About

Mandy Rispoli is the Quantitative Foundation Bicentennial Professor and Director of STAR Global Programs at the UVA School of Education and Human Development. She is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst at the doctoral level and serves as co-editor-in-chief of the Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions. Operating from a behavior analytic framework, her scholarship is built upon sustained university-community partnerships aimed at improving teacher and caregiver involvement in functional behavior assessment and intervention, with the goal of promoting positive outcomes for young children with autism and developmental disabilities. Her research explores enhancing the efficiency, effectiveness, and feasibility of functional behavior assessments and function-based interventions within educational settings. Additionally, she focuses on innovations in professional development for teachers working with young children with autism and challenging behavior. Rispoli's work includes global autism research initiatives, such as the STAR Global Autism Initiative, and she has contributed to understanding the special education landscape for students with autism, including projects in Kenya. Her academic background includes a Ph.D. and M.Ed. from the University of Texas at Austin and a B.A. from the University of Virginia.

Research topics

• Psychology
• Medical education
• Medicine
• Computer Science
• Applied psychology
• Psychiatry
• Social psychology
• Developmental psychology
• Pedagogy
• Cognitive psychology

Selected publications

• Relationship Between Child Challenging Behaviors, Family Resilience, and Mental Health in Caregivers of Autistic Children: The Impact of COVID-19

  Journal of Developmental and Physical Disabilities · 2026-03-25

  articleOpen access

  Caregivers of autistic children consistently report worse mental health outcomes compared to caregivers of non-autistic children, and behavior problems in autistic children are negatively correlated with caregiver mental health. Despite these difficulties, families of autistic individuals often demonstrate optimism and resilience, which may act as a protective factor against stressors. However, the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic caused detrimental effects on many aspects of life, which may have exacerbated challenges already experienced by families. This study examined the relationship between child behavior problems, family resilience, and the mental health of caregivers of autistic children, with a focus on how the relationship between these variables changed across the pandemic. Data were obtained from the 2019–2021 National Survey of Children’s Health. Binary logistic regression analyses were conducted to assess the association between child behavior problems and caregiver mental health. Separate binary logistic regressions were run to evaluate whether family resilience moderated the aforementioned relationships. Findings indicated a significant relationship between child behavior problems and caregiver mental health across the survey years. Family resilience did not moderate this relationship but was associated with better caregiver mental health across all three years. These results suggest that while resilience plays a crucial role in caregiver well-being, it does not buffer against the effects of child behavior challenges. The study underscores the need for targeted interventions that address both child behavior and caregiver mental health while fostering resilience within families.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Accruing validity evidence for the Autism in the Context of Education–Kenya Survey

  International Journal of Developmental Disabilities · 2026-04-19

  article
  PublisherDOI

• Developing Culturally Responsive Surveys on Neurodevelopmental Disabilities: Lessons from the Kenyan Context

  Advances in Neurodevelopmental Disorders · 2025-11-24 · 1 citations

  articleOpen access

  Abstract Objectives Autism research in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), including Kenya, remains limited despite its growing global prevalence. This instrument development pilot study paper describes a process for developing culturally grounded survey instruments to assess the knowledge and beliefs of caregivers and educators of children with autism in western Kenya. Methods Our approach blended evidence-centered design, a psychometric framework for designing measurement tools that are valid for their intended use, with community-based participatory research, which emphasizes equitable stakeholder involvement. Results In this study, we detail the measure we created and, more importantly, the process used to blend evidence-centered design and community-based participatory research. We demonstrate how merging these two traditions can enhance the cultural and contextual validity of evidence around survey instruments in low- and middle-income countries. Conclusions Our work offers a replicable model for researchers aiming to develop participatory, culturally responsive tools for deployment in underrepresented contexts, and contributes to efforts to improve autism knowledge and support in Kenya and LMICs.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Prompting, Errorless Learning, Time Delay, and Reinforcement

  Oxford University Press eBooks · 2025-07-02

  book-chapterSenior author

  Abstract Prompting and reinforcement are teaching procedures incorporated as components into numerous intervention packages. Prompts include spoken reminders, gestures, physical guidance, and other supports. Prompts are applied in systematic hierarchies individualized based on support needs. Reinforcement is a process in which a behavior is strengthened by contingent presentation (positive reinforcement) or withdrawal (negative reinforcement) of a stimulus. Errorless learning and time delay refer to specific implementations of prompting and reinforcement. This chapter utilizes recent research and practice reviews on prompting and reinforcement to inform education and treatment programs for people with autism spectrum disorder. Prompting and reinforcement have been used in focused behavioral interventions related to daily living, academics, communication, and other domains. Further, they are integral components in most multifaceted comprehensive intervention approaches. Prompting and reinforcement met criteria as evidence based. Prompt timing, type or form of prompt, and nature of reinforcement influence outcomes and highlight the need for individualization.

