About The Groden Network
Our Founders
Drs. June and Gerald Groden
Co-Executive Directors
June Groden holds a Ph.D. and masters of arts degrees in psychology from Boston College, in addition to a masters of education from Rhode Island College, and a bachelor of science degree in business administration from New York University.
Since 1976, Dr. Groden has been the executive director of the Groden Center in Providence, Rhode Island. For the past 32 years, she has been actively involved in numerous programs for people with autism, developmental disabilities, retardation and other behavioral problems. She has developed specialized programs in the areas of behavior therapy and parent skills training. Dr. Groden serves on the clinical faculty at the University of Rhode Island and is also a visiting lecturer at the Center for the Study of Human Development at Brown University. She maintains a private practice and is a consultant to school systems and other institutions. She serves on the Panel of Professional Advisors of the Autism Society of America.
As a researcher, Dr. Groden has developed techniques to promote relaxation in special needs children and adults and has implemented programs that utilize imagery procedures for persons with autism and retardation. Along with Joseph Cautela, she co-authored Relaxation: A Comprehensive Manual for Adults, Children, and Children with Special Needs, and has produced three videos on the use of relaxation procedures entitled Breaking the Barriers: Relaxation Techniques for People with Special Needs; Breaking the Barriers II: Imagery Procedures for People with Special Needs, and Breaking the Barriers III: Intensive Early Intervention and Beyond: A School-based Inclusion Program. She has written numerous articles and book chapters on stress, relaxation and picture rehearsal.
Gerald Groden received his BA and MA from the University of Vermont, and his Ph.D. from Purdue University in Clinical Child Psychology. Since 1976, Dr. Groden has served as
Co-Executive Director for The Groden Center in Providence, RI. He currently is a Visiting Adjunct Associate Professor at Brown University at the Center for the Study of Human Development, and an Adjunct Associate Professor of psychology at the University of Rhode Island, Department of Psychology. From 1966 until 1978, he served as Director of Psychology at the Rhode Island Hospital Child Development Center.
Dr. Groden participated in developing the first multi-agency cooperative early intervention program in Rhode Island. His position also included the Directorship of the Child Development Center Early Intervention Project. From 1963-1966, Dr. Groden was an assistant professor in at the Department of Pediatric Neurology at Indiana University Medical School. He has taught psychology and related courses in the fields of the exceptional child and abnormal development psychology at the University of Rhode Island Extension Division, Rhode Island College, and Indiana University.
Dr. Groden has published widely in books and scientific journals and has contributed to research in the field of autism and child behavior disorders. He co-edited, and authored chapters in Autism: Strategies For Change and is an author of Understanding Challenging Behavior: A Step-by-Step Behavior Analysis Guide. In 2001, he also co-authored Covert Positive Reinforcement for the Encyclopedia of Psychotherapy. Dr. Groden has consulted throughout the country and has lectured across the U. S. and internationally.
In 2002, Common Cause of Rhode Island honored him as an Executive Board Member of the Rhode Island Children’s Policy Coalition for effective volunteer citizen advocacy on behalf of Rhode Island’s most vulnerable children. In 2001 he received a Lifetime Achievement Award in Support of Persons with Autism, from the Rhode Island Chapter of Unlocking Autism.
