Melanie Pellecchia, PhD

2025

Hernandez, ALyssa, M., Straiton, Diondra, Mandell, David, S., Ingersoll, Brooke, Crabbe, Samantha, Rieth, Sarah, & Pellecchia, Melanie.: Short report: Associations of family characteristics and clinicians' use of caregiver coaching in early intervention. Autism 2025.

2024

Albright, J., Shinall, J.A., Tomczuk, L., Stewart, R.E., Mandell, D.S., Stahmer, A.C., Beidas, R.S., & Pellecchia, M.: A multi-constituent qualitative examination of facilitators and barriers to caregiver coaching for autistic children in publicly funded early intervention. Autism: International Journal of Research and Practice 29(1): 130-42, Jan 2024.

Pellecchia, M., Mandell, D.S., Tomczuk, L., Marcus, S.M., Stewart, R., Stahmer, A.C., Beidas, R.S., Reith, S., Lawson, G.: A mixed-methods evaluation of organization and individual factors influencing provider intentions to use caregiver coaching in community-based early intervention. Implementation Science Communications 5, Feb 2024.

2023

Lawson, G.M., Mandell, D.S., Tomczuk, L., Fishman, J., Marcus, S.C., Pellecchia, M.: Clinician Intentions to use the Components of Parent Coaching Within Community Early Intervention Systems. Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research 50(3): 357-365, May 2023. PMCID: DOI:10.1007/s10488-022-01243-w

Pellecchia, M., Ingersoll, B., Marcus, S. C., Rump, K., Xie, M., Newman, J., Zeigler, L., Crabbe, S., Straiton, D., Chávez, E. C., & Mandell, D. S. : Pilot Randomized Trial of a Caregiver-Mediated Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Intervention in Part C Early Intervention. Journal of Early Intervention 46(2), Dec 2023.

2022

Rogers, S., Stahmer, A.C., Talbot, M., Young, G., Fuller, E., Pellecchia, M., Barber, A., Griffin, E.  : Feasibility of Delivering Parent-Implemented NDBI Interventions in Low Resource Regions: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Study. Journal of Neurodevelopmental Disorders 14(3), Jan 2022 Notes: https://doi.org/10.1186/s11689-021-09410-0

Cidav, Z, Mandell, D.S., Ingersoll, B., Pellecchia, M.: Programmatic Costs of Project ImPACT for Children with Autism: A Time-Driven Activity Based Costing Study  Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research  50(3): 402-416, May 2022. PMCID: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10488-022-01247-6

Pellecchia, M., Mandell, D.S., Beidas, R.S., Dunst, C.J., Tomczuk, L., Newman, J., Zeigler, L., Stahmer, A.C.: Parent Coaching in Early Intervention for Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Brief Report.  Journal of Early Intervention 45(2): 185-197, Jun 2022.

Maddox, B. B., Phan, M. L., Byeon, Y. V., Wolk, C. B., Stewart, R. E., Powell, B. J., Okamura, K. H., Pellecchia, M., Becker-Haimes, E. M., Asch, D. A., & Beidas, R. S.: Short report: Metrics to evaluate implementation scientists in the USA: What matters most? Implementation Science Communications 3(75), Jul 2022.

2021

Gulsrud, A., Hyon, S. L., Hassrick, E. M., Iadarolla, S., Pellecchia, M.,... Stahmer, A.C.: It's who you know: Caregiver social networks predict service use among under-resourced children with autism. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders 88: 101843, Oct 2021.

Aranbarri, A., Stahmer, A.C., Talbott, M.R., Miller, M.E., Drahota, A., Pellecchia, M., Barber, A.B., Griffith, E. M., Morgan, E.H., & Rogers, S.J.: Examining US Public Early Intervention for Toddlers With Autism: Characterizing Services and Readiness for Evidence-Based Practice Implementation. Frontiers in Psychiatry 12: 786138, Dec 2021.

Tomczuk, L., Stewart, R.E., Beidas, R.S.,  Mandell, D.S., Pellecchia, M.: Who Gets Coached? A Qualitative Inquiry into Community Clinicians' Decisions to Use Caregiver Coaching. Autism 26(3): 575-585, Dec 2021.

