About Us
Affiliated Faculty
Wen-Hsuan Chang, PhD
Projects: C2C
Julie L. Thompson, PhD, BCBA-D
Julie L. Thompson, PhD, BCBA-D, is an Associate Professor of Special Education, Behavioral Learning INterventions in Children (BLINC) Lab Director; Core Faculty Member of the Texas A&M University Institute for Early Childhood Development and Education; and Affiliated Faculty Member of the Center on Disability and Development at Texas A&M University. Julie’s work as a classroom teacher for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) gave her insight into the layered complexities of providing adequate education to individuals with ASD in public schools.
Julie’s BLINC lab uses mixed-methods research to specialize in two areas: academic instruction for students with profound autism and/or intellectual disabilities AND preventing and teaching replacement behaviors to students with interfering problem behaviors in the classroom, in order to support inclusion, communication, independence, and lifelong fulfillment. Julie has been PI on seven externally funded awards totaling $3,864,799 and Co-PI four externally funded awards totaling $30.14 million. Julie has 22 peer-reviewed publications, 58 peer-reviewed presentations, and has chaired or co-chaired 15 doctoral students.
Laci Watkins, PhD, BCBA-D
Laci Watkins, PhD, BCBA-D, is an Associate Professor of Educational Psychology. A former special educator, her research advances inclusive opportunities for autistic children in schools and communities. Her work focuses on play, social interaction, and peer-mediated strategies; naturalistic interventions; strengthening teacher use of evidence-based practices; and improving methods for analyzing single case experimental design research.
Dr. Watkins is also the director of the CONNECT lab group, which is dedicated to promoting inclusion for autistic children by focusing on communication, peer relationships, and social participation. Our research emphasizes actionable strategies that empower educators, families, and communities to create equitable learning environments and to create lasting impact by translating science into everyday practice.
Dr. Watkins is affiliated with the Texas A&M Institute for Early Childhood Development & Education and the Center on Disability & Development. Her work has been supported by organizations including the Texas Workforce Commission, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, and the U.S. Department of Education. She also serves an associate editor of the Journal of Developmental and Physical Disabilities.
Erinn Whiteside, PhD, BCBA-D, LBA
Dr. Erinn Whiteside is currently a Clinical Associate Professor of Special Education at Texas A&M University, where she has worked since 2019. She received her Ph.D. in Special Education with an emphasis in Applied Behavior Analysis and College Teaching from the University of Georgia in 2019. Erinn teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in special education teacher preparation and applied behavior analysis. Additionally, she provides professional development to special education teachers and paraprofessionals across Texas. Her research focuses on special education teacher preparation, autism, intellectual disability, and small group instruction.
Erinn is part of an amazing undergraduate team that was awarded the Chancellor’s Academy of Teacher Educators award in 2023, and whose work on multi-tiered systems of support for special education pre-service teachers was published in the Journal of Special Education Preparation. Since joining the faculty at Texas A&M, Erinn has won several teaching and community awards, such as the Association of Former Students College-Level Teaching Award. As a Co-PI she has received over $7 million in internal and external funding, all with an emphasis on personnel preparation and support. Additionally, Erinn has 11 peer-reviewed publications, 24 peer-reviewed presentations, and has chaired or co-chaired 5 doctoral students.
Projects: TAPP
Megan Golson, PhD
Megan Golson, PhD, LP, is an Assistant Professor of School Psychology at Texas A&M University. Dr. Golson and her lab employ mixed-methods research to investigate two areas: 1) practices and tools to identify autism in children and 2) knowledge and training regarding autism in lay and professional populations. Her professional ambitions are to improve the accuracy and equity of autism identification and increase autism knowledge and awareness across populations. Dr. Golson has over 23 peer-reviewed publications and 28 conference presentations at the regional, national, and international level.