Louis P. Hagopian
Kennedy Krieger Institute and Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Dr. Louis P. Hagopian received his Ph.D. in clinical psychology at Virginia Tech, and completed his predoctoral internship at the Kennedy Krieger Institute. Since then he has held a progression of positions at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, where he holds the rank of professor, and at the Kennedy Krieger Institute, where he is a behavior analyst and director of neurobehavioral programs. He is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst and a licensed psychologist. Dr. Hagopian’s work involves the integration of clinical service, research, training, and advocacy for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. He has consulted with numerous state agencies, disability service organizations, professional organizations, state attorneys general, and the U.S. Department of Justice for guidance on matters related to persons with autism and intellectual disabilities. This work includes the development of legislation supporting applied behavior analysis, standards for treatment, position statements, best practice guidelines, and expert consultation. Dr. Hagopian’s scholarly research and his teaching, administrative, and service activities all center on the assessment and treatment of the most recalcitrant forms and functions of severe destructive behavior. His research program is unique both in its design and in the positive clinical outcomes it produces. It serves as the model program for all others in the field who work with treatment-resistant destructive behavior. Dr. Hagopian’s innovations include advances in functional analysis and treatment of severe behavior disorders, and improvements in the practicality of function-based treatments in natural environments through schedule thinning, classification of automatically reinforced self-injurious behavior, and methods for conducting large-scale analyses. Perhaps the most impressive aspect of Dr. Hagopian’s large body of programmatic clinical research is that each study he has published on severe destructive behavior has had immediate and important clinical relevance and applicability.