June 2010
KRISTA JOHNSTON
Simon Fraser University Email:
Department of Psychology
8888 University Drive
Burnaby, BC, V5A 1S6
EDUCATION:
Beginning Fall 2010 MA/PhD Program in Clinical Psychology
Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia
Spring 2010 Honours Bachelor of Arts Degree, First Class Honours
Major in Psychology, minor in Counselling and Human Development
Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia
Spring 2007 Associate Degree in Arts, First Class Honours
Douglas College, New Westminster, British Columbia
HONOURS AND AWARDS
June 2010 Canadian Psychological Association Certificate of Academic Excellence (For Outstanding Honours Thesis)
June 2010 Canadian Psychological Association Travel Award ($130)
May 2010 Joseph-Armand Bombardier Canada Graduate Scholarship Awarded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Council of Canada
Master’s Scholarship valued at 17,500 (over 12 months)
May 2010 Simon Fraser University Graduate Fellowship
$6250 (To be awarded in May 2011)
April 2010 Nominated for the Peter Crocker Annual Scholarship in Psychology
Summer 2009 - SFU Alumni Scholarship (awarded 3 times)
Spring 2010 Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia
$1500 (total)
Fall 2008 - Open Undergraduate Scholarship (awarded 5 times)
Spring 2010 Awarded for high academic achievement
Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia
$4620 (total)
Spring 2008 - Present Golden Key International Honor Society
Summer 2003 - Spring 2007 Honour Roll
Douglas College, New Westminster, British Columbia
INTERESTS:
Research:
Autism and other developmental disabilities, social and emotional functioning and development, the development and treatment of anxiety, and family functioning.
Clinical Work:
Population: Children and adolescents
Services: Applied Behavioural Analysis (ABA), Workshop Facilitation
Issues of Special Interest: Social skills teaching, anxiety management, and self advocacy skills
ACADEMIC AFFILIATIONS:
2009 - Present Canadian Psychological Association, Student Affiliate
2008 - Present American Psychological Association, Student Affiliate
RESEARCH EXPERIENCE:
2009 - 2010 Honours Thesis
Project: Investigating the Validity of Video-Based Software Interventions for Youth with Autism
Population: Children and adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Asperger’s Disorder
Description: Investigation of whether performance on pre-packaged video modeling software can provide a valid reflection of a child’s current level of social functioning, and how children with autism deviate from the typical pattern of performance.
Grade: A+
February 2008 - Present Volunteer Research Assistant
Autism and Developmental Disorders Lab
Department of Psychology, Simon Fraser University
Supervisor: Dr. Grace Iarocci
Project: Development and evaluation of a battery to assess the social competence and family functioning of children with an autism spectrum disorder.
Duties: Include administering a number of parent and child/adolescent questionnaire and interview measures including the Stanford Binet Intelligence Scale, the Behavioural Assessment System For Children, Second Edition (BASC-II), The Awareness of Social Inference Test (TASIT).
Up to 20 hours per week.
RESEARCH RELATED COURSEWORK:
Psychology 201: Introduction to Research Methods in Psychology (Fall 2006)
Grade: A
Psychology 210: Introduction to Data Analysis in Psychology (Spring 2007)
Grade: A+
Psychology 301: Intermediate Research Methods and Data Analysis (Spring 2008)
Grade: A
TEACHING EXPERIENCE:
Spring 2010 Teaching Assistant
Department of Psychology
Simon Fraser University
Supervisor: Dr. Russell Day
Course: Psychology 100, Introduction to Psychology I
Duties: Include grading written assignments and exams and individual consultation with students
Fall 2009 Teaching Assistant
Department of Psychology
Simon Fraser University
Supervisor: Dr. Russell Day
Course: Psychology 102, Introduction to Psychology II
Duties: Include grading written assignments and exams and individual consultation with students
October 2009 Guest Lecturer
Department of Psychology
Western Washington University
Course: Psychology 553, Theories of Counseling and Psychotherapy
Topic: Applied Behaviour Analysis: Intervention For Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder
CLINICAL WORK EXPERIENCE:
Dec 2001 – Present Senior Behavioural Interventionist (British Columbia)
Population: Children, adolescents and adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Asperger’s Disorder
Settings: Home based programs, public and private school settings, and group home.
Behavioural Consultant: Andrea Sharpe, M.Sc. and
Nate Searle, M.A.
Experience includes: training and supervision of Junior Behavioural Interventionists in the implementation of Applied Behavioural Analysis (ABA) theory and programs, behaviour planning and consultation, data analysis and multidisciplinary collaboration.
