Laura J. Hall, Ph.D., BCBA-D

Email

Primary Email: [email protected]

Phone/Fax

Primary Phone: 619-594-0768
Fax: 619-594-6628

Building/Location

North Education - 88
Mail Code: 1170

Bio

Laura J. Hall began her work as an educator working for the Princeton Child Development Institute shortly after graduation. The excellent training and coaching in the implementation of applied behavior analysis with learners with autism that she received from Drs. Krantz, McClannahan and Fenske inspired her to pursue further education. Under the supervision of Dr. Beth Sulzer-Azaroff she completed her dissertation focused on assisting parents of young children with disabilities incorporate educational activities into ongoing routines. It was meeting international students at UMass that fostered the realization about the importance of obtaining a global perspective. Dr. Hall completed a post-doc position at the Universite Catholique de Louvain, Belgium in 1990. She then moved to Melbourne, Australia where she was a tenured faculty member in the Disability Studies Department at Deakin University until 1998.

Her work at SDSU incorporates a focus on the areas she finds most important. She is teaching special educators to work with learners with disabilities, she is the Program Contact with the Behavior Analysis Certification Board and she works with M.A. Degree candidates to complete research projects and develop their skills as leaders in their work with individuals on the autism spectrum. Her current research focus is on identifying strategies to improve the educator-learner interaction to increase effective implementation of evidence-based and culturally responsive programs and practices. She published a widely used text on autism now in the third edition. She works in collaboration with colleagues in the department, colleagues in the community, including parents of students with disabilities, and, most importantly, new colleagues or graduates of the M.A. Degree program with a specialization in autism that she worked to establish at SDSU. This M.A. Degree Program with a concentration in Behavior Analysis and Autism is currently supported by federal grants from the Office of Special Education Programs.

Education

• Ph.D. (1988) Educational Psychology, Developmental Disabilities Training Program, University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Clinical Minor in Family Therapy.
• M.S. (1981). Expressive Therapy. Lesley College, Cambridge, MA.
• B.A. (1979). Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ.

Publications

Selected Publications 

Hall, L. J., Purdue, K., Henare, B., Leonard, S., & Hall, E. (2025). Inclusive practices inspired by the Aotearoa New Zealand’s Te Whāriki framework. [Special Issue] Young Exceptional Children, 28(1), 56-68.

McAnelly, K., Purdue, K., Hall, L. J., Odom, S.L., & Hall, E. (2025). We’re all in this together: Approaches to inclusive early childhood education for disabled children in Aotearoa New Zealand and the United States, and what we can learn from one another. NZ International Research in Early Childhood Education Journal, 27, 1-16.

Hall, L. J., Brum, C., Steinbrenner, J., Hume, K., Grundon, G., & Spitzer, H. (2025). Interests, plans, and hopes for life after high school from autistic young adults' perspectives, [Special Issue] Remedial and Special Education, 46(4), 323-337.  https://doi.org/10.1177/07419325241271377

Steinbrenner, J., Odom, S.L., Hall, L. J., & Kraemer, B. (2025). Participation in social and leisure activities after high school for autistic young adults. [Special Issue] Remedial and Special Education, 46(4), 287-298. https://doi.org/10.1177/07419325241277094

Townsend, D., Brothers, K., MacDuff, G., Freeman, A., Fry, C., Rosenblat, E., Defeo, D., Budinska, A., Ruta-Sominka, I., Birkan, B., Hall, L. J., Krantz, P., & McClannahan, L. (2024). Alliance for Scientific Autism Intervention: System components and outcome data from a high-quality service delivery organization. Behavior Analysis in Practice, https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-023-00898-7

Steinbrenner, J., Dawalt, L. S., Hume, K., Kraemer, B., Hall, L. J., Odom, S.L., Brum, C., Szidon, K., & Bolt, D. (2024). Social and vocational activities of autistic high school students and relationships with educational programming. Journal of Special Education, 59(1), 48-60. https://doi.org/10.1177/00224669241301732

Hall, L. J. & Pavez, B. (Winter, 2023). Retaining educators with autism expertise in schools. Journal of the American Academy of Special Education Professionals, 50-60.

