Biography
Dr. Jennifer McFarland-Whisman is behavior analyst and an Associate Professor in the Special Education Department at Marshall University. She has worked in the field for more than 30 years. Beyond teaching general special education courses she coordinates and teaches the autism coursework leading to the West Virginia (WV) autism teaching endorsement. From 1991 to 2008, she was the Associate Director of the WV Autism Training Center (WVATC). She has extensive experience working with local school systems to develop/modify classrooms and curricula for school-aged students with autism, as well as facilitating school teams to implement positive behavior intervention and support. For the past 10 years, she was the lead facilitator for the WV Birth to Three Autism Leadership Team and a member of their Social/Emotional Leadership Team. She is currently a member of the WV Birth to Three Coordinating Council, a governor appointed position. She was the recipient of the Barbara P. Guyer Award for Excellence in Service Award, the Dr. Dorothy “Dot” Hicks Faculty Award for Excellence in Teaching, the West Virginia Autism Society Professional of the Year Award, and the TASH Positive Approaches Award. Her interests include positive behavior intervention and support, system’s change, family and teacher support, and team facilitation.