Jessie Perrin ’17 (M) works alongside children with autism and disabilities

Jesse Perrin ’17 (M) grew up volunteering at many organizations, and he always gravitated towards the kids who were picked on or disadvantaged in some way, helping to mentor and teach them despite their challenges. After graduating from the University of Massachusetts (UMass) Dartmouth with a psychology degree in 2013, he decided to pursue a career working alongside children with autism and disabilities through behavior analysis.

“Life is difficult enough as it is, and if you really are at a disadvantage, it’s an obligation to help people who have less advantages than you,” Perrin said. “And behavior analysis provides the best tools to do that in my field.”

While Perrin started his master’s degree at UMass Dartmouth, he kept hearing about the behavior analysis program at Salve Regina and eventually made the leap to transfer and complete his degree at the University.

Jesse Perrin ’17 (M) is the lead behavior analyst at the J. Arthur Trudeau Memorial Center through its Pathways Strategic Teaching Center.

“The connections that I made while going to Salve … not only taught me a great deal in terms of coursework, but it’s a nice complement as well when you can work with them once you become a behavior analyst,” Perrin said.

Since 2013, Perrin has been the lead behavior analyst at the J. Arthur Trudeau Memorial Center’s Pathways Strategic Teaching Center, which is dedicated to helping children with autism and disabilities through comprehensive education and treatment. Perrin worked directly with children ranging from 8-14 years of age for about two years before gradually switching into a more research-driven role at Pathways.

“It was the most rewarding, best experience I’ve ever had in my life,” he said of his time working with students. “You’re teaching them academic and functional skills, but they are teaching you about what it’s like to really be challenged and overcome and try day after day the way that they do. I couldn’t teach them as much as they taught me.”

In Perrin’s current role, he works on various studies involving autism, disabilities and behavior analysis. Most of his research is passed on to staff members at Pathways, and his Salve Regina degree helped him tap into this passion for research at a higher level than ever before.

Perrin also teaches an elective course at Salve Regina, which has been a dream come true for him. He believes that now is the perfect time to enter the field of behavior analysis as well as study at Salve Regina, as the program is growing exponentially. “The opportunities the program should create within the next few years will really put it on the map — not only in Rhode Island, but most likely in all of New England,” he said.