May 2007 – Present Workshop Facilitator
Provided 12 workshops in Whitehorse, Yukon including:
- Beginner ABA workshops (one day and two day
workshops)
- Intermediate ABA workshops (two day workshop)
- ABA Data workshops (e.g. discrete trial data and behavioural data) (two day workshop)
May 2007 – Present Senior Behavioural Interventionist (Whitehorse, Yukon)
Providing training and supervision to Junior Behavioural Interventionists working with children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Asperger’s Disorder
Behavioural Consultant: Andrea Sharpe, M.Sc.
July 2005 Social Skills Worker
Kenneth Gordon School, Burnaby
Worked with a boy with Autism Spectrum Disorder in a summer school program. Kenneth Gordon is a private school which specializes in teaching students with learning disabilities.
Dec 2005 Social Group Aide
Helped prepare and implement a social group for three boys with autism with Behavioural Consultant Andrea Sharpe, M.Sc.
Aug 2003 Workshop Teaching Assistant
SMART Society, Abbotsford
Helped facilitate the practical training component of a workshop taught by Behavioural Consultant Andrea Sharpe, M.Sc.
Aug 2001 - Dec 2001 Junior Behavioural Interventionist
Worked with a four year old boy with Autism Spectrum Disorder implementing an ABA program
Behavioural Consultants: Andrea Sharpe, M.Sc.
ADDITIONAL CLINICAL TRAINING:
January 2005 Nonviolent Crisis Intervention Certified Instructor Training Program
Crisis Prevention Institute, Inc., Orlando, Florida
Four day training workshop (32 hours)
Skills Developed Include: Identifying behaviours that can lead to a crisis, nonverbal intervention techniques for managing disruptive behaviour, verbal resolution techniques for dealing with disruptive behaviour and skills on debriefing after a crisis (Passed examination with 100%)
May 2009 Support Over Suicide (S.O.S) Prevention Training Certificate
Health and Counseling Services, Simon Fraser University
Four hour training session
Skills Developed Include: Recognizing warning signs and responding appropriately to individuals in crisis
CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS:
June 2010 Applying Behavioural Principles and Techniques to the Treatment of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Canadian Psychological Association
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
April 2010 Investigating the Validity of Video-Based Software Interventions for Youth with Autism (Preliminary results)
Clinical Area Mini-Conference
Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, Canada
April 2010 Social Attention, Perception and Competence in Autism
Autism Community Training’s 6th Annual Focus on Research Event
University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
Co-presenters: Dr. Grace Iarocci, Dr. Elina Birmingham, and Adrienne Rombough, M.A.
ACADEMIC CONFERENCES ATTENDED:
June 2010 Canadian Psychological Association
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
June 2009 Canadian Psychological Association
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
June 2008 Society for Psychotherapy Research
Barcelona, Spain
August 2005 American Psychological Association
Honolulu, Hawaii, United States of America
SELECT WORKSHOPS ATTENDED:
2010 Video Modeling for Children with Autism: From Research To Practice
Dr. Pat Mirenda, Liana Maione, M.A., Vickie Kleeberger, B.A.
Presented at University of British Columbia, Vancouver
2009 Video Modeling: Why, What, Who, and How?
Dr. Pat Mirenda
Presented at University of British Columbia, Vancouver
Teaching Appropriate Assent Withdrawal
Holly Almon-Morris, M.A., BCBA and Kristen Foley, M.Ed., BCBA
Presented at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver
Functional Analysis: The Bridge Between Assessment and Treatment
Katie Allen, M.A., BCBA
Presented at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver
Graduate Supervision Workshop (February 2009)
Dr. Kim Bartholomew
Presented in the Department of Psychology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby
2008 Social Interaction, Sensory & Information Processing, and
Genetic Discoveries in ASD: What is the Research Telling
Us?
Dr. Nancy Minshew
Presented at Simon Fraser University, Vancouver
Building Social Relationships: A Systematic Approach to Teaching Social Interaction Skills to Children and Adolescents on the Autism Spectrum.
Dr. Scott Bellini
Presented at Simon Fraser University, Vancouver
Looking Into the Mind of ASD and Like Disabilities
Michelle Garcia Winner, M.A, CCC
Presented at the Yukon Convention Center, Whitehorse
2007 Laying the Groundwork for Future Self-Advocacy
Catherine Faherty, M.A.
Presented at the Victoria Conference Center, Victoria
Understanding Social Cognition and Its Impact on Autism Spectrum Disorders
Kari Dunn Buron, M.A.
Presented at the Victoria Conference Center, Victoria
PROFESSIONAL SERVICE:
March 2009 Volunteer
British Columbia Applied Behaviour Analysis (BC-ABA) Conference
University of British Columbia, Vancouver
October 2008 Volunteer
Autism Community Training (ACT) Workshop presented by Dr. Nancy Minshew
Simon Fraser University, Vancouver
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS:
2009 - Present British Columbia Applied Behaviour Analysis (BC-ABA) Member