About Jessica Minahan, Ph.D., BCBA

Jessica Minahan, Ph.D., BCBA, LABA, is a licensed and board-certified behavior analyst, author, special educator, and consultant to schools internationally.  Since 2000 she has worked with students who struggle with mental health issues and challenging behavior in public school systems.  She specializes in training staff and creating behavior intervention plans for students who demonstrate explosive and unsafe behavior. She also works with students with emotional and behavioral disabilities, anxiety disorders, trauma histories, and Autism. Her particular interest is to serve these students by combining behavioral interventions with a comprehensive knowledge of best practices for those with complex mental health profiles and learning needs.

She is a blogger on The Huffington Post, the author of The Behavior Code: A Practical Guide to Understanding and Teaching the Most Challenging Students with Nancy Rappaport (Harvard Education Press, 2012), and the author of The Behavior Code Companion: Strategies, Tools, and Interventions for Supporting Students with Anxiety-Related or Oppositional Behaviors (Harvard Education Press, 2014).

She holds a Ph.D. in Education from Lesley University, a BS in Intensive Special Education from Boston University, and a dual master’s degree in Special Education and Elementary Education from Wheelock College. She has a certificate of graduate study (CGS) in teaching children with Autism from the University of Albany and received her BCBA training from Northeastern University in Boston. She is sought-after internationally to speak on subjects ranging from effective interventions for students with anxiety to supporting hard-to-reach students in full-inclusion public school settings.

Highest Degree Earned/Additional Certifications

• Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
  Education (Mental Health Best Practices) 
• Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA)
• Licensed Behavior Analyst
• Massachusetts Certification, Professional
  Teacher of Students with Special Needs (preK – 9)
• Massachusetts Certification, Professional
  Elementary Education (1-6)
• Massachusetts Certification, Professional
  Intensive Special Needs (All levels)
• Massachusetts Certification, Professional
  Early Childhood (PreK-3)
• Wilson Reading Certification, Level 1
• Special Education Administration, All    Levels, Initial