Gabriela Calderon came to UTSA to learn how to help children with autism manage social settings.
(Oct. 25, 2017) -- Meet Gabriela Calderon. The master’s student came to UTSA to study Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA), an approach that is making a world of difference in the lives of children with autism.
Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects one in 68 children and is characterized by social and communication delays or deficits, and restricted and repetitive behaviors. Youth with autism often experience challenges socially, in school and with feeding.
To help children with autism manage social settings, Board Certified Behavioral Analysts (BCBAs) use ABA, an evidence-based approach, to maximize learning in ways that other instructional approaches typically cannot achieve.
Calderon became intrigued with ABA through her volunteer work. For five consecutive summers, she has been an assistant in the Laredo-based “Superheroes Social Skills” program. The special education program teaches social skills that can be used in a variety of settings to children and teens with autism.
“I’ve always wanted to work with challenging behaviors. Once I learned about Applied Behavioral Analysis and what it was all about, it called me,” said Calderon. “Board Certified Behavior Analysts are really good at assessing and treating challenging behavior.”
As Calderon was finishing up her bachelor’s degree and preparing to teach, she began looking for graduate programs in ABA. Her search led her to UTSA and the Department of Interdisciplinary Learning and Teaching.
Today, Calderon is a graduate research assistant in the university’s TEAM Autism Research Center, where she is pursuing an intensive practicum and conducting research to assist UTSA Assistant Professor of Special Education Bryant Silbaugh.
Together, Calderon and Silbaugh are laying the groundwork for Project FEED, a new clinic at UTSA that will help children with autism who are experiencing clinically significant feeding disorders. Leading up to the launch of the clinic, Calderon is reviewing the scientific literature. Once the clinic opens and new treatment studies get underway, she will work with undergraduate UTSA students to collect and graph behavioral data as they learn about the effects of the treatments.
“Something I like about my intensive practicum is that I get new experiences every day,” said Calderon. “As a graduate research assistant, I have learned new concepts about feeding disorders and how to incorporate ABA into feeding treatments. I am excited to continue learning more about the correlation between autism and feeding through hands-on opportunities as I work toward my master’s degree over the next two years.”
Once Calderon earns her degree and her BCBA certification, she will join a much-needed group of professionals trained to serve youth with autism.
In Bexar County alone, families have been known to wait for more than a year to see health care professionals trained in ABA.
Do you know a Roadrunner who is achieving great things? Email us at social@utsa.edu so that we may consider your suggestion for our next installment of Meet a Roadrunner.
Learn more about the Silbaugh Behavior Research Group and UTSA’s TEAM Autism Research Center.
Stay up to date on autism-related education and research at UTSA (@abaatutsa).
Connect with UTSA online at Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram and LinkedIn.
UTSA Today is produced by University Communications and Marketing, the official news source of The University of Texas at San Antonio. Send your feedback to news@utsa.edu. Keep up-to-date on UTSA news by visiting UTSA Today. Connect with UTSA online at Facebook, Twitter, Youtube and Instagram.
The UTSA Office of Undergraduate is proud to celebrate National Undergraduate Research with an annual event sponsored by the (OUR) featuring students will showcase undergraduate student research and creative endeavors from all disciplines across campus.
Various LocationsDía en la Sombrilla, formerly Fiesta UTSA, is a festival hosted each spring as a part of Fiesta® San Antonio events. Sponsored by Roadrunner Productions, the event features music, food, confetti, games, event t-shirts, and more.
Sombrilla Plaza and Central Plaza, Main CampusFiesta Arts Fair features contemporary art from more than 100 artists from across the U.S., Fiesta favorite foods, drinks, live music by local and regional performers, and a Young Artists Garden providing opportunities for budding artists to learn, explore and express their creativity.
UTSA Southwest CampusJoin the PEACE Center and Wellbeing Services for Denim Day, a day of learning about the importance of consent and why we wear denim on the last Wednesday of the month each April during Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Stop by our Denim Day display to take a photo in front of our Denim Wall, spin the "Is It Consent?" Wheel, and get a Concha or goodie.
Student Union Window Lounge, Main CampusLearn to use Zotero®, a citation manager that can help you store and organize citations you find during your research. Zotero can generate bibliographies in various styles, insert in-text citations and allow you to share sources with collaborators.
Virtual EventCelebrate the accomplishments of College of Education and Human Development, College for Health, Community and Policy, College of Sciences and University College.
AlamodomeCelebrate the accomplishments of Alvarez College of Business, College of Liberal and Fine Arts and Klesse College of Engineering and Integrated Design.
AlamodomeThe University of Texas at San Antonio is dedicated to the advancement of knowledge through research and discovery, teaching and learning, community engagement and public service. As an institution of access and excellence, UTSA embraces multicultural traditions and serves as a center for intellectual and creative resources as well as a catalyst for socioeconomic development and the commercialization of intellectual property - for Texas, the nation and the world.
To be a premier public research university, providing access to educational excellence and preparing citizen leaders for the global environment.
We encourage an environment of dialogue and discovery, where integrity, excellence, inclusiveness, respect, collaboration and innovation are fostered.
UTSA is a proud Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) as designated by the U.S. Department of Education .
The University of Texas at San Antonio, a Hispanic Serving Institution situated in a global city that has been a crossroads of peoples and cultures for centuries, values diversity and inclusion in all aspects of university life. As an institution expressly founded to advance the education of Mexican Americans and other underserved communities, our university is committed to promoting access for all. UTSA, a premier public research university, fosters academic excellence through a community of dialogue, discovery and innovation that embraces the uniqueness of each voice.
