Biography

Matt Tincani, PhD, BCBA-D focuses on the application of behavioral principles to improve outcomes for people with disabilities and other special learning needs. His interests include systematic reviews of behavior science research, teaching job-related skills to neurodivergent people, smart technologies to improve special education, single-case designs, meta science, and open science. His recent work has explored questionable and improved research practices in single-case designs. He currently serves on the editorial boards of the Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, the Journal of Special Education Technology, and Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, and as consulting editor to Education and Training in Developmental Disabilities. He has also served in several prominent regional and national leadership roles, including as Appointee to the Nevada Governor's Councils on Development Disabilities and Autism, and as founding president of the Positive Behavior Support SIG of the Association for Behavior Analysis International. He has published over 85 scholarly publications, including the books Classroom Management and Positive Behavior Support (2nd edition; Routledge) and Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders, Evidence-Based and Promising Practices (Guildford Press). He is currently co-principal investigator of a $2.3 million NSF-funded research project to explore support for people with neurodevelopmental disorders in attaining employment in information technology fields.

Research Interests

  • Special education
  • Evidence-based practice
  • Teacher preparation
  • Applied behavior analyst preparation
  • Supporting people with disabilities

Courses Taught

Number

Name

Level

SPED 4103

Classroom Management and Positive Behavior Support

Undergraduate

SPED 8101

Trends and Issues in Special Education

Graduate

ABA 5302

Effective Teaching Strategies and Academic Interventions

Graduate

ABA 5304

Concepts and Principles of Behavior Analysis

Graduate

Selected Publications

Recent

  • Garrison, E., Singh, D., Hantula, D., Tincani, M., Nosek, J., Hong, S.R., Dragut, E., & Vucetic, S. (2023). Understanding the experience of neurodivergent workers in image and text data annotation. Computers in Human Behavior Reports, 11, pp. 100318-100318. Elsevier BV. doi: 10.1016/j.chbr.2023.100318

  • Dowdy, A., Peltier, C., Tincani, M., Schneider, W.J., Hantula, D.A., & Travers, J.C. (2021). Meta-analyses and effect sizes in applied behavior analysis: A review and discussion. J Appl Behav Anal, 54(4), pp. 1317-1340. United States. doi: 10.1002/jaba.862

  • Nepo, K., Tincani, M., & Axelrod, S. (2021). Teaching Mobile Device-Based Leisure to Adults With Autism Spectrum Disorder and Intellectual Disability. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 36(2), pp. 83-94. doi: 10.1177/1088357620943500

  • Dowdy, A., Tincani, M., & Fisher, A.G. (2021). Interrater Reliability and Convergent Validity of the Trial-Based Functional Analysis. Advances in Neurodevelopmental Disorders, 5(1), pp. 61-70. doi: 10.1007/s41252-020-00174-7

  • Dowdy, A., Obidimalor, K.C., Tincani, M., & Travers, J.C. (2021). Delivering Culturally Sound and High-Quality Behavior Analytic Services When Working With an Interpreter. Behavior Analysis Research and Practice, 21(1), pp. 51-64. doi: 10.1037/bar0000206

  • Dowdy, A., Tincani, M., & Jessel, J. (2020). Reducing an Adolescent's Destructive Behavior during Bathroom Visits in a Residential Setting: Brief Report. Dev Neurorehabil, 23(7), pp. 478-481. England. doi: 10.1080/17518423.2020.1770352

  • Dowdy, A., Tincani, M., & Schneider, W.J. (2020). Evaluation of publication bias in response interruption and redirection: A meta-analysis. J Appl Behav Anal, 53(4), pp. 2151-2171. United States. doi: 10.1002/jaba.724

  • Tincani, M., Travers, J., & Dowdy, A. (2020). Do we need to go beyond a purely behavioral approach? A response to Woodcock and Blackwell. Curr Opin Psychiatry, 33(5), pp. 509-511. United States. doi: 10.1097/YCO.0000000000000633

  • Tincani, M., Miller, J., Lorah, E.R., & Nepo, K. (2020). Systematic Review of Verbal Operants in Speech Generating Device Research from Skinner's Analysis of Verbal Behavior. Perspect Behav Sci, 43(2), pp. 387-413. Switzerland. doi: 10.1007/s40614-020-00243-1

  • Dowdy, A. & Tincani, M. (2020). Assessment and treatment of high-risk challenging behavior of adolescents with autism in an aquatic setting. J Appl Behav Anal, 53(1), pp. 305-314. United States. doi: 10.1002/jaba.590

  • Tincani, M. & Travers, J. (2019). Replication Research, Publication Bias, and Applied Behavior Analysis. Perspect Behav Sci, 42(1), pp. 59-75. Switzerland. doi: 10.1007/s40614-019-00191-5

  • Centone, K., Dilks, A., & Tincani, M. (2019). Increasing peer-directed vocal manding of young children with autism spectrum disorder. Education and Training in Autism and Developmental Disabilities, 54(4), pp. 377-390.

  • Lorah, E.R., Tincani, M., & Parnell, A. (2019). Current trends in the use of handheld technology as a speech-generating device for children with autism. Behavior Analysis: Research and Practice, 18(3), pp. 317-327. American Psychological Association (APA). doi: 10.1037/bar0000125