Maria Helton
Assistant Professor
Background
Dr. Maria Helton is an Assistant Professor of Psychology and Program Director of the Master’s in Applied Behavior Analysis at John Carroll University. She earned her doctorate in Special Education and Applied Behavior Analysis from The Ohio State University, following graduate training in school psychology at Cleveland State University and undergraduate studies at Mercyhurst University. Before joining John Carroll University, she worked in public education as a behavior coordinator and she maintains active licensure as an Ohio School Psychologist, Board Certified Behavior Analyst, and Certified Ohio Behavior Analyst.
Dr. Helton’s research centers on maximizing durable behavior change, with a particular focus on self-monitoring strategies for behaviors that do not produce immediate, naturally occurring reinforcement. She is committed to developing and evaluating treatment packages that incorporate self-monitoring to improve behavior outcomes across academic, clinical, and wellness contexts. In addition to her primary research agenda, Dr. Helton supports a wide range of student-led projects and contributes to expanding the evidence base of applied behavior analysis across traditional and emerging areas of practice. Her scholarly work includes multiple peer-reviewed publications, book chapters, and presentations at national and international conferences.
At John Carroll University, Dr. Helton teaches across the ABA curriculum, including introductory courses as well as capstone experiences. She mentors student research as has a passion for develop research skills amongst graduate students.
Areas of Expertise
Dr. Helton’s expertise lies in applied behavior analysis with a focus on designing and evaluating interventions that promote durable behavior change. She specializes in self-monitoring strategies, treatment packages for behaviors that lack immediate reinforcement, and behavior-analytic approaches to academic and instructional goals. Central to her work is a passion for expanding the field of ABA—both by advancing innovative research and by supporting student scholars who contribute to the growing evidence base.
Research Interests
Dr. Maria Helton's research interests pertain to applying the principles of behavior analysis that result in durable behavior change, expanding the application of behavior analysis, and investigating behavior analytic strategies related to instructional strategies.
Education
Ph.D. in Special education and Applied Behavioral Analysis from Ohio State UniversityCourses Taught
Dr. Maria Helton has taught the following courses:PS 5112 Concepts and Principles in Behavior Analysis
PS 5113 Observation and Measurement of Behavior
PS 5123 Research Methods in Behavior Analysis
PS 5422 Legal, Ethical, and Professional Issues in Behavior Analysis
PS 5395 Capstone 1
PS 5495 Capstone 2
Publications
Frazier, T., Akouri, C., Helton, M., Chetati, L., Uljarevic, M. (2025) Identifying Reliable Change in Outcome Assessments for Behavioral Interventions. Behavioral Interventions, 40 (2), 1-14.
Chetcuti, L., Uljarevic, M., Schuck, R., Hardan, A, Gengoux, G., Trembath, D., Vadgama, Y., Varcin, K., Vivanti, G., Whitehouse, A., Helton, M., Frazier, T., (2025) Characterizing predictors of response to behavioral interventions for children with autism spectrum disorder: A meta-analytic approach. Clinical Psychology Review, 119.
Helton, M. R., & Alber-Morgan, S. R. (2020). Improving young children’s behavior with GAMES: Group-contingency approaches for managing elementary-classroom settings. Young Exceptional Children, 23 (1), 24-35.
Joseph, L., Alber-Morgan, S., Amspaugh, L., Ross, K., Helton, M., Konrad, M., & Davenport, C. (2019). Stop to ask and respond: Effects of a small-group self-questioning Intervention on reading comprehension performance. Research and Practice in the Schools, 6 (2), 27-40.
Helton, M. R. & Alber-Morgan, S. R. (2018). Helping parents understand applied behavior analysis: Creating a parent guide in 10 easy steps. Behavior Analysis in Practice, 11 (4), 496-503.
Helton, M. R. & Ivy, J. W. (2015). A preliminary examination of a vocal generalized conditioned reinforcer. Behavioral Interventions, 31(1), 62-69.
