Directory

Biography

Dr. Gerard Costa is a licensed developmental psychologist and founding director of the Center for Autism and Early Childhood Mental Health at Montclair State University. He holds certificates in the Brazelton Touchpoints model, DIR-C®, and Infant Mental Health. He was a gubernatorial appointment to the New Jersey Council for Young Children; and is Principal Investigator of the New Jersey Autism Center of Excellence (ACE) Coordinating Center at Montclair State University, that oversees more than 20 clinical research sites in New Jersey.

Dr. Costa also heads the New Jersey Initiatives that oversee the Pyramid Model, infant and early childhood mental health professional development, and promote full inclusion. He led statewide multi-year projects on Infant Mental Health in Wyoming and South Dakota. He is a training leader in the DIR approach and is a member of the Board of Directors of ICDL. He oversaw the development and continuing implementation of a statewide infant-child mental health professional development curriculum, "Keeping Babies and Children in Mind." Dr. Costa has published papers and presented on autism; infant mental health; and professional and human development, throughout the United States and the world.