Projects per year
Personal profile
Research Statement
Karola Dillenburger is Professor of Behaviour Analysis and Education and the Founding Director of the Centre for Behaviour Analysis at Queen's University Belfast.
She is a Board Certified Behaviour Analyst-Doctoral (BCBA-D), a certified behaviour analyst with the UK-Society for Behaviour Analysis (UKBAcert. PSA accredited), and a HCPC registered Clinical Psychologist.
Professor Dillenburger is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (AdvanceHE), and an Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society and has been adjunct Professor at multiple universities across Europe and Australia. She is International Guest Faculty at the Asia Pacific ABA Network Institute in Japan and international advisor for Behaviour Momentum in India. Her teaching focus is on behaviour analysis, autism, and professionalisation.
Her research focuses on meeting the needs of the autism community nationally and internationally; developing compassionate behaviour analytic interventions to support vulnerable children and adults, explicating parenting across the lifespan, and elucidating trauma, bereavement, and stress. She has successfully supervised many PhD students and invites applications from those interested in doctoral research in any area of behaviour analysis.
She is published widely in high-impact international journals and has delivered invited keynote addresses and lectures in Europe, America, Asia, and Australia. Her books include:
Applied Behaviour Analysis-based Interventions for Autism Spectrum Disorder: Bridging theory and practice (Routledge; 2025).
Job Coaches for persons with disabilities: A practical guide (Jessica Kingsley Publishers; 2019).
A seat at the table: Families affected by Autism (Amazon Kindle Publication; 2015).
Child Neglect and Behavioural Parent Education: Research and Practice (Russell House; 2014).
Behaviour Analysis: A Primer (ibooks; 2012)
Applied behaviour analysis and autism: Building a future together (Jessica Kingsley Publishers; 2006).
Parents’ Education as Autism Therapists. Applied behaviour analysis in context (Jessica Kingsley Publishers; 2000). Translated in Japanese 2005; translated in German 2013.
Advances in Behaviour Analysis (University College Dublin Press; 1997).
The abuse of women within childcare work (Open University Press; 1995).
Violent bereavement: Widows in Northern Ireland (Ashgate Publishing Company, 1992).
In 2024 she was awarded the Gold Medal from Masarky University, Czech Republic in recognition of her outstanding contribution to science, culture, higher education, and public life, including her commitment to the struggle for human rights and dignity.
She is the lead academic for the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Queen’s and Masaryk University in the Czech Republic.
In 2024, she was elected as the President of the European Association for Behaviour Analysis.
In 2025 she was appointed Fellow of the Association for Behavior Analysis International (ABAI).
Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
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Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
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R3346EDU: Helping the most vulnerable out of the poverty trap ......
Dillenburger, K. (PI)
01/08/2011 → …
Project: Research
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R3225EDU: OFMDFM - Equality and Social Need Research ( Dr Dillenburger)
Dillenburger, K. (PI)
01/08/2009 → …
Project: Research
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S2295EDU: KTP/Peat (Parents' Education As Autism Therapists)
Dillenburger, K. (PI)
01/08/2009 → …
Project: ktp
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European Qualification Profile of Job Coach for Persons with Disabilities
Matuska, E. (Editor) & Job Coach Project team, 2017, European Commission. 13 p.Research output: Book/Report › Commissioned report
Open AccessFile665 Downloads (Pure) -
Guideline for handling specific disabilities
Job Coach Project team, 2017, European Commission. 37 p.Research output: Book/Report › Commissioned report
Open AccessFile706 Downloads (Pure) -
National adapted qualification concept for the Job Coach for persons with disabilities
Dillenburger, K. & McKerr, L., 2017, European Commission. 8 p.Research output: Book/Report › Commissioned report
Open AccessFile341 Downloads (Pure) -
European quality standards for the profession Job Coach for persons with disabilities
Job Coach Project, 2016, European Commission. 18 p.Research output: Book/Report › Commissioned report
Open AccessFile165 Downloads (Pure) -
User Centered Reading Intervention for Individuals with Autism and Intellectual Disability
Yakkundi, A., Dillenburger, K., Goodman, L. & Dounavi, K., 13 Sept 2017, Harnessing the Power of Technology to Improve Lives. Netherlands: IOS Press, Vol. 242. p. 249-256 (Studies in Health Technology and Informatics; vol. 242).Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter (peer-reviewed) › peer-review
Open AccessFile2 Citations (Scopus)664 Downloads (Pure)
Prizes
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Faculty poster award 2016
Liao, Y. (Recipient) & Dillenburger, K. (Recipient), Jun 2016
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
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Fellow of Association for Behavior Analysis International
Dillenburger, K. (Recipient), 09 Dec 2024
Prize: Fellowship awarded competitively
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Gold Medal from Masaryk University, Czech Republic
Dillenburger, K. (Recipient), 31 Jan 2024
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
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Gold Medal from Masaryk University, Czech Republic
Dillenburger, K. (Recipient), 31 Jan 2024
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
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Outstanding Service/Project Award (Professional)
Dillenburger, K. (Recipient), 2006
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
Activities
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QUB Learning and Teaching Conference
Brennan, C. (Participant), Gormley, G. (Participant), M, D. (Participant), Dillenburger, K. (Participant) & Mickey, K. (Participant)
28 Mar 2018Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Participation in conference
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Applied Behaviour Analysis in Northern Europe
Dillenburger, K. (Organiser)
24 Jan 2018 → 26 Jan 2018Activity: Talk or presentation types › Invited talk
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Pediatrics & Pediatrics Neurology 2017, Prague, Czech Republic
Dillenburger, K. (Participant)
30 Aug 2017 → 02 Sept 2017Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Participation in conference
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Autism research at Queen’s
Dillenburger, K. (Advisor) & McKerr, L. (Advisor)
09 Jun 2017Activity: Talk or presentation types › Invited talk
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An exploration into the lived experiences of parents implementing behavioural interventions to children with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Dillenburger, K. (Examiner)
12 Sept 2024Activity: Examination types › PhD external examination
Press/Media
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Wakefield paper, 25 year anniverary on February 28th
22/02/2023
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Expert Comment
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BBC Autism and employment. Expert interview by Sara Neill/Cormac Campbell (6/5/2021)
06/05/2021
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Expert Comment
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BBC Radio Ulster. Sunday Sequence. Audrey Carville interview in response to news story about disgraced L'Arche founder Jean Vannier (8/3/2020)
08/03/2020
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Expert Comment
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Impacts
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seamlessCare (https://seamlesscare.ie/history/)
Dillenburger, K. (Participant)
Impact: Societial Impact