Harla Frank
Biography
Harla Frank earned her Master of Science (MS) degree in Psychology, with an emphasis in Applied Behavior Analysis, from Florida State University. Since receiving her certification as a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) in 2007, she has worked primarily with children and young adults diagnosed with autism. She has also worked with adults with a variety of diagnoses and needs in her private practice and for several companies in Colorado. She has served as an expert witness for Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) in the Colorado court system and has had the privilege of providing “ABA Strategies” training to foster care staff and foster care parents.
Beginning in December 2010, Harla taught ABA course sequences, as well as general psychology courses, for Purdue University Global’s Psychology Department – first as an adjunct instructor and, from February 2016 to March 2020, as a full-time ABA professor. During her time at Purdue Global, she revised many undergraduate ABA courses, as well as designed an ABA ethics course and the capstone course for ABA, to align with required standards for accreditation bodies and for the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB) and the Association for Behavior Analysis International.
She was a columnist for Behavior Analysis Quarterly until the publication was subsumed into Behavioral Science in the 21st Century, where she served as a Contributing Writer.
Harla has served as an associate faculty member at the University of Arizona Global Campus (UAGC) since November 2020. She has taught business courses, as well as general education, psychology, and applied behavioral science courses. She became a full-time assistant professor in Applied Behavioral Science at UAGC in January 2025.
Currently, Harla operates two podcasts entitled, “What’s in It for Me? Understanding Your Child’s Behavior” (This podcast seeks to share ABA methods and techniques in language those not schooled in ABA can understand.) and “The Science of Applied Behavior Analysis: Conversations with the Experts,” a legacy series dedicated to presenting the evolution of those who have shaped the science of applied behavior analysis (ABA).