James M Bebko

Faculty & School/Dept.

Faculty of Health - Department of Psychology

Degrees

Ph.D. Psychology - 1980
York University

B.Sc. Psychology - 1970
Purdue University

M. Sc. Psychology - 1973
University of Alberta

Biography

Dr. James Bebko is a Registered Psychologist with a long-standing commitment to the fields of autism and developmental disabilities, as well as deafness, having worked with children, adolescents and families for more than 25 years. He is Professor and former Director of the Clinical-Developmental Psychology Programme at the Department of Psychology, York University, Toronto, Canada. He has been a Visiting Professor at Universities in Japan, France and the United States. Dr. Bebko has published research articles in some of the major research journals in autism, child development, deafness, and language disorders, and has been an invited speaker at a variety of regional and international conferences. He has been a consulting psychologist to many community agencies serving children with autism and developmental disabilities, as well as providing diagnostic, assessment, and consultation services directly to families.

Selected Publications

 

Publications in Refereed Journals:

Stevenson,R., Ruppel, J.,  Sun, S.,  Segers, M., Zapparoli, B., Bebko, J.,  Barense, M., Ferber, S. (2021) Visual working memory and sensory processing in autistic children Scientific Reports, 11, 3648. doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-82777-1

Bebko, J.M., Dahary, H, Goldstein, G., Porthukaran, A & Ferland, M. (2020). Organizational memory strategy training with children with autism spectrum disorder. Canadian Journal of Behavioural Science, doi:10.1037/cbs0000183.

Segers, M., Bebko, J. M., Zapparoli, B. L., & Stevenson, R. A. (2020). A pupillometry study of multisensory social and linguistic processing in autism and typical development. Developmental Psychology, 56(11), 2080–2094. https://doi.org/10.1037/dev0001090

Ncube, B. L., Shaikh, K. T., Ames, M. E., McMorris, C. A., & Bebko, J. M. (2018). Social support in postsecondary students with autism spectrum disorder. International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction, doi:10.1007/s11469-018-9972-y

McMorris, C. A., Baraskewich, J., Ames, M. A., Shaikh, K. T., Ncube, B. L., & Bebko, J. M. (2018). Mental health issues in post-secondary students with autism spectrum disorder: Experiences in accessing services. International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction, doi:10.1007/s11469-018-9988-3

Stevenson, R. A., Segers, M., Ncube, B. L., Black, K. R., Bebko, J. M., Ferber, S., & Barense, M. D. (2018). The cascading influence of low-level multisensory processing on speech perception in autism. Autism: International Journal of Research and Practice,  22 (5), 609-624, doi: 10.1177/1362361317704413

Bebko, J.M., Rhee, T., Ncube, B.L. & Dahary, H.  (2017) Effectiveness and retention of teaching memory strategy use to children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Canadian Journal of School Psychology, 1-21. doi:10.1177/0829573517699332

Black, K. R., Stevenson, R. A., Segers, M., Ncube, B. L., Sun, S. Z., Philipp-Muller, A., Bebko, J. M., Barense, M. D., & Ferber, S. (2017). Linking Anxiety and Insistence on Sameness in Autistic Children: The Role of Hypersensitivity. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 47.  doi 10.1007/s10803-017-3161-x.

Ames, M.E., McMorris, C.A., Hancock, L.N. & Bebko, J.M. (2016) Overview and Evaluation of A Mentorship Program for University Students with ASD.  Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 31(1) 27-36

Bebko, J. M., Rhee, T., McMorris, C. A., Ncube, B. L. (2015). Spontaneous strategy use in children with autism spectrum disorder: the roles of metamemory and language skills. Frontiers in Psychology, 6(182), 1-10.

Carvalho, M., Perry, A., Bebko, J.M. & Minnes, P (2014)  Social Inclusion of Ontario Children with Developmental Disabilities in Community Settings. Journal on Developmental Disabilities, 20(3)), 88-93  

Schroeder, JH., Cappadocia, CM, Bebko, JM,  Pepler, D., Weiss, J. (2014). Shedding Light on a Pervasive Problem: A Review of Research on Bullying Experiences Among Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. 44. 1520-1534.  Doi 10.1007/s10803-013-2011-8.

Bebko, J. M. , McMorris, C A., Metcalfe, A., Ricciuti, C. & Goldstein, G (2014). Language Proficiency and Metacognition as Predictors of Spontaneous Rehearsal in Children. Canadian Journal of Experimental Psychology, 68(1), 46-58.

Bebko, J.M. Schroeder J.H. & Weiss, J.A.,  (2013) The McGurk Effect in Children with Autism and Asperger Syndrome. Autism Research. 2013 Oct 17. doi: 10.1002/aur.1343. [Epub ahead of print]

Shuster, J., Perry, A., Bebko, J.M.,  Toplak, M.E. (2013)   "Review of Factor Analytic Studies Examining Symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorders". Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. 1-21.  doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10803-013-1854-3

McMorris, C.A., Brown, S.M. & Bebko, J.M. (2013) An Examination of Iconic Memory in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 43(8), 1956-1966.  DOI: 10.1007/s10803-012-1748-9

McMorris C.A., Cox, E., Hudson, M., Liu, X., and Bebko, J.M. (2013). The Diagnostic Process of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Implications for Early Identification and Intervention. Journal on Developmental Disabilities, 19(2), 42- 49.

McFee, K.H., Schroeder, J.H., Bebko, J.M., Thompson, M., Spolestra, M., Verbeek, L., & Manuel, K.. Casola, S. (2012) Evaluation of the Autism Ontario Realize Community Potential Program. Journal on Developmental Disabilities. 18 (3), 8-20.