  PublisherDOI

• Correction: Optimizing a Personalized Health Approach for Virtually Treating High-Risk Caregivers of Children With Neurogenetic Conditions (Project WellCAST): Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial (Preprint)

  2025-07-02

  preprint

  <sec> <title>UNSTRUCTURED</title> </sec>

  PublisherDOI

• A Mega-Review of Functional Communication Training for Students with Disabilities in Educational Settings

  Journal of Behavioral Education · 2025-09-12

  articleOpen access

  Abstract Functional communication training (FCT) is a widely used behavioral intervention for reducing challenging behavior for students with disabilities. As more students with disabilities are being served in educational settings, it is essential to understand and evaluate the evidence base of FCT in educational contexts. A clear synthesis of how FCT has been applied, by whom, under what conditions, and with what outcomes is needed to evaluate its evidence base and inform translational practice. This mega-review aggregated six systematic reviews and meta-analyses of FCT implemented in educational settings, following PRISMA guidelines. Data were extracted at the review level on participant characteristics (e.g., age, gender, race, disability), functional behavior assessment (FBA) methods and identified functions of behavior, interventionist roles, procedural components of FCT, methodological quality, and outcomes (behavioral change, communication, social validity), as well as documented recommendations. Findings revealed consistent positive effects of FCT on challenging behavior reduction, with variability in reported moderators (e.g., setting, communication modality, and implementer). Notable gaps included limited demographic reporting, overrepresentation of male participants, and variability in review rigor. Implications of this mega-review include the need for greater transparency in methodological reporting, inclusion of culturally responsive and demographically disaggregated data, and appropriate individualized modification of FBA and FCT implementation by natural change agents in educational settings to support generalization, maintenance, and equity.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Deciding how to decide the correct double-lumen tube: a narrative review of methods and evidence

  Journal of Anesthesia Analgesia and Critical Care · 2025-10-14 · 1 citations

  reviewOpen access1st author

  The selection of the appropriate size of a double-lumen tube (DLT) is a critical yet often underestimated aspect of thoracic anaesthesia. The present narrative review evaluates traditional and emerging methods for determining DLT size, including anthropometric formulas, chest X-rays, CT scans, and ultrasonography. Despite the prevalence of height- and gender-based predictions, mounting evidence underscores their restricted correlation with airway anatomy. Chest X-rays and CT scans have been shown to offer more accurate estimations of tracheobronchial dimensions, while ultrasound has been identified as a promising bedside tool. Recent meta-analytic evidence and technological advancements, including 3D reconstruction and AI-based modelling, may support a more personalised and safer approach. It is recommended that a pragmatic, image-guided strategy be employed to minimise airway trauma, improve lung isolation, and optimise patient outcomes.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Optimizing a Personalized Health Approach for Virtually Treating High-Risk Caregivers of Children With Neurogenetic Conditions (Project WellCAST): Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial

  JMIR Research Protocols · 2025-05-02

  articleOpen access

  BACKGROUND: Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, caregivers of children with rare neurogenetic conditions (NGCs) experienced physical and mental health challenges. These challenges escalated during the COVID-19 pandemic due to crisis-level breakdowns in support services. Tele-mental health and parenting support services expanded rapidly in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and may be well suited to facilitate necessary support interventions for NGC caregivers. However, it remains unclear how to match these evidence-based interventions to individual NGC caregivers' needs. OBJECTIVE: Project WellCAST (Supporting Well-Being of Caregivers via Telehealth) is an early-phase clinical trial designed to prospectively test which evidence-based telehealth interventions best meet the needs of NGC caregivers. METHODS: Interested and eligible NGC caregivers are enrolled in a 24-week program with 5 phases, including baseline (2 weeks), support program (12 weeks), and follow-up (2 weeks) periods; a 4-week gap separates the phases. Caregivers participate in 2 randomizations, namely support program assignment via a precision health algorithm versus quasi-random assignment and motivational coaching by another NGC caregiver and project staff member ("peer coaching") versus standard check-ins by a staff member who is not an NGC caregiver ("staff coaching"). Virtual support programs include acceptance and commitment therapy, dialectical and behavioral therapy, culturally informed cognitive behavioral therapy, research units in behavioral intervention, naturalistic communication intervention, Durand sleep intervention, and self-guided resources. A subset of caregivers will participate as waitlist controls before engaging in support programs. We developed and optimized a personalized health decision tree algorithm that matches caregivers to telehealth support programs. We then proceeded to test the feasibility and efficacy of algorithm-assigned support programs across 4 waves of data collection, relative to quasi-random assignment and waitlist controls. During each wave, the personalized health algorithm relies on 2 weeks of baseline data collection using clinical tools and innovative smartphone-based ecological momentary assessments. Across waves, we also test the efficacy of a motivational peer-to-peer coaching protocol, deployed by trained NGC caregiver staff, in enhancing support program uptake and clinical outcomes. RESULTS: Four waves of data collection are scheduled for August 2023 to September 2025. Preregistered analyses will contrast feasibility, efficacy, and acceptability across algorithms and coaching assignments. Multiple waves of data collection will allow us to continually optimize the algorithm and test incremental improvements across project phases. Secondary analyses will probe the feasibility and efficacy of individual evidence-based support programs and peer coaching. CONCLUSIONS: Project WellCAST will test whether a digital personalized health decision tree algorithm and peer coaching protocol can prospectively enhance telehealth support program outcomes among NGC caregivers. This project is relevant to the specific population of NGC caregivers and may also inform how brief digital assessments, precision health tools, and community-academic partnerships can enhance the public health response to mental health crises across other high-need populations. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05999448; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05999448 and OSF Registries 10.17605/OSF.IO/8WNDP; https://osf.io/8wndp. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): DERR1-10.2196/64360.

  PublisherDOI

• ParaImpact: A Professional Development Program to Improve Paraeducator Systematic Instruction Fidelity for Students with Moderate-to-Severe Developmental Disabilities

  Journal of Behavioral Education · 2025-07-04

  article
  PublisherDOI

• Comparing evidence-based telemental health treatments for caregivers of children with Prader Willi and Williams syndromes: feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary outcomes

  Cognitive Behaviour Therapy · 2025-11-20

  article

  Caregivers of individuals with rare neurogenetic conditions often experience mental health challenges, often alongside substantial experiences of resilience. Unfortunately, caregiving burden can make accessing mental health support difficult, and restricted resources during the COVID-19 pandemic further exasperated these challenges. The present study leveraged a community-academic partnership to pilot three virtual telemental health therapies-Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Dialectical and Behavioral Therapy, and Integrated Couples' Behavioral Therapy-in a sample of 80 caregivers of individuals with Prader Willi syndrome and Williams syndrome. Across 12 weeks of treatment, caregivers completed clinical assessment forms and daily ecological momentary assessments to monitor well-being and mental health. Results provide preliminary evidence that each treatment was feasible, acceptable, and potentially effective in addressing the mental health needs of most caregivers. Virtual community-academic partnerships may provide a useful model for supporting caregivers, while also training the next generation of providers ready to meet the unique, persistent needs of this population. Randomized controlled trials are a necessary next step to determining efficacy. Given that mental health challenges for caregivers pre-dated the pandemic and continue to persist, identifying suitable treatment options remains high priority.

  PublisherDOI

Frequent coauthors

• Russell Lang

  Texas State University

  69 shared

• Jeff Sigafoos

  Victoria University of Wellington

  45 shared

• Wendy Machalicek

  University of Oregon

  44 shared

• Mark F. O’Reilly

  The University of Texas at Austin

  43 shared

• Giulio E. Lancioni

  Astronomical Observatory of Capodimonte

  41 shared

• Leslie Neely

  The University of Texas at San Antonio

  28 shared

• Russell Lang

  28 shared

• Tonya N. Davis

  Baylor University

  22 shared

Labs

• Supporting Transformative Autism ResearchPI

Education

• PhD, Special Education

  The University of Texas at Austin

  2009