Faculty: Nidal Daou, PhD

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Nidal Daou, PhD

Adjunct Faculty, MA in Applied Behavior Analysis

Email
nidal_daou@williamjames.edu
Pronouns
she/her/hers

 

Degree Major/Emphasis Institution
PhD Psychology, Learning Processes and Behavior Analysis Subprogram The Graduate Center, City University of New York

Courses

  • Research Methods in Behavior Analysis
  • Learning and Behavior Analysis

Research and Practice Interests

  • Disparities in access to supports for Autistic individuals
  • Cross-cultural conceptions of autism
  • Development of public policy informed by autism research

Professional Licenses and Certifications

  • Licensed Behavior Analyst (New York)
  • Board Certified Behavior Analyst – Doctoral (BCBA-D)

Publications and Presentations

Selected Publications

  • Lestremau Allen, L., Syed, N., & Daou, N. (2026). Enhancing Neurodivergent student experiences through Universal Design and community-informed practices. In C. Rogers-Shaw, T. Williams Park, K. D. Mohney, & K. Sheward (Eds.), Collaborative strategies for designing neuroinclusive college campuses (pp. 189-236). IGI Global Scientific Publishing.
  • Kilgallon, E., Daou, N., & Gillespie-Lynch. K. (2025). In what ways is Positive Behaviour Support consistent or inconsistent with the principles of the Neurodiversity Movement? It’s complicated. [Commentary on article by Bambara, L.M., Dueñas, A.D., & Dwyer, P. (2025). Positive behaviour support and the neurodiversity perspective]. Special issue of the International Journal of Positive Behavioural Support, PBS & Neurodiversity, 15(1), 28-34.
  • Gillespie-Lynch, K., Daou, N., Obeid, R., Reardon, S., Khan, S., & Goldknopf, E. (2020). What contributes to stigma towards autistic college students and students with other diagnoses? Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. doi.org/10.1007/s10803-020-04556-7
  • Gillespie-Lynch, K., Daou, N., Sanchez-Ruiz, M. J., Kapp, S. K., Obeid, R., Brooks, P. J., Someki, F., Silton, N., & Abi Habib, R. (2019). Factors underlying cross-cultural differences in stigma towards autism among college students in Lebanon and the United States. Autism, 23 (8), 1993-2006. doi.org/10.1177/1362361318823550 
  • Daou, N., Hady, R. T., & Poulson, C. L. (2016). Teaching children with Autism Spectrum Disorder to recognize and express emotion: A review of the literature. International Electronic Journal of Elementary Education, Special Issue on Autism Spectrum Disorders: Approaches to Training, Teaching, and Treatment, 9(2), 419-432.
  • Obeid, R., Daou, N., DeNigris, D., Shane-Simpson, C., Brooks, P. J., & Gillespie-Lynch, K. (2015). A cross-cultural comparison of knowledge and stigma associated with Autism Spectrum Disorder among college students in Lebanon and the United States. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 45, 3520-3536. doi.org/10.1007/s10803-015-2499-1
  • Daou, N. (2014). Conducting behavioral research with children attending non-behavioral intervention programs for autism: The case of Lebanon. Behavior Analysis in Practice, 7(2), 78-90. doi.org/10.1007/s40617-014-0017-0

Selected Presentations

  • Daou, N., Kilgallon, E., Batkin, D., & Gillespie-Lynch, K. (2024, December). Applying guidance from the neurodiversity movement to promote community acceptance and systems change. Invited New Home and Community Positive Behavior Support Webinar.
  • Messina, C., Chen, L., Mathaga, J., Muiruri, J., Daou, N., Smith, D.S., & Gillespie-Lynch, K. (2021, May). Examining Beliefs about the Causes of Autism in Kenya: What Have People Been Told and What Do They Personally Believe? Poster presentation at the International Meeting for Autism Research, held virtually.
  • Gillespie-Lynch, K., Bockstal Fieulaine, B., Saade, S., Cappe, E., Daou, N., Obeid, R., Kofner, B., Lam, G., & MacCormack, J. (2021, May). Does the Desire to Dominate People and Nature Contribute to Cross-Cultural Variations in Autism Stigma? Poster presentation at the International Meeting for Autism Research, held virtually.
  • Gillespie-Lynch, K., Saade, S., Daou, N., Kofner, B., Obeid, R., Lam, G., Bockstal-Fieulaine, B., Cappe, E., Picard, F., & MacCormack, J. (2020, May). “Avoiding Climate Breakdown Will Require Cathedral Thinking”: Are Environmental Justice and Neurodiversity Advocates Facing a Common Foe? Poster presentation at the International Meeting for Autism Research, held virtually.
  • Gillespie-Lynch, K., Daou, N., Brezis, R. S., Kapp, S. K., Mathaga, J., & Rattazzi, A. (2019, July). Don’t confuse the forests for the trees: Developing culturally sensitive strategies for assessing stigma and other cultural values. Paper presented at the International Association for Cross-Cultural Psychology, San Jose, Costa Rica.
  • Gillespie-Lynch, K., Daou, N., Obeid, R., Reardon, S., & Goldknopf, E. (2018, May). Are autistic students more stigmatized than other types of neurodiverse college students? Poster presented at the International Meeting for Autism Research, Rotterdam, Netherlands.
  • Daou, N., Hady, R. T., & Poulson, C. L. (2017, May). Affective behavior and emotion in Autism Spectrum Disorder: A review of interventions. In N. Daou (Chair), Behavioral interventions targeting social skills in children with autism: Affect, joint attention, and social interactions. Symposium conducted at the annual convention of the Association for Behavior Analysis International, Denver, CO.

Concurrent Leadership, Service and Professional Activities

  • Assistant Professor of Applied Behavior Analysis, SUNY Empire State University
  • Licensed Behavior Analyst
  • Co-Chair, Student and Behavior Technicians Committee, New York Association for Behavior Analysis (NYSABA)
  • Member; Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility Committee; NYSABA
  • Member; Behaviorists for Social Responsibility Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Education Work Group; Association for Behavior Analysis International

Professional Affiliations

  • Association for Behavior Analysis International
  • New York Association for Behavior Analysis