2020

Pellecchia, M, Marcus, SC, Spaulding, C, Seidman, M, Xie, M, Rump, K, Reisinger, EM, Mandell, DS: Randomized Trial of a Computer-Assisted Intervention for Children with Autism in Schools. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry 59(3): 373-380, Mar 2020 Notes: DOI: 10.1016/j.jaac.2019.03.029.

Nuske, H.J., Pellecchia, M., Kane, C., Seidman, M., Maddox, B.B., Freeman, L.M., Rump. K., Reisenger, E.M., Xie, M., Mandell, D.S. : Self-regulation is bi-directionally associated with cognitive development in children with autism. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology 68: 101139, May-June 2020.

Iadarola, S., Pellecchia., M., Stahmer, A.C., Lee, H.S., Hauptman, L., Hassrick, E.M., Crabbe, S., Vejnoska, S., Morgan, E., Nuske, H.J., Luelmo, P., Friedman, C., Kasari., C., Gulsrud, A., Mandell, D.S., Smith, T.  : Mind the gap: an intervention to support caregivers with a new autism spectrum disorder diagnosis is feasible and acceptable. Journal of Pilot and Feasibility Studies 6: 124, Sep 2020.

Pellecchia, M., Beidas, R.S., Lawson, G., Williams, N.J., Seidman, M., KImberly, J.R., Cannuscio, C.C., Mandell, D.S.: Does implementing a new intervention disrupt use of existing evidence-based autism interventions? Autism 24(7): 1713-1725, Oct 2020.

2019

Ouellette, R. R., Pellecchia, M., Beidas, R. S., Wideman, R., Xie, M., & Mandell, D. S.: Boon or burden: The effect of implementing evidence-based practices on teachers' emotional exhaustion. Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research. 46(1): 62-70, Jan 2019 Notes: doi: 10.1007/s10488-018-0894-6.

Beidas, R.S., Volpp, K.G., Buttenheim, A.G., Marcus, S.C., Olfson, M., Pellecchia, M., Stewart, R.E., Williams, N.J., Becker-Haimes, E.M., Candon, M., Cidav, Z., Fishman, J., Leiberman, A., Zentgraf, K., Mandell, D.S.: Transforming Mental Health Delivery Through Behavioral Economics and Implementation Science: Protocol for Three Exploratory Projects. JMIR Research Protocols 8(2): e12121, Feb 2019 Notes: doi: 10.2196/12121.

Kratz, H.E., Stahmer, A., Xie, M., Marcus, S.C., Pellecchia, M., Locke, J., Beidas, R., & Mandell, D.S.: The effect of implementation climate on program fidelity and student outcomes in autism support classrooms. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology 87(3): 270-281, Mar 2019 Notes: doi: 10.1037/ccp0000368. Epub 2018 Dec 20. PMCID: doi.org/10.1037/ccp0000368

Locke, J., Kang-Yi, C., Pellecchia, M., Mandell, D.S.: It's Messy but Real: A Pilot Study of the Implementation a Social Engagement Intervention for Children with Autism in Schools. Journal of Research in Special Educational Needs 19(2): 135-144, Apr 2019 Notes: doi: 10.1111/1471-3802.12436. Epub 2018 Aug 19.

Nuske, H.J., Finkel, E., Hedley, D., Parma, V., Tomczuk, L., Pellecchia, M., Herrignton, J., Marcus, S.C., Mandell, D.S., Dissanayake, C.: Heart rate increase predicts challenging behavior episodes in preschoolers with autism. Stress: The International Journal on the Biology of Stress 22(3): 303-311, May 2019 Notes: doi: 10.1080/10253890.2019.1572744. Epub 2019 Mar 1. PMCID: DOI:10.1080/10253890.2019.1572744

Nuske, H.J., Pellecchia, M., Lushin, V., Rump, K., Seidman, M., Ouellette, R.R., Cooney, D., Maddox, B.B., Lawson, G.M., Song, A., Reisinger, E.M., Mandell, D.S.: Do student characteristics affect teachers' decisions to use 1:1 instruction?  Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders 49(7): 2864-2872, Jul 2019 Notes: doi: 10.1007/s10803-019-04004-1. PMCID: doi.org/10.1007/s10803-019-04004-1

Nahmias, AS, Pellecchia, M, Stahmer, AC, Mandell, DS: Effectiveness of community-based early intervention for children with autism spectrum disorder: A meta-analysis. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry 60(11): 1200-1209, Nov 2019.

