401 Groveland Avenue, Minneapolis, MN 55403 contact@autismrecoveryfoundation.org (612) 925-8364

Eric V. Larsson

Eric Larsson
Dr. Larsson with an original Skinner Box

Dr. Eric V. Larsson is currently the Executive Director of Clinical Services at the Lovaas Institute Midwest, where he implements a program of intensive early intervention services for families of children who suffer from severe behavior disorders.  This intensive early intervention program is widely regarded as one of the most thorough and highly supervised behavior therapy programs in the field.  Dr. Larsson is also conducting a systematic research evaluation of the effects of this high intensity program.  Dr. Larsson is a Licensed Psychologist and Board Certified Behavior Analyst-Doctoral.

Family is very important to Dr. Larsson.  He lives in Minneapolis with his soul-mate Kara Riedesel.  His wonderful daughter, Sarah Larsson, is a senior at Yale University.  There she is a member of the Women’s Slavic Chorus and the Glee Club.  She travels regularly to Kenya to support the development of women’s independence and to Bosnia and Herzegovina to support The Center for Peace Building.  His incredible son, Meers Larsson, is an avid skier, ultimate Frisbee player, and is ranked as a Brigadier in Halo, all while being on the honor roll as a sophomore at Minnetonka High School.

Dr. Larsson is recognized as an expert in early intervention, inclusive communities, severe behavior disorders, multiple handicaps, autism, the rights of individuals with disabilities, nonaversive treatment, Applied Behavior Analysis, and self-injurious behavior.  He has been providing intensive early intervention services since 1976, and has supervised such services since 1983.  He has consulted with over 200 programs including: social service agencies, schools, vocational programs, residential programs, advocacy agencies, and governmental agencies world-wide, including the University of Chicago, the St. Amant Centre in Winnipeg, Canada, the Young Autism Project of Pittsburgh, and the Fundacion Planeta Imaginario of Barcelona, Spain.  He served as Associate Research Director of the NIMH Multi-site Replication Study of the UCLA Young Autism Project.  He regularly consults on the development of Medicaid and insurance coverage for intensive early intervention.  In Minnesota, he authored a law for Medicaid coverage of intensive early intervention.  He was the incorporator and first Executive Director of the Autism Behavior Therapy Alliance and FEAT of Minnesota.  He is the honorary President of the Fundacion Planeta Imaginario in Barcelona, Spain.

He has published papers on such topics as early intervention, functional communication, autism, social skills, parenting, and human rights.  He has given over 70 presentations at the national and international level in such locations as Geilo, Norway; Granada, Spain; Boston, MA; San Francisco, CA; Orlando, FL; New York; NY; Washington, DC; Chicago, IL; Sacramento, CA; Buenos Aires, Argentina; Montreal, Canada; and Los Angeles, CA and 60 workshops on such topics as intensive early intervention, parenting, curriculum management, community leadership, behavior management, staff training, quality assurance, family violence, social skills, inclusive communities, autism, and consultation.  He holds adjunct appointments at several major universities, including the University of Minnesota, and the University of Kansas. He has received numerous state, private, and federal grants for a total of $1,180,000.  He served on the editorial board of the Consulting Psychology Journal, and is currently a board member of the Association for Professional Behavior Analysts and the Autism Advisory Board of the Cambridge Center for Behavioral Studies.

Dr. Larsson received his Doctoral degree in Developmental and Child Psychology from the University of Kansas, under the guidance of Drs. R. Vance Hall and Donald M. Baer.  While receiving his degree, he coordinated a “Handicapped Children’s Model Program” for the U.S. Office of Special Education, developing the comprehensive special education program for public schools on Indian reservations.  In addition, he has coordinated a community development project for preventing family violence in high-risk communities.  He has provided clinical treatment in a family violence program in a community mental health center.  He served as the Director of Community Services at the May Institute, an internationally recognized treatment program which provides a wide variety of services to individuals with severe behavior disorders in New England.  He served as the Director of Behavior Therapy Services for REM Health in Minnesota.  He has served on over 20 community and civic boards including the West Hennepin Human Services Planning Board, the Olmsted County Evaluation Sub-Committee, and has served as chair of Parents Anonymous of Minnesota, and as President of the Board of the Family Support Network.