Over her professional career, Laura Backen Jones has worked with parents of children who have developmental disabilities, creating programs to support effective parenting and children’s healthy development. Laura has been working in the field of parenting as a researcher and practitioner for over 25 years.  Her research and practice are focused on promoting nurturing practices among parents, families, and teachers, as she has worked in the community setting as a family service practitioner, teacher, and developer of evidence-informed curricula for families and schools. For over 10 years, Laura was the director of a community parenting program serving 75 parents each week. She is coauthor of Parenting: The First Three Years, a group-based parenting program. In addition, Laura has developed numerous online programs for parents, including Two Families Now: Effective Parenting through Separation and Divorce, an online evidence-based program for separating and divorcing parents used nationwide. Laura has also worked with the local community and school systems coordinating and delivering mental health services for children and families.  

I am the owner of Double S Instructional Systems and have received federal funding for over 20 National Institutes of Health Small Business grant projects. I have developed instructional programs on dangerous drug prevention, nutrition, weight loss and exercise, leisure, future planning, stress reduction, anger management, and abuse prevention for people with developmental disabilities and their support providers · For 12 years I worked first as a teacher and then as an administrator in charge of programs for high school students with developmental disabilities. At that time, I supervised classrooms for students with autism and other developmental disabilities. · I ran a foster care home for individuals with autism and intellectual disabilities for seven years. I also worked as a consultant for group homes helping staff with adults with disabilities who had a range of anger management problems. · I am the coauthor of Managing the Cycle of Meltdowns for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder. · I have worked as a therapist for a local counseling center and specialized in helping individuals with a variety of mental health problems. · I currently provide training to individuals with developmental disabilities, parents, care providers, and professionals-- helping them to adopt a healthier lifestyle and also helping them manage their stress by using mindfulness techniques.