2017

Jill Locke, Christina D. Kang-Yi, Melanie Pellecchia, Steven C. Marcus, Trevor Hadley, David S. Mandell: Ethnic Disparities in School-Based Behavioral Health Service Use for Children with Psychiatric Disorders. Journal of School Health 87(1): 47-54, Jan 2017 Notes: doi: 10.1111/josh.12469.

2016

Pellecchia, M, Connell, JE, Kerns, CM, Xie, M, Marcus, SC, Mandell, DS: Child characteristics associated with outcome for children with autism in a school-based behavioral intervention. Autism: The International Journal of Research and Practice 20(3): 321-9, Apr 2016 Notes: doi: 10.1177/1362361315577518. Epub 2015 Apr 24.

Kang-Yi, CD, Locke, J, Pellecchia, M, Marcus, SC, Hadley, T, Mandell, DS : Decline in Medicaid-Funded One-to-One Behavioral Support Use in School as Children Age. School Mental Health 8(3): 344-353, Sep 2016 Notes: doi: 10.1007/s12310-015-9172-x. PMCID: 10.1007/s12310-015-9172-x

Pellecchia, M., Beidas, R.S., Marcus, S.C., Fishman, J., Kimberly, J.R., Cannuscio, C.C., Reisinger,E.M., Rump,K., & Mandel1, D.S.: Study Protocol: Implementation of a Computer Assisted Intervention for Autism in Schools: A Hybrid Type II Cluster Randomized Effectiveness-Implementation Trial. Implementation Science 11(1): 154, Nov 2016.

2015

Pellecchia, M, Connell, JE, Beidas, R, Xie, M, Marcus, SC, Mandell, DS: Dismantling the Active Ingredients of an Intervention for Children with Autism  Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders  45(9): 2917-27, Sep 2015 Notes: doi: 10.1007/s10803-015-2455-0.

2011

Pellecchia, M, Connell, JE, Eisenhart, D, Kane, M, Schoener, C, Turkel, K, Riley, M,  Mandell, DS: We're All in This Together Now: Group Performance Feedback to Increase Classroom Team Data Collection  Journal of School Psychology 49(4): 411-431, Aug 2011.

2007

Pellecchia, M, Hineline, PN: Generalization of Mands in Children with Autism from Adults to Peers. The Behavior Analyst Today 8: 483-491, 2007.

2024

Hernandez, A.M., Straitton, D., Mandell, D.S., Crabbe, S. & Pellecchia, M.: Construct Validity of Parent Empowerment and Coaching in Early Intervention(PEACE) Caregiver Coaching Fidelity Tool Poster presented at the Annual Meeting of the International Society for Autism Research, Melbourne, Australia. May 2024.

2023

Caruthers, C, Hocheimer, S., Iadarola, S., Pellecchia, M., Gulsrud, A., Hassrick, E.M, Mandell, D., Stahmer, A., & Kasari, C.: Comparison of Natural Language Processing and Traditional Qualitative Analyses of Caregiver Feedback of a Community-Based Intervention for Children with ASD. Poster presented at the Annual Meeting of International Society for Autism Research, Stockholm, Sweden. May 2023.

Crabbe, S.R., Marcus, S.C., Xie, M, Mandell, D.S., Ingersoll, B.R., Pellecchia, M.: Factors that Predict Families' Engagement in Publicly-Funded Early Intervention Services. Poster presented at the International Society for Autism Research 22nd Annual Meeting, Stockholm, Sweden May 2023.

