Cathy Pratt, PhD
Dr. Cathy Pratt, BCBA-D, is a research associate at the Indiana Institute on Disability and Community, Indiana’s University Center for Excellence in Disabilities and the Irsay Institute that is focused on mental health and stigma. Dr. Pratt created the Indiana School Mental Health Initiative. Dr. Pratt serves on numerous Advisory Boards, including the Temple Grandin/Eustacia Cutler Autism Fund, the Autism Society of Indiana and the College Internship Program. In the past, she served on the Board of the National Autism Society and is a Past Chair. Dr. Pratt also serves on the Panel of Professional Advisors and the Public Policy Committee for the Autism Society. She also served as a member of the expert working group on services and was a member of the public review committee for the Research Roadmap of the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee and in 2010 was invited to the White House to provide feedback on the president’s initiatives on autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Dr. Pratt has been honored by the Autism Society with the Individual Achievement Award, with the 2005 Princeton Fellowship Award, and with various awards through NYFAC (New York Families for Autistic Children, Inc.), including recognition from the United States House of Representatives. In 2008 and in 2023, Dr. Pratt was awarded with the Distinguished Service Award by the Indiana Council of Administrators of Special Education. Dr. Pratt was the Shibles Distinguished Visiting Professor in the College of Education and Human Development at the University of Maine. In 2016, Dr. Pratt was awarded with the Charles Heineman Allied Professional Award through the Indiana Psychological Association. In 2023, she was awarded with the Indiana Educator of the Year award by the Indiana School Mental Health Initiative. She writes and presents internationally on the following topics: autism spectrum disorder, ASD and co-occurring Mental Health, functional behavior assessment/positive behavior supports, applied behavior analysis, instructional approaches, evidence-based practices, systems change, and policy.
Disclosures:
Financial: Salary- University of Indiana and Honorarium for FSU Summer Institute
Non-Financial: None