Luelmo, P., Hall, L. J., & Estrellado, R. (2022). Racial/ethnic disproportionality of autism in special education in California. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 96, DOI:10.1016/j.rasd.2022.102001

McDaniel, S., Hall, L. J., & Kraemer, B. (2022). Exploring extracurricular clubs for building social competence of students with autism. Frontiers in Psychiatry. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.840294

Hall, L. J., Hoxie, N.A., Grundon, G. S., & Cordero, Y. N. (2022). Parent-researcher perspectives on role intersectionality related to autism research. Frontiers in Rehabilitation Sciences. doi: 10.3389/fresc.2022.718398

Kucharczyk, S., Szidon, K., & Hall, L. J. (2022). Coaching in complexity: Lessons learned investigating implementation of interventions in high schools. Career Development and Transition for Exceptional Individuals, 45, 99-113.

Hume, K., Odom, S. L., Steinbrenner, J. R., DaWalt, L. S., Hall, L. J., Kraemer, B. R., Tomaszewski, B., Brum, C., Szidon, K., & Bolt, D. M. (2021). Efficacy of a school-based comprehensive intervention program for adolescents with autism. Exceptional Children, 88, 223-240. Finalist IACC Summary of Advances 2022.

Odom, S. L., Hall, L. J., Morin, K., Kraemer, B., Hume, K., A., McIntyre, N. S., Nowell, S. W., Steinbrenner, J. R., Tomaszewski, B., Sam, A. M., & DaWalt, L. (2021). Educational interventions for children and youth with autism: A 40-year perspective. Special Issue: Autism in Review: 1980-2020: 40 years after DSM III, Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 51, 4370-4394.

Steinbrenner, J., Odom, S. L., Hall, L. J., & Hume, K. (2020). Moving beyond fidelity: Assessing implementation of a comprehensive treatment model for adolescents with autism spectrum disorder [Special Section]. Exceptional Children, 86, 137-154.

Odom, S. L., Hall, L. J., & Suhrheinrich, J. (2020). Implementation science, behavior analysis and supporting evidence-based practices for individuals with autism. European Journal of Behavior Analysis, 21, 55-73. DOI: 10.1080/15021149.2019.1641952

Brum, C., Hall, L. J., Reutebuch, C., & Perkins, Y. (2019). Reading comprehension strategies for high-school students with autism spectrum disorder. Teaching Exceptional Children, 52, 88-97.

Hall, L. J., Leinert, S., & Jacquez, J. (2018). A review of social skills manuals for adolescents with autism spectrum disorder. Invited contribution. Current Developmental Disorders Reports, 5, 77-88.

Hall, L. J. (2015). Sustaining evidence-based practices by graduated special educators of students with ASD: Creating a community of practice. Special Issue: Teacher Education and Special Education, 38, 28-43.

O’Hara, M., & Hall, L. J. (2014). Increasing engagement of students with autism at recess through structured work systems. Education and Training in Autism and Developmental Disabilities, 49, 568-575.

Bonggat, P. W., & Hall, L. J. (2010). Evaluation of the effects of sensory integration-based intervention by a preschool special education teacher. Education and Training in Autism and Developmental Disabilities, 45, 294-302.

Hall, L. J., Grundon, G. S., Pope, C., & Romero, A. B. (2010). Training para-professionals to use behavioral strategies when educating learners with autism spectrum disorders across environments, Behavioral Interventions, 25, 37-51.

Odom, S. L., Boyd, B. A., Hall, L. J. & Hume, K. A. (2010). Evaluation of comprehensive treatment models for individuals with autism spectrum disorders. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 40, 425-437.

Lamers, K., & Hall, L. J. (2003). The response of children with autism to preferred prosody during instruction. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 18 (2), 95-104.

Hall, L. J. & Strickett, T. (2002). The peer relationships of preadolescent students with disabilities who attend a separate school. Education and Training in Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities, 37, 399-409.

Hall, L. J. & McGregor, J. A. (2000). A follow-up study of the peer relationships of children with disabilities in an inclusive school. The Journal of Special Education, 34, 114-126.