Hernandez, A.M., Mandell, D. S., Ingersoll B. R., Crabbe, S. R., Carranco, D. E., Pellecchia, M.: The Association of Family Characteristics and Clinicians' Use of Caregiver Coaching in Early Intervention.  Poster presented at the International Society for Autism Research 22nd Annual Meeting, Stockholm, Sweden.  May 2023.

McGhee Hassrick E., Iadarola S., Pellecchia M., Gulsrus A., Shih W., Hyon S.L., Vejnoska S., Fitzgerald A., León-Thomas M., Hochheimer S., Straiton D., Luelmo P., Morgan E., Nuske H., Li J., Garcia C., Yu Y., Cho M.E., Jones F., Mandell D., Kasari C., Stahmer A.: Unequal access to professional supporters: the importance of peer navigators to support historically marginalized and minoritized families build connections and empowerment with service professionals. Oral presentation delivered at the Annual Meeting of the International Society for Autism Research (INSAR) Annual Meeting, Stockholm, Sweden.   May 2023.

Pellecchia, M., Mandell, D.S., Beidas, R.S., Tomczuk, L., Lawson, G., Stahmer, A.C.: Parent Empowerment and Coaching in Early Intervention: Implementation Strategies to Support Caregiver Coaching in Community Settings. Poster presented at the Annual Meeting of the International Society for Autism Research, Stockholm, Sweden. May 2023.

Tomczuk, L., Stewart, R.E., Beidas, R.S., Mandell, D.S., Pellecchia, M.: Shareholder Suggestions: Implications for Policy Changes to Improve Publicly Funded Early Intervention for Autistic Children. Poster presented at the Annual Meeting for the International Society of Autism Research: Stockholm, Sweden. May 2023.

Yu, Y., Stahmer, A.C., Hassrick, E.M., Iadarola, S., Kasari,C., Mandell, D., and Pellecchia, M.: Caregiver attendance pattern in a caregiver-focused intervention for families of children with autism. Poster presented at the Annual Meeting of the International Society for Autism Research, Stockholm, Sweden. May 2023.

2022

Stahmer, A.C., Vejnoska, S.F., Iadarola, S., Pellecchia, M., Gulsrud, A., Mandell, D., & Kasari, C.: Reducing disparities in early intervention service access by increasing community partnership and employment in research. In L. Hall (chair), Fostering Authentic Community Engagement. Symposium presented at the Conference on Research Innovations in Early Intervention, San Diego, CA February 2022.

Cidav, Z., Mandell, D.S., Ingersoll, B., Pellecchia, M. : Costing Implementation and Intervention in Hybrid Trials: Project ImPACT for Young Children with Autism. 5th Annual UK Implementation Science Research Conference July 2022.

Lawson, G., Mandell, D.S., Tomczuk., L., Marcus, S., Fishman, J., & Pellecchia, M.: New frontiers in understanding the multilevel nature of implementation: recommendations and empirical applications of multilevel theory and research. Oral Presentation Delivered at the Society for Implementation Research Collaboration Conference, San Diego, CA. August 2022.

Tomczuk, L., Lawson, G., Pellecchia, M.: Sorting out the CHAOS: A mixed-method analysis of home environment as perceived by families of young autistic children.  Poster presented at the American Public Health Association Annual Meeting & Expo, Boston, MA. 2022.

2024

Pellecchia M. "Discussant: Community-partnered research to improve mental health assessment and treatment for autistic individuals," Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies Annual Convention, Philadelphia, PA. Nov 2024.

Pellecchia M. "Leveraging Community Partnerships to Develop Implementation Strategies to Support the Use of Caregiver Coaching for Autism," Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies Annual Convention, Philadelphia PA. Nov 2024.

Pellecchia M. "Caregiver Coaching in Caregiver-Mediated Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Interventions," NDBI Connections Conference, Virtual. Oct 2024.

Pellecchia M. "Implementing A Caregiver-Mediated Intervention for ASD in Early Intervention: Fidelity and Children's Outcomes," Association for Behavior Analysis International, Philadelphia, PA. May 2024.

Pellecchia M. "Supporting Caregivers in Early Autism Intervention," Temple University School Psychology, Counseling Psychology, and ABA conference, Philadelphia, PA. Mar 2024.

