Meet Our Founders

Dr. June Groden

Dr. June Groden holds a Ph.D. and Master of Arts degrees in psychology from Boston College, in addition to a Master of Education from Rhode Island College, and a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration from New York University.

Dr. Groden served on the clinical faculty at the University of Rhode Island and was also a visiting lecturer at the Center for the Study of Human Development at Brown University. Dr. Groden has developed specialized programs in the areas of behavior therapy and parent skills training and maintains a private practice, consulting with school systems and other institutions. She serves on the Panel of Professional Advisors of the Autism Society of America.

As a researcher, Dr. Groden has developed techniques to promote relaxation in special needs children and adults and has implemented programs that utilize imagery procedures for persons on the autism spectrum and with developmental disabilities. She has written numerous articles and book chapters on stress, relaxation, and picture rehearsal.

Dr. Gerald Groden

We were saddened by the passing of Dr. Gerald “Gerry” Groden in March 2017. Dr. Groden received his BA and MA from the University of Vermont, and his Ph.D. from Purdue University in Clinical Child Psychology. He taught psychology, human development, and related courses at the University of Rhode Island, Brown University, Rhode Island College, and Indiana University.

Dr. Groden participated in developing the first multi-agency cooperative early intervention program in Rhode Island and was Director of Psychology at the Rhode Island Hospital Child Development Center. He consulted and lectured across the U.S. and internationally and is published widely in books and scientific journals on his research in the field of autism and child behavior disorders.

In 2002, Common Cause of Rhode Island honored him as an Executive Board Member of the Rhode Island Children’s Policy Coalition for effective volunteer citizen advocacy on behalf of Rhode Island’s most vulnerable children. In 2001, he received a Lifetime Achievement Award in Support of Persons with Autism, from the Rhode Island Chapter of Unlocking Autism. As part of Autism Awareness Month in 2018, Dr. Groden was named as one of 15 leaders who fought for Autism Awareness to further the causes of autism research and awareness.