spacerErik’s Ranch & Retreats has professional support among some of the most well known leaders in the field of autism. The methods developed by Dr. Lovaas and Dr. Larsson, in particular, are touted at autism treatment centers throughout the world.

Dr. Eric V. Larsson, Ph.D., L.P., B.C.B.A.

Executive Director, Clinical Services Lovaas Institute Midwest
Dr. Larsson received his Doctoral degree in Developmental and Child Psychology from the University of Kansas, under the guidance of Drs. R. Vance Hall and Donald M. Baer. While receiving his degree, he coordinated a "Handicapped Children's Model Program" for the U.S. Office of Special Education, developing the comprehensive special education program for public schools on Indian reservations. In addition, he has coordinated a community development project for preventing family violence in high-risk communities. At Zumbro Valley Mental Health Center in Rochester, MN, he provided psychological services for a wide variety of needs, including intensive early intervention. He served as the Director of Community Services at the May Institute, an internationally recognized treatment program which provides a wide variety of services to individuals with severe behavior disorders in New England, where he implemented a replication of the UCLA intensive early intervention model. He served as the Director of Behavior Therapy Services for REM Health. He has served on over 20 community and civic boards including the West Hennepin Human Services Planning Board, the Olmsted County Evaluation Sub-Committee, the Autism Behavior Therapy Alliance, FEAT of Minnesota, and has served as chair of Parents Anonymous of Minnesota. He is a member of the American Psychological Association, the Association for the Advancement of Behavior Therapy, the Association for Behavior Analysis, the ARC, the Autism Society of America, and the Autism National Committee.

Dr. Larsson is recognized as an expert in early intervention, inclusive communities, severe behavior disorders, multiple handicaps, autism, the rights of individuals with disabilities, nonaversive treatment, Applied Behavior Analysis, and self-injurious behavior. He has been providing intensive early intervention services since 1976, and has supervised such services since 1983. He has consulted with over 200 programs including: social service agencies, schools, vocational programs, residential programs, advocacy agencies, and governmental agencies world-wide, including the University of Chicago, the St. Amant Centre in Winnipeg, Canada, the Young Autism Project of Pittsburgh, and the New Jersey Intensive Early Intervention Institute. He serves as Associate Research Director of the NIMH Multi-site Replication Study of the UCLA Young Autism Project. He has published papers on such topics as functional communication, autism, social skills, parenting, and human rights. He has given over 60 presentations at the national and international level in such locations as Geilo, Norway; Granada, Spain; Boston, MA; San Francisco, CA; Orlando, FL; New York, NY; Washington, DC; Chicago, IL; Sacramento, CA; Buenos Aires, Argentina; Montreal, Canada; and Los Angeles, CA and 50 workshops on such topics as intensive early intervention, parenting, curriculum management, community leadership, behavior management, staff training, quality assurance, family violence, social skills, inclusive communities, autism, and consultation. He is affiliated with several major universities, including St. Cloud State University, the University of Minnesota, and the University of Kansas. He has received eleven state, private, and federal grants for a total of $927,106. He served on the editorial board of the Consulting Psychology Journal, and is currently on the Autism Advisory Board of the Cambridge Center for Behavioral Studies.

Dr. Larsson is currently the Executive Director of Clinical Services at the Lovaas Institute for Early Intervention Midwest, where he implements a program of intensive early intervention services for families of children who suffer from severe behavior disorders. This intensive early intervention program serves numerous children in eight states. The program also provides follow-along consultation to older children with similar needs. Dr. Larsson is a Licensed Psychologist and Board Certified Behavior Analyst.

Partial List of Publications:
Peterson, G. B., Larsson, E. V. & Riedesel, K. L. (2003). A conceptual toolkit for intensive early behavioral intervention teachers. Journal of Behavioral Education. 12, 131-146.

Larsson, E. V. (2002). Involving parents in therapy. In O. I. Lovaas., Teaching children with developmental disabilities. Austin, TX: Pro-Ed.

