Christie Stiehl is a master’s-level Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) and Licensed Behavior Analyst (LBA) in Kansas. Christie received their masters degree in Behavior Analysis under Dr. Dorothea Lerman at University of Houston-Clear Lake. 

Christie has provided applied behavior analysis (ABA) services to individuals with disabilities across many populations and settings since 2008.  This includes providing services across settings (home, community, school, clinic), populations (e.g., early intervention, severe problem behavior, complex language development), and domains (e.g., functional living, social, communication, play/leisure). Christie also has extensive experience consulting and conducting trainings with caregivers, staff, and teachers. 

Christie and Dr. Lerman founded a program at University of Houston-Clear Lake focused on supporting UHCL students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and related needs. As the program coordinator during its first two years, Christie conducted assessments and taught critical skills to help students achieve their academic, professional, and personal goals while at the university.

Related professional publications and presentations: 

• Custer, T., Stiehl, C., & Lerman, D. (2021). Outcomes of a Practical Approach for Improving Conversations Skills in Adults with Autism. (2020). Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis.    *Note: Equal contributions by first two authors

• Custer, T., Stiehl, C., & Lerman, D. (2018, May). Improving conversation skills of adults with autism in a group setting via computer-based training. In S. Pastrana (Chair), Recent Advances in Teaching Social and Communication Skills to Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorder. Symposium conducted at the meeting of Association for Behavior Analysis International 44th Annual Convention, San Diego, CA.

• Stiehl, C., Custer, T., Zey, B., & Lerman, D. (2018, May). College students with autism spectrum disorder: Assessing and Teaching Conversation Skills. In S. Pastrana (Chair), Recent Advances in Teaching Social and Communication Skills to Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorder.Symposium conducted at the meeting of Association for Behavior Analysis International 44th Annual Convention, San Diego, CA.

• Stiehl, C. & Goodwin, Marisa (2018, May). UHCL Connecting to College Program., Oral presentation at Houston Area Consortium of Career Centers Meeting, Houston, TX.

• Stiehl, C., Custer, T., Zey, B., & Lerman, D. (2018, April). College students with autism spectrum disorder: Assessing and Teaching Conversation Skills. Current Research in Behavior Analysis at UHCL: Applications Across the Life Span. Symposium conducted at the meeting of University of Houston-Clear Lake Student Conference for Research and Creative Arts, Houston, TX.

• Stiehl, C. & Goodwin, M. (2018, March). Connecting Students with ASD to College: A Behavior Analytic Approach at University of Houston-Clear Lake. Oral presentation at Higher Education Think Tank for College Programs that Support Students with Autism, Lubbock, TX.

• Stiehl, C., Lerman, D., Custer, T., & Zey, B. (2018, March). College students with autism spectrum disorder: Assessing and Teaching Conversation Skills. Poster presented at TxABA Regional Conference on Behavior Analysis, Houston, TX.

• Stiehl, C. (2018, January). Connecting to college: Using ABA to help students with ASD prepare for and succeed in higher education.  Oral presentation at University of Houston-Clear Lake Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities Speaker Series, Houston, TX.

• Stiehl, C., Steiger, Guler, B., Thomas, L., Singletary, C. (2017, November). Connecting to college: Assisting students with autism spectrum disorder. Presented at Gulf Coast Student Success Conference, Lake Jackson, TX.

• Stiehl, C., Steiger, G., Boothe, J., & Schmalz-Benson, J. (2017, May). Connecting to college: assisting students with autism. Presented at University of Houston System Student Affairs and Enrollment Leadership Conference, Houston, TX.

• Stiehl, C. (2017, February). Using applied behavior analysis to support college students with autism. Presented at Access College Texas Conference, Houston, TX.

Christie has led and contributed to numerous research studies, including a peer-reviewed publication focused on teaching conversation skills to adults with ASD (Custer, Stiehl, and Lerman, 2021). Christie has presented their work at professional conferences, including the Association for Behavior Analysis International (ABAI) and Texas Association for Behavior Analysis (TxABA). Christie was also an invited speaker at the First International Autism Conference of Morocco in 2014. 

Christie discovered their calling in high school when they volunteered at a summer camp for children with ASD and Christie has continued to engage with their community since. 

Some of the ways Christie currently serves their community include:

• Kansas Behavioral Sciences and Regulatory Board, Behavior Analysis Advisory Committee

• Kansas Association for Behavior Analysis (KansABA), Professional Development Committee Co-Chair

• Publications, presentations, and trainings on cultural competency 

• Partnerships with local organizations 

• Mentorship of future behavior analysts

Previous service to community: 

• Project ECHO, Subject Matter Expert

• Autism Society - The Heartland, Board of Directors

• Special Olympics- Coach for 8 yrs

• Autism Speaks 2 Young Professionals, Science Advisor 

• Autism Speaks, Site Lead for early diagnosis events