervention. Professionals will gain a clearer understanding of how neuropsychological concepts such as executive functioning, working memory, processing speed, inhibition, cognitive flexibility, attention, emotional regulation, and learning efficiency can inform ABA programming, school supports, and treatment decisions.
These webinars are especially valuable for BCBAs, psychologists, school psychologists, special educators, clinicians, teachers, service coordinators, and related professionals who want to move beyond surface-level descriptions of autism, ADHD, learning disabilities, and developmental disorders. The goal is to help professionals understand the individual behind the diagnosis and translate assessment findings into meaningful supports.
Accurate neurodevelopmental assessment opens the door to appropriate services. Poorly understood or incomplete assessment can delay support, misdirect treatment, overlook important needs, or lead to interventions that do not fit the individual’s learning and behavioral profile. Through this training, participants will learn why thoughtful, evidence-based assessment is essential and how expert interpretation can make the difference between a diagnosis that simply labels an individual and an evaluation that truly guides care.
This webinar series offers professionals the opportunity to learn from two experts whose work comes together in a uniquely valuable way for the field of ABA. Dr. Goldberg brings internationally recognized expertise in clinical neuropsychology, brain-behavior relationships, memory, executive functions, and neurodevelopmental disorders. Dr. LaRosa brings doctoral-level expertise in educational psychology, clinical neuropsychology training, applied behavior analysis, autism assessment, and real-world intervention planning. Together, they provide a framework that helps professionals understand neurodevelopmental conditions not only as diagnoses, but as complex learning and behavioral profiles requiring thoughtful assessment, individualized interpretation, and meaningful support.
References
American Psychiatric Association. (2022). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, Text Revision (DSM-5-TR), 5(5). https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.books.9780890425787
Lord, C., Rutter, M., DiLavore, P. C., Risi, S., Gotham, K., & Bishop, S. L. (2012). Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, Second Edition (ADOS-2): Manual (Modules 1–4). Western Psychological Services.
Shaw, K. A., Williams, S., Patrick, M. E., et al. (2025). Prevalence and early identification of autism spectrum disorder among children aged 4 and 8 years — Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network, 16 sites, United States, 2022. MMWR Surveillance Summaries, 74(2), 1–22. https://doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.ss7402a1