Dyer, K. & Larsson, E. V. (1997). Developing functional communication skills: Alternatives to aberrant behavior. In E. Cipani & N. N. Singh (Eds.), Practical approaches to the treatment of severe behavior problems. Sycamore, IL: Sycamore.

Larsson, E. V., Luce, S. C., Anderson, S. R., & Christian, W. P. (1992). Autism. In M. D. Levine, W. B. Carey, & A. C. Crocker (Eds.), Developmental-behavioral pediatrics (2nd ed.). Philadelphia: W. B. Saunders Company.

Larsson, E. V., & Christian, W. P. (1992). Legal issues. In M. D. Levine, W. B. Carey, & A. C. Crocker (Eds.), Developmental-behavioral pediatrics (2nd ed.). Philadelphia: W. B. Saunders Company.

Luce, S. C., Christian, W. P., Anderson, S. R., Troy, P. J., & Larsson, E. V. (1992). Development of a continm of services for children and adults with autism and other severe behavior disorders. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 13, 9-25.

Christian, W. P., Luce, S. C., & Larsson, E. V. (1992). Peer review and human rights committees. In J. K. Luiselli, J. L. Matson, & N. N. Singh (Eds.), Assessment, analysis and treatment of self-injury. New York: Springer-Verlag, Inc.

Luce, S. C., & Larsson, E. V. (1989). The collaborative work of Juniper Gardens Children's Project and The May Institute. Education and Treatment of Children, 12, 416-418.

Bergsgaard, M. O., & Larsson, E. V. (1984). Increasing social interaction between an isolate first-grader and cross-cultural peers. Psychology in the Schools, 21, 244-251.

Larsson, D. G., & Larsson, E. V. (1983). Manipulating peer presence to program the generalization of verbal compliance from one-to-one to group instruction. Education and Treatment of Children, 6, 109-122.

Junelyn F. Lazo, Ph.D., BCBA-D.

Center for Behavioral Sciences, Inc., Costa Mesa, CA
Dr. Lazo received a doctor of philosophy in Developmental and Child Psychology specializing in applied behavior analysis from the University of Kansas. At the University of Kansas, she worked with children diagnosed with Emotional Behavior Disorder/Severe Emotional Disturbance using functional assessments, and designing and implementing behavioral programs in general education settings. Dr. Lazo was also part of a multidisciplinary team at the KU Medical Center assessing and diagnosing children with autism. Prior to her time in Kansas, Dr. Lazo consulted in the design and implementation of applied behavior analytic programs for children and adults with developmental disabilities.

Currently, Dr. Lazo serves as an elected member of the Board of Directors for the California Association for Behavior Analysis. In addition, she has been selected as part of the Orange County Autism Task Force under the Senate Select Committee for Autism. In this capacity, Dr. Lazo is the chairperson for the Private Insurance Workgroup. She has more than ten years of experience in the field of applied behavior analysis and has provided presentations on the subject to numerous professional organizations. Dr. Lazo continues to work with individuals with developmental disabilities to assist them to maximize their potential and live in the least restrictive environment.

O. Ivar Lovaas, Ph.D.

Professor Emeritus, Psychology Department University of California, Los Angeles
Perhaps the most well know psychologist in the field of autism, Dr. O. Ivar Lovaas earned his Ph.D. in Psychology in 1958 from the University of Washington. Dr. Lovaas began working with older children with autism in the same decade that Skinner wrote his now famous, Science and Human Behavior text in 1953. Lovaas began to apply the experimental behavior analysis developed by Skinner to people with autism. In 1961, he started at UCLA and held a full professorship from 1967-2010. In 1995, he founded the Lovaas Institute for Early Intervention, which is a provider of early intervention treatment for young children diagnosed with autism. He has received many honors for his work in the field, including the Edgar Doll Award, a Distinguished Research Contribution Award from the American Psychological Association, the California Senate Award, an Honorary Doctorate, a Guggenheim Fellowship, and the “Champion of Mental Health” Award from Psychology Today. He has been interviewed on national television networks such as CBS, CNN, and the BBC. He has given presentations across the United States and the world, including Sweden, Germany, Poland, China, and New Zealand.

