Three colleagues with long professional relationships have banded together to provide the Hudson Valley and nearby areas with the best in services for youngsters with psychological and behavioral challenges.  These capable and congenial experts in behavior disorders of children and youth provide your family or agency with specialized strategies for redirecting children and youth at risk for academic and social failure. 

  The Directors

Tom McIntyre, Ph.D.

A former teacher of students with behavior disorders and learning disabilities, Tom now serves as the Coordinator of the Graduate Program in Behavior Disorders, and Professor of Special Education at Hunter College of the City University of New York.  He has served as President of the International Teacher Educators of Children with Behavior Disorders, and the New York State Council for Children with Behavior Disorders.

    “Dr. Mac” is the author of over 150 articles that promote practical, positive, and respectful management of disruptive, defiant, and aggressive behavior.  He also writes and presents widely on issues facing immigrant and bi-cultural children.  He has directed several federally funded grant projects to train teachers to work with students with disorders of behavior in both public schools and juvenile correctional settings.

    Tom’s third book, " The Behavior Survival Guide for Kids: How to Make Good Choices and Stay Out of Trouble ", is the only book written FOR kids with behavior challenges and disorders.  His humorous and helpful online resource for teachers, "BehaviorAdvisor.com", is the world’s most visited behavior management web site.

    Tom has been recognized with with numerous awards from educational organizations for his research endeavors, extensive service, excellence in teaching, and web site design and content.  An expert on school safety and the mind of school shooters, his video and print interviews with Reuters and Associated Press news services have appeared world wide.  He has been interviewed by WABC radio, the American Urban Radio Network, and the Catholic Channel, among others.  Locally, he has been interviewed on WNBC-TV and has appeared multiple times on News12 Westchester. 

Joseph Perez

Now a high school English teacher for incarcerated youth at the Westchester County Correctional Facility, Joe serves as Academic Team Leader and Coordinator of both Academic Intervention Services and Special Education Services at the Sprain Brook Academy.  Previously, he taught high school English and adult classes at Rikers Island Prison.  The vast majority of his more than 15 years teaching experience have been spent positively affecting the lives of students with severe behavioral issues.

    Joe has received several teaching honors: Runner up of New York State Teacher of the Year; New York State Council for Exceptional Children's Teacher of the Year; Nomination for a Disney Excellence in Teaching Award and a U.S.A. Today All-Star Teacher Award.  He is also a recipient of the Baruch College Alumni Association Achievement Award.  Joe is active in a number of professional organizations including: The Council for Exceptional Children, National Council of Teachers of English, New York State English Council, International Education Honors Society, National Correctional Education Association, and the New York State Association of Incarcerated Education Programs.

   For many years, Mr. Perez has served in several advisory capacities to the Chancellor of the New York State Department of Education on regulations and directives pertaining to educational policy, teacher training, and professional standards and practices.

       Joe holds a B.A. in English and a masters degree in Special Education (Behavior Disorders) in addition to two years of graduate study at Southern Illinois University where he was a research fellow in both the English and Reading Departments.  He is currently a Doctoral Fellow at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York.  Joe is a long-term Adjunct Professor with the Behavior Disorders Program at Hunter College, and previously taught Freshman English at Southern Illinois University.

Senior Associate

Ellis Barowsky, Ph.D.

Presently the Chairperson in the Department of Special Education at Manhattanville College in Purchase, Dr. Barowsky previously worked for three decades as a Professor of Special Education and the Co-ordinator of the Graduate Program in Behavior Disorders at Hunter College.  There he was honored by the School of Education with the Ladas Award for Exemplary Teaching.  A former classroom teacher, Ellis has supervised teacher candidates throughout much of his career.  As a licensed Clinical Psychologist for over 30 years, Dr. Barowsky has evaluated and treated over two thousand individuals with behavior, learning, and developmental disabilities.

    Dr. Barowsky currently holds office on multiple agency boards for individuals with developmental disabilities as well as the NYS Office of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities Surrogate Decision Making Committee.

    His involvement with individuals with emotional and behavior disorders extends to the legal and correctional systems.  He has authored or collaborated on multiple federal grants for training teachers of adjudicated or incarcerated children and adolescents.

            Ellis also serves as an expert witness to the courts to evaluate the competence of adolescents with emotional and behavioral disabilities awaiting trial.  Among his 40 presentations, book chapters, and peer reviewed publications in education, psychology, and medicine, one can find an array of issues related to the needs of children with developmental problems and emotional and behavioral disorders. 

*The leadership of Hudson Valley Education Associates and BehaviorDrs.com is highly knowledgeable and extensively skilled in all behavior change approaches including Applied Behavior Analysis, Cognitive Behavioral, Ecological, and Psycho-Educational.  We can develop behavior change action plans specific to the needs of a particular youngster.  Additionally, we are connected with a wide variety of child specialists and professionals who work with us on an as-needed basis.  They bring extensive professional credentials and experience to their work.