Missy Olive
Professor of Practice and Director of the BehaviorAnalysis@Simmons Program
Dr. Melissa “Missy” Olive began her journey in behavior analysis as a tween, traveling 45 minutes each way with her family to access ABA therapy for her baby brother, who has autism, intellectual disability, cerebral palsy, and a seizure disorder. This early experience ignited her lifelong dedication to serving individuals with autism and other disabilities.
Dr. Olive has authored over 30 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters on topics such as the assessment and treatment of challenging behaviors, communication interventions, feeding disorders, and ethical issues in behavior analysis. She has secured over $1.6 million in federal and state funding for research and training in the field.
Her current research interests include the assessment and treatment of feeding disorders, severe challenging behavior, ethical issues in ABA service delivery, clinical compliance, and ABA services in school settings.
Dr. Olive is the guardian of her brother, Mac, who has lived with her or in nearby residential services since he was 13. She is married to Norm and is a proud bonus mom to two amazing women. In her free time, she enjoys walking her dogs, boating, dining al fresco, biking, and traveling with her friends and family.
Education
- PhD, Educational Psychology, from the University of Minnesota (1999)
- M.Ed., Early Childhood Special Education, Vanderbilt University (1992)
- BS, Elementary and Special Education, Middle Tennessee State University (1990)
Licenses/Certification
- Board Certified Behavior Analysts — Doctoral Level (BCBA-D)
- Licensed Behavior Analyst in Connecticut, Kentucky, Louisiana, New York, and Texas
Most Cited Publications
Olive, M. L., & Smith, B. W. (2005). Effect Size Calculations and Single Subject Designs. Educational Psychology, 25, 313-324. https://doi.org/10.1080/0144341042000301238
Olive, M. L., Lang, R. B., & Davis, T. N. (2008). An analysis of the effects of functional communication and a voice output communication aid for a child with autism spectrum disorder. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 2, 223-236. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rasd.2007.06.002
Olive, M. L., Lang, R. B., & Davis, T. N. (2008). An analysis of the effects of functional communication and a voice output communication aid for a child with autism spectrum disorder. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 2, 223-236. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rasd.2007.06.002
O’Leary, P. N., Miller, M. M., Olive, M. L., Kelly, A. N. (2015). Blurred lines: Ethical implications of social media for behavior analysts. Behavior Analysis in Practice. 14, 1157–1168. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s40617-021-00559-7
Tereshko, L., Weiss, M. J., & Olive, M. L. (2021). Ethical considerations of behavioral feeding interventions. Behavior Analysis in Practice, 14, 1157–1168. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s40617-021-00559-7
Leaf, J., Cihon, J. H., Javed, A., Klick, S., Ferguson, J. L., Milne, C., Creem, A., Arthur, S., Saunders, M. S., Olive, M. L., Ross, R. K., Leaf, R., & McEachin, J. (2022). A call for discussion on stereotypic behavior. European Journal of Behavior Analysis, 23, 156-180. DOI: 10.1080/15021149.2022.2112810
Professional Affiliations and Memberships
- Association for Behavior Analysis International
- Association for Professional Behavior Analysts
- Connecticut Association for Behavior Analysis
- Florida Association for Behavior Analysis
- Massachusetts Association for Behavior Analysis
Missy Olive in the News
Simmons University’s School of Sciences and Health Professions Welcomes Six New Faculty Members
The new faculty members have joined the Behavior Analysis, Biology, Physical Therapy, Psychology, and Public Health programs.