Leslie Neely

Leslie Neely is a Professor of Educational Psychology and Assistant Dean for Transdisciplinary Research Development at the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA), College of Education and Human Development. She serves as Director of the Child and Adolescent Policy Research Institute and Associate Director of the Brain Health Consortium. Her work bridges applied behavior analysis (ABA) with technology integration for children with autism and developmental disabilities.

• Ph.D., Educational Psychology, Texas A&M University (2015)
• M.Ed., Applied Behavior Analysis and Special Education, Texas A&M University (2012)
• B.S., Civil Engineering, University of Texas at Austin (2006)

Dr. Neely’s research focuses on severe behavior intervention in autism, using ABA principles to replace aggression, self-injury, and property destruction with functional communication. She leads an interdisciplinary lab incorporating artificial intelligence, augmented reality, and virtual reality into therapeutic and educational frameworks. Her work addresses critical health risks (e.g., concussion from head banging) and long-term outcomes like institutionalization.

Recent publications emphasize AI-augmented ABA, telehealth training for caregivers, and wearable technology for behavioral measurement. She holds multiple NSF grants for AI-driven platforms and coordinated care systems. Awards include the Cloud Technology Endowed Fellowship and Presidential Teaching and Research Awards from UTSA.

• Cloud Technology Endowed Fellowship (2021-2022)
• Presidential Teaching Award – Tenure Track (2020)
• Presidential Research Award (2017)

Dr. Neely trains caregivers and professionals via telehealth, co-developed curricula for behavior analysts, and evaluates cultural responsiveness in educational interventions. Her lab collaborates with computer science, engineering, and kinesiology experts to advance personalized treatment models.