Pat Mirenda

Education:

University of Wisconsin-Madison

Scholarly Interests:

Applied Behaviour AnalysisAugmentative and Alternative CommunicationAutism Spectrum DisordersDevelopmental DisabilitiesPositive Behaviour Support

Awards:

2008, Fellow, International Society for Augmentative and Alternative Communication

2005, Board Certified Behaviour Analyst (BCBA) Credential

2004, Recipient, Killam Faculty Teaching Prize in the Faculty of Education, UBC

2004, Fellow, American Speech-Language-Hearing Association

Selected Publications:

Books and Chapters (2013-1019)

Mirenda, P. (2019). Overview of AAC for individuals with autism spectrum disorder and complex communication. needs. In J. Ganz & R. Simpson (Eds.), Interventions for Individuals with autism spectrum disorder and complex communication needs (pp. 61-82). Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes.

Mirenda, P., & Trief, E. (2017). Augmentative and alternative communication. In M. C. Holbrook, T. McCarthy, & C. Kamei-Hannan (Eds.), Foundations of Education, 3rd ed., Vol. I (pp. 376-385). New York: AFB Press.

Mirenda, P., & Downing, J. (2017). Teaching communication skills. In F. Orelove, D. Sobsey, & D. Gilles (Eds.), Educating children with severe and multiple disabilities (4th ed.), pp. 245-273.  Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co.

Marinova-Todd, S., & Mirenda, P. (2016). Language and communication abilities of bilingual children with autism spectrum disorders. In J. Patterson & B. Rodriguez (Eds.), Multilingual perspectives on child language disorders (pp. 31-48). Bristol, UK: Multilingual Matters.

Szatmari, P., Zwaigenbaum, L., Georgiades, S., Elsabbagh, M., Waddell, C., Bennett, T., Bryson, S., Duku, E., Fombonne, E., Mirenda, P., Roberts, W., Smith, I. M., Vaillancourt, T., & Volden, J. (2016).  Resilience and developmental health in autism spectrum disorder. In M. Hodes & S, Gau. (Eds.), Positive mental health, fighting stigma, and promoting resiliency and children and adolescents (pp. 91-109). New York: Academic Press/Elsevier.

Mirenda, P. (2015). Considerations in developing and acquiring communication aids. In J. Downing, A. Hanreddy, & K. Peckham-Hardin (Eds.), Teaching communication skills to students with severe disabilities (3rd ed.)  (pp. 137-162). Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co.

Mirenda, P., & Fossett, B. (2015). Visual supports as antecedent and teaching interventions. In F. Brown, J. Anderson, & R. De Pry (Eds.), Individual positive behavior supports: A standards-based guide to practices in school and community-based settings (pp. 347-360). Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co.

Mirenda, P. (2014). Augmentative and alternative communication. In F. Volkmar, S. Rogers, R. Paul, & K. Pelphrey (Eds.), Handbook of autism and pervasive developmental disorders, 4th ed. (Volume 2, pp. 813-825). NY: John Wiley & Sons.

Mirenda, P. (2013). Augmentative and alternative communication. In F. Volkmar (Ed.), Encyclopedia of autism spectrum disorders. New York: Springer.

Beukelman, D., & Mirenda, P. (2013). Augmentative and alternative communication: Supporting children and adults with complex communication needs (4th ed.) Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes.

Refereed publications (2015-2019)

Conlon, O., Volden, J., Smith, I.M., Szatmari, P., Mirenda, P., Vaillancourt, T., Waddell, C., Zwaigenbaum, L., Georgiades, S., Bennett, T., Duku, E., Elsabbagh, M., & Ungar, W.  (in press). Gender differences in narrative language in school-aged children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders.

Dempsey, E., Smith, I. M., Flanagan, H., Duku, E., Zwaigenbaum, L., Szatmari, P., Mirenda, P., Vaillancourt, T., Volden, J., Georgiades, S., Bennett, T., & Elsabbagh, M. (in press). Psychometric properties of the Merrill-Palmer-Revised Scales of Development in preschool children with autism spectrum disorder.  Assessment.

Zaidman-Zait, A., Mirenda, P. Szatmari, P., Duku, E., Smith, I., Vaillancourt, T., Volden, J., Waddell, C., Bennett, T., Zwaigenbaum, L., Elsabbagh, M., Georgiades, S., Ungar, W., and the Pathways in ASD Study Team (2018).  Profiles of social and coping resources in families of children with autism spectrum disorder:  Relations to parent and child outcomes. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 48, 2064-2076.

Zwaigenbaum, L., Duku, E., Fombonne, E., Szatmari, P., Smith, I. M., Bryson, E., Mirenda, P., Vaillancourt, T., Volden, J., Georgiades, S., Roberts, W., Bennett, T., Elsabbagh, M., & Bruno, R. (in press). Developmental functioning and symptom severity influence age of diagnosis in Canadian preschool children with autism.  Paediatrics & Child Health, https://doi.org/10.1093/pch/pxy076.

Jitlina, K., Zumbo, B., Mirenda, P., Ford, L., Bennett, T., Georgiades, S., Waddell, C., Smith, I. M., Volden, J., Duku, E., Zwaigenbaum, L., Szatmari, P., C Vaillancourt, T., & Ellsabbagh, M. (2017). Psychometric properties of the Spence Children’s Anxiety Scale-Parent Report in children with autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Autism and Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 47, 3847-3856.

Mirenda, P.  (2017). Values, practice, science, and AAC. Research and Practice for Persons with Severe Disabilities, 42, 33-41.

