Brenda Fossett, Ph.D., BCBA-D is an inspired teacher who is widely admired for her ability to convey complex concepts to those who live and work with children and adults who have developmental disabilities. Brenda began her career in 1993 as a teacher of Deaf children with developmental disabilities at the BC School for the Deaf and, since that time, has provided support to deaf, hard of hearing, deafblind and hearing children, youth, and adults with developmental disabilities in home, school, and community settings.

Brenda completed both her Master of Arts and Ph.D at the University of British Columbia in the Department of Educational Psychology and Special Education. Her master’s research, completed under the supervision of Dr. Pat Mirenda, compared two picture-based procedures for teaching sight word reading to children with developmental disabilities. Her doctoral research, completed under the supervision of Dr. Joe Lucyshyn, focused on providing training in Functional Behavior Assessment and Positive Behavior Support, in American Sign Language, to a group of Deaf professionals supporting deaf and hard of hearing children and youth and supervising one Deaf service provider in conducting a Functional Behavior Assessment and implementing Positive Behavior Support in three home-based routines with a deaf child diagnosed with autism and cerebral palsy.

Brenda has served as a sessional instructor, an Assistant Professor, and an Adjunct Professor at various college and universities in British Columbia and Alberta. Brenda is currently on faculty in the Applied Behavior Analysis-Autism Department at Capilano University and heads up the DeafPlus Support Team, a group of behavior analytic consultants with expertise supporting Deaf and Hard of Hearing individuals with developmental disabilities. Brenda is also a sought after speaker in the areas of Positive Behavior Support, Visual Support Strategies, Augmentative and Alternative Communication, and the education of DeafPlus learners.