2023

Pellecchia M. "Embracing Neurodiversity in Applied Behavior Analysis," Elwyn Summit on Neurodiversity, Media, PA. Dec 2023.

Pellecchia M. "Disparities in Early Autism Treatment," Lincoln University, Lincoln University, PA. Apr 2023.

Pellecchia M. The Evolution of Applied Behavior Analysis, Elwyn Community Lecture Series, Media, PA. Apr 2023.

2022

Pellecchia M. "Engaging Parents in Early Autism Treatment," Community Behavioral Health, Philadelphia. Mar 2022.

2023

D'Agostino, S., Duenas, A., Bravo, A., Tyson, K., Straiton, D., Salvatorre, G., Pacia, C, Pellecchia, M. : Toward deeper understanding and wide-scale implementation of naturalistic developmental behavioral interventions. Autism: International Journal of Research and Practice 27(1): 253-258, 2023.

Duenas, A., D'Agostino, S., Bravo, A., Horton, E., Jobin, A., Salvatorre, G., Straiton, D., Tyson, K., Pellecchia, M.: Beyond the Task List: A Proposed Integration of Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Interventions to BCBA Training. Behavior Analysis in Practice 16(3), 2023.

Pellecchia, M., Arnold, K., Tomczuk, L., Beidas, R.S.: Engaging Stakeholders. Practical Implementation Science: Moving Evidence Into Action. Weiner, B.J., Lewis, C.C., Sherr, K. (eds.). Springer, New York. Page: 133-154, 2023.

Siller, M., Landa, R., Vivanti, G., Ingersoll, B., Jobin, A., Murphy, M., Pellecchia, M., Boyd, B., D'Agostino, S., Zierhut Ursu, C., Stapej-Wax, J., Fuhrmeister, S., Morgan, L.  : Bridging Priorities Between Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Interventions for Autism and Educational Practice in Inclusive Early Childhood Education. Topics in Early Childhood Special Education 2023.

2020

Nuske, H.J., Pellecchia, M., Lushin, V., Mandell, D.S.: Student Characteristics and Teachers' Decisions to Use 1:1 Instruction. Encyclopedia of Autism Spectrum Disorders  Volkmar, F. (eds.). Springer, New York, NY, 2: 4651-4656, 2020.

Vivanti, G., & Pellecchia, M.: Applied Behavior Analytic approaches to early intervention for Autism Spectrum Disorder.  Clinical Guide to Early Interventions for Children with Autism. Vivanti, G., Bottema-Beutel, K., Turner- Brown, L.  (eds.). Springer, 1: 79-91, 2020.

2019

Pellecchia, M, Iadarola, S, Stahmer, AC: How meaningful is more? considerations regarding intensity in early intensive behavioral intervention.  Autism 23(5): 1075-1078, 2019.

Pellecchia, M., Dickson, K., Vejnoska, S., Stahmer, A.: The Autism Spectrum: Diagnosis and Epidemiology. APA Handbook of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. L.M. Glidden, L. Abbeduto, M.J. Tasse (eds.). American Psychological Association, Page: 207-238, 2019.

2018

Pellecchia, M., Mandell, D.S., Nuske, H.J., Azad, G., Wolk, C.B., Maddox, B.B., Reisinger, E.M., Skriner, L.C., Adams, D.R., Stewart, R., Hadley, T., Beidas, R.S.: Community Academic Partnerships in Implementation Research. Journal of Community Psychology 46(7): 941-952, 2018.

2015

Stahmer, A, Pellecchia, M: Moving Toward a More Ecologically Valid Model of Parent-implemented Interventions in Autism. Autism: The International Journal of Research and Practice 19: 259-261, 2015.

2014

Connell, JE, Pellecchia, M, Vorndran, CM: Classroom Interventions for Youth with Pervasive Developmental Disorders/ Autism Spectrum Disorders. Handbook of School Mental Health, Second Edition, Issues in Clinical Child Psychology. Weist, M, Lever, N, Owens, J (eds.). Springer, Page: 427-440, 2014.