Volden, J., Dodd, E., Engel, K., Smith, I., Szatmari, P., Fombonne, E., Zwaigenbaum, L., Mirenda, P., Bryson, S., Roberts, W., Vaillancourt, T., Waddell, C., Elsabbagh, M., Bennett, T., Georgiades, S., Duku, E., and the Pathways in ASD study team (2017). Beyond sentences: Using the Expression, Reception and Recall of Narratives Instrument (ERRNI) to assess communication in school-aged children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).  Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 60, 2228-2240.

Zaidman-Zait, A., Mirenda, P., Duku, E., Smith, I., Vaillancourt, T., Szatmari, P., Bryson, S., Fombonne, E., Volden, J., Zwaigenbaum, L., Waddell, C., Georgiades, S., Bennett, T., Elsabbagh, M., & Thompson, A. (2017). Impact of personal and social resources on parenting stress of mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder. Autism: The International Journal of Research and Practice, 21, 155-166.

Marinova-Todd, S., Colozzo, P., Mirenda, P., Stahl, H., Kay-Raining Bird, E., Parkington, K., Cain, K., Scherba de Valenzuela, J., Segers, E., MacLeod, A., & Genesee, F. (2016). Professional practices and opinions about services available to bilingual children with developmental disabilities: An international study.  Journal of Communication Disorders, 63, 47-62.

Scherba de Valenzuela, J., Kay-Raining Bird, E., Parkington, K., Mirenda, P., Cain, K., MacLeod, A., & Segers, E. (2016). Access to opportunities for bilingualism for individuals with developmental disabilities: Key informant interviews.  Journal of Communication Disorders, 63, 32-46.

Specht, J., McGhie-Richmond, D., Loreman, T., Mirenda, P., Bennett, S., Gallagher, T., Young, G., Metsala, J., Aylward, L., Katz, J., Lyons, J., Thompson, S., & Cloutier, S. (2016). Teaching in inclusive classrooms: Efficacy and beliefs of Canadian preservice teachers. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 20, 1-20.

Vaillancourt, T., Haltigan, J., Smith, I. M., Zwaigenbaum, L., Szatmari, P., Fombonne, E., Waddell, C., Duku, E., Mirenda, P., Georgiades, S., Bennett, T., Volden, J., Ellsabbagh, M., Roberts, W., & Bryson, S. E.,  (2016). Joint trajectories of internalizing and externalizing problems in preschool children with autism spectrum disorders. Development and Psychopathology, 5, 1-12.

Allen, S., Smith, I., Duku, E., Vaillancourt, T., Szatmari, P., Bryson, S., G Fombonne, E., Volden, J., Waddell, C., Zwaigenbaum, L., Roberts, W., Mirenda, P., Bennett, T., Elsabbagh, M., & Georgiades, S. (2015). The Behavioural Pediatrics Feeding Assessment Scale in young children with autism spectrum disorder: Psychometrics and associations with child and parent variables.  Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 40, 581-590.

Colozzo, P., Morris, H., & Mirenda, P. (2015). Narrative production in children with autism spectrum disorder and specific language impairment. Canadian Journal of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology, 39, 316-332.

Elfert, M., & Mirenda, P. (2015). Evaluation of a support group for fathers of children with autism spectrum disorder. Canadian Journal of Counselling and Psychotherapy, 49, 115-138.

Flanagan, H. E., Smith, I. M., Vaillancourt, T., Duku, E., Szatmari, P., Bryson, S. E., Fombonne, E., Mirenda, P., Roberts, W., Volden, J., Waddell, C., Zwaigenbaum, L., Bennett, T., Ellsabbagh, M., & Georgiades, S. (2015). Stability and change in the cognitive and adaptive behaviour scores of preschoolers with autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 45, 2691-2703.

Jull, S., & Mirenda, P. (2015). Effects of a staff training program on community swim instructors’ ability to teach swimming skills to children with autism. Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, 18, 29-40.

Mirenda, P. (2015). Comments and a personal reflection on the persistence of facilitated communication. Evidence-based Communication Assessment and Intervention, 8,  102-110.

Szatmari, P., Georgiades, S., Duku, E., Bennett, T., Bryson, S., Fombonne, E., Mirenda, P., Roberts, W., Smith, I., Vaillancourt, T., Volden, J., Waddell, C., Zwaigenbaum, L., Elsabbagh, M., Thompson, A., and the Pathways in ASD Study Team (2015). Developmental trajectories of symptom severity and adaptive functioning in an inception cohort of preschool children with autism spectrum disorder. JAMA Psychiatry, 72, 276-283.

Volden, J.,  Duku, E., Sheperd, C., Georgiades, S., Bennett, T., Szatmari, P., Bryson, S., Fombonne, E., Mirenda, P., Smith, I.M., Vaillancourt, T., Waddell, C., Zwaigenbaum, L., Elsabbagh, M., Di Rezze, B. and the Pathways in ASD Study Team (2015). Service utilization by preschool children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD): A Canadian snapshot. Paediatrics and Child Health, 20, e43-e47.

Research Projects:

Parent and Child Early (PACE) Coaching Project (2017-2020)

The goal of this project is to develop, implement, and evaluate an evidence-based , naturalistic developmental-behavioural parent coaching intervention for children aged 15-30 months who are at risk for autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

Pathways in Autism Spectrum Disorders (2004-2023)

The goal of this project is to describe the heterogeneous developmental pathways of various outcomes in a large, cross-Canadian cohort of preschool children with autism, and to identify the inter-relationships among potential mediators and moderators associated with better outcomes. The current study is following 350 children with autism and their families from the time of diagnosis (around age 3) to age 16.

Websites & Other Resources

Centre for Interdisciplinary Research and Collaboration in Autism (CIRCA)

Behaviour Analyst Certification

Watch Pat Mirenda discuss her collaborations in educational intervention for autism support!