The pioneering work of Dr. Lovaas has helped to revolutionize the treatment of autism in children. He developed an early, intensive behavior-therapy approach that emphasizes the power of positive reinforcement to develop life skills in autistic children, and in some cases, has practically eradicated the debilitating symptoms of autism. The majority of the children in his later studies maintained their gains into adolescence and were indistinguishable from children with no history of autism. His methods are now used at treatment centers and clinics throughout the world. Lovaas' work was fueled by his strong, passionate belief in the potential of the individual to grow, learn and heal. Most recently Professor Emeritus at the University of California at Los Angeles, Lovaas has published more than 120 papers and several books on his research. Dr. Lovaas passed away in early 2010.

Eric Rudrud, Ph.D., LP

Professor, Dept. of Community Psychology, St. Cloud State University
Assistant Dean, College of Education, St. Cloud State University, MN

B.S. 1972 Colorado State University Psychology
M.S. 1974 Utah State University Counseling / School Psychology
Ph.D. 1978 Utah State University Psychology / Applied Behavior Analysis

Professional Experience:

  • Professor, Department of Community Psychology, St. Cloud State University 1989 - present
  • Assistant Dean, College of Education, St. Cloud State University 1985 - 1988
  • Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, 1985 – 1989, St. Cloud State University
  • Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, 1982 - 1985 St. Cloud State University
  • Assistant Professor, Department of Preventive Medicine, 1980 – 1982, J.F.K. Child Development Center (UAP), University of Colorado School of Medicine, Denver, Colorado
  • Director of Training, Center for the Developmentally Disabled (UAP), 1980 University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD
  • Coordinator of Resource Development, Center for the Developmentally 1978 - 1980 Disabled (UAP), University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD
  • Assistant Professor, Health Services Administration, 1978 - 1980 Allied Health Science, University of South Dakota
  • Staff Training Specialist, Center for the Developmentally Disabled (UAP), 1977 -1978 University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD
  • Adjunct Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, 1977 - 1978 Clinical Training Program, University of South Dakota

Professional/Community Affiliations:

  • Consulting Editor/Associate Editor, Journal of Intellectual & Developmental Disability 1980 - present
  • Editorial Board, Rural Special Education Quarterly, 1990 – 1993
  • Chair of Institutional Review Board, St. Cloud State University, 1991- present, member 1988 – present
  • District 742 (St. Cloud) Planning, Evaluation, and Review Committee, 1989 - present Chair (1989 - 1991)
  • Licensed Consulting Psychologist, Board of Psychology, Minnesota, 1983 – present

Publications:
2 Books
40 Publications
Presentations at State, Regional, National Conferences - 103

Dr. Rudrud has been working in the field of community integration of persons with disabilities for 40 years. He received his Ph.D. in Psychology/Behavioral Analysis in 1978 from Utah State University and is currently a professor in the Department of Educational Leadership and Community at St. Cloud State University. In addition to his current post, Dr. Rudrud has worked for the University of South Dakota at the Center for Developmental Disabilities and the J.F.K. Child Development Center at the University of Colorado.

Dr. Rudrud’s major interests include extensive research and clinical application in the areas of behavioral analysis, vocational programming, and community integration of persons with disabilities. With this expertise, he has served as a consultant to the South Dakota Council on Developmental Disabilities and the Minnesota Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities and has focused on developing programs to meet the needs of underserved individuals with disabilities who reside in rural and remote locations.

Dr. Rudrud has served as a principle investigator on three federally funded programs to increase services to individuals with disabilities who reside in rural western South Dakota (Life Skills Coaching, Co-Worker Mentoring, and Dakota Data Works which provides the creation of data entry jobs utilizing the internet). In addition, Dr. Rudrud has served on two other federally funded employment programs. He maintains an active clinical and research practice devoted to developing natural supports to promote inclusion of persons with disabilities.