Brown, S. & Bebko,J.M.  (2012) Generalization, Overselectivity, and Discrimination in the Autism Phenotype: A Review. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders.6(2), 733-740

Bebko, J.M., Rhee, T. , McMorris, C. & Segers, M. (2012), Automatization and Retention of Literacy Skills in Adult Learners.  Literacy and Numeracy Studies, 20(2), 17-36

Schroeder, J., Weiss, J. & Bebko, J.M.  (2011). CBCL profiles of children and adolescents with Asperger Syndrome: A review and pilot study.  Journal on Developmental Disabilities. 17, 26-37.

Schroeder, J.H., Desrocher, M., Bebko, J.M., & Cappadocia, M.C.  (2010). The neurobiology of autism: Theoretical applications.  Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 4(4), 555-564.

Weiss, J.A. &  Bebko, J. M. (2008) Participation in Special Olympics and Change in Athlete Self-Concept Over 42 Months. Journal on Developmental Disabilities. 14, 1-8.

Bebko, J.M., Schroeder, J.H., Weiss, J., Wells, K., McFee, K., Goldstein, G.M. (2008). The face of Autism research as reflected in the IMFAR looking glass. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 2, 385-394.

Bebko, J.M., Demark, J.L., Weiss, J. & Gomez, P. (2006) Discrimination of temporal synchrony in intermodal events by children with autism and children with developmental delays. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 47, 88-98.

Bebko, J.M., Demark, J.L., Im-Bolter, N,. & Mackewn A. (2005) Transfer, Control and Automatic Processing in a Complex Motor Task. Journal of Motor Behavior. 37, 465-474.

Bebko, J. M., Osborne, P. A., Majumder, S., Demark, J. L., Ricciuti, C., & Rhee, T. (2003). Acquisition and automatization of a complex task. Journal of Motor Behavior, 35, 109-118.

Bebko, J.M. & Calderon, R. & Treder, R. (2003) The Language Proficiency Profile-2: Assessing the language and communication skills of deaf children. Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education , 8, 438-451. (Invited)

Goldstein, G. & Bebko, J.M. (2003) The Profile of Multiple Language Proficiencies: A measure for evaluating language samples of deaf children. Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education , 8, 452-463.   

Freeman, N.L., Perry, A & Bebko, J.M. (2002) Behaviour is Communication: Nonverbal communicative behaviour in students with autism and instructors' responsivity. Journal on Developmental Disabilities, 9 (2), 145-155     

 Bebko, J.M. & Ricciuti, C (2000) Executive Functioning and Memory Strategy Use in Children with Autism: The Influence of Task Constraints on Spontaneous Rehearsal. Autism: An International Journal of Research and Practice, 4, 299-320. 

Chapters and Reviews:

Bebko, J.M. & Weiss, J. (2005) Mental Retardation. In Ammerman, R.T. (Ed.), Volume III: Child Psychopathology. Part of: Hersen, M. and Thomas, J.C. (Chief Eds.), Comprehensive Handbook of Personality and Psychopathology. New York: Wiley. Pp 233-253.

Bebko, J.M. & Luhaorg, H. (1998) The Development of Strategy Use and Metacognitive Processing in Mental Retardation: Some Sources of Difficulty. In Burack, J.A., Hodapp, R.M. & Zigler, E. (Eds.), Handbook of Mental Retardation and Development. Cambridge, UK:Cambridge University Press. Pp 382-407

Bebko, J.M. & McKinnon, E. E. (1998) Assessing pragmatic language skills in deaf children: The language proficiency profile. In M. Marschark & M.D. Clark (Eds). Psychological Perspectives on Deafness, Volume 2. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum. Pp.243-264.

Bebko, J. (1998) Invited book review of J Twachtman-Cullen (1997) A passion to believe. (A review of the Facilitated Communication Controversy), Autism: The International Journal of Research and Practice.

Other Research Outputs

 Bebko, J.M. (2003) The Language Proficiency Profile: Nonverbal (LPP-NV). An extension of the Language Proficiency Profile-2 for nonverbal or preverbal communicative behaviors.

Bebko , J.M. & McKinnon, E.E. (1993) Language Proficiency Profile.   (Now LPP-2: A language development measure to assess the pragmatic language skills of children using multiple means of communication [e.g., spoken English and American Sign Language], for whom existing single language measures are inaccurate). 

Affiliations

Canadian Psychological Association

INSAR (International Association of Autism Researchers)

College of Psychology of Ontario

Service/Community Activities

Asperger Mentoring Program at York University (a peer support group for students at York with Asperger Syndrome).
Established and Director

Supervision

Currently available to supervise graduate students: No

Currently taking on work-study students, Graduate Assistants or Volunteers: No

Available to supervise undergraduate thesis projects: No

Current Research

 Intermodal processing in young children with autism

Memory strategies and metamemory awareness in autism

Iconic memory and stimulus discrimination in autism

Control of the acquisition of information in developmentally disordered children

Evaluating language competence and cognitive processes in the profoundly deaf

Evaluation of treatment programmes for children and adolescents with autism

Research Projects

Asperger/ASD Mentoring Program
Establishing peer mentoring program for students at York with Asperger or ASDs
Role: Principal Investigator
Duration: Ongoing
Funded by: Other...

Go4Kidds
Great Outcomes for Kids Impacted by Severe Developmental Disabilities. Examining the social inclusion of individuals with moderate to severe developmental disabilities.
Role: Co-Principal Investigator
Year Funded: 2009
Duration: 3
Funded by: Canadian Institutes of Health Research