Dr. Joyce C. Tu, Ed.D., BCBA-D, is Vice President, Clinical Transformation, Autism Services, for Easterseals Southern California (ESSC). She specializes in behavior analysis and supporting people with severe behaviors. ESSC’s Severe Behavior Services out-patient program is the only one of its kind on the West Coast.
According to the CDC, one in 44 children in the U.S. is diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), with one in 26 kids in California diagnosed with ASD. An estimated 10-15% of children with ASD and/or other developmental disabilities develop severe behaviors—that cause damage to oneself, others or property—in their lifetime.
Prior to ESSC, Dr. Tu was founder and director of Center for Behavioral Sciences (CBS) for 16 years, an ABA provider with more than 100 employees throughout California. CBS was acquired by ESSC in 2019 when Dr. Tu assumed her current position, launching the non-profit’s Severe Behavior Services out-patient program.
A recognized innovator and leader in the area of comprehensive services for people with autism and other disabilities, ESSC serves more than17,000 individuals with ASD, making it the largest autism services provider in SoCal.
A board-certified Behavior Analyst with a doctorate in educational psychology from West Virginia University, specializing in applied behavior analysis (ABA). Dr. Tu has more than 20 years of experience as an organizational leader, behavior analysis professor and practitioner, teaching behavior analysis in universities and providing ABA services, training, workshops and supervision in the U.S. and abroad.
Dr. Tu’s specialization and research interests are chiefly in verbal behavior, specifically, joint control and its role in listeners’ behavior. Her research appears in peer-reviewed journals, such as The European Journal of Behavior Analysis and The Analysis of Verbal Behavior. In 2011, Dr. Tu co-authored a Chinese-language textbook published by Peking University Press, including chapters on topics such as shaping, prompting/fading, chaining and generalization.
Dr. Tu has held numerous workshops and speaking engagements for professional organizations in the U.S. and abroad, such as the Ai You Foundation, ABA International (ABAI) and the California Association for Behavior Analysis (CalABA). She has served on the board of advisors for Best Buddies International; as Editor-in-Chief of Operants magazine; and on CalABA’s Board of Directors, including as its President. Dr. Tu serves as President of the B.F. Skinner Foundation from 2022-2025.
Additionally, Dr. Tu is founder and director of ABA Unlimited (ABAU), a behavior analysis consulting and continuing education provider. In 2021, ABAU developed a new verified ABA course sequence for Peking University School of Medical Education in Beijing, where Dr. Tu serves as an ABA professor.
