Our People
Cecelia McCarton, M.D., Founder and Executive Director
Dr. Cecelia McCarton is the founder and president of The McCarton Center for Developmental Pediatrics (1998), The McCarton School (2002), and The McCarton Foundation for Developmental Disabilities (2002). Prior to undertaking these projects, she served as clinical director of the Center for Communicative Disorders at the Rose F. Kennedy Center at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine.
Dr. McCarton received her M.D. from Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University (AECOM) and completed her residency in pediatrics at Bronx Municipal Hospital Center. Dr. McCarton also received two post-doctoral fellowships from the department of psychiatry at AECOM and the Rose F. Kennedy Center for Research in Mental Retardation and Human Development.
Dr. McCarton has taught pediatrics for more than 30 years and is a clinical professor of pediatrics at AECOM.
Ivy Feldman, Ph.D, Education Director
Dr. Ivy Feldman has been educational director of the McCarton School since 2002. As such, Dr. Feldman is responsible for the curriculum, behavioral planning, and setting of the educational policies at the McCarton School. She also provides ongoing staff training and coordinating educational planning with parents and outside therapists. Dr. Feldman is licensed psychologist specializing in child psychology and a Board Certified Behavior Analyst.
Dr. Feldman received her M.A. in psychology from New York University and a Ph.D. in clinical psychology from St. John’s University, Queens, New York. She has worked as a special education teacher at League School in Brooklyn and provided home-based Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) therapy, supervision, and consultation.
In addition to her work with special-needs children, Dr. Feldman has done research with high-risk infants. Her work has been published in medical journals, and she has presented her findings at several national and international conferences.
Peter F. Gerhardt, Ed.D.
Dr. Peter Gerhardt is the Director of Education – Upper School for the McCarton School in New York City. Dr. Gerhardt has over 30 years experience utilizing the principles of Applied Behavior Analysis in support of adolescents and adults with ASD in educational, employment, residential, and community-based settings. He is the author or co-author of articles and book chapters on the needs of adolescents and adults with autism spectrum disorder and he has presented nationally and internationally on this topic. In addition, Dr. Gerhardt serves as Chairman of the Scientific Council for the Organization for Autism Research, on the Editorial Board of Behavior Analysis in Practice, and on numerous professional advisory boards including the Autism Society of America. Dr. Gerhardt received his doctorate from the Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey Graduate School of Education.
Dr. Gerhardt’s research interests include issues related to intensity of behavior analytic instruction with adolescents and adults; community integration and employment, development of adaptive behavior competencies, positive behavior supports with complex individuals; and the use of technology to support community safety and independence.
Jacquelin Hickey, M.Ed, Associate Educational Director
Jacquelin Hickey is the associate educational director of The McCarton School, helping create individualized educational and behavioral curricula, supervising and training staff, and performing comprehensive evaluations and analyses of each child. Prior to this position, Ms. Hickey worked as an ABA supervisor at The McCarton Center.
Ms. Hickey received an M.S. Ed. in special education from State University of New York at New Paltz and has since worked with children with autism in a variety of public and private school settings. Ms. Hickey is a board-certified behavior analyst and a New York State-certified special educator.
