Dr. Chanti Fritzsching Waters is a seasoned leader in the field of Applied Behavior Analysis, bringing over 30 years of experience spanning clinical practice, research, teaching, and policy development. She joined ABS Kids in 2020, where she currently serves as Vice President of Clinical and Regulatory Affairs. In this role—and previously as Vice President of Quality Assurance—Dr. Waters partners with executive leadership to implement clinical best practices, evaluate client outcomes, and oversee regulatory compliance to ensure high-quality, evidence-based care across the organization.
Her leadership extends beyond ABS Kids. Dr. Waters has served on the Board of Directors for the Association of Professional Behavior Analysts (APBA) since 2022 and currently holds the role of Secretary on its Executive Committee. She is also a member of the ABA Coding Coalition and actively contributes to several professional committees and special interest groups. Since 2019, she has supported the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB) as a subject matter expert. Most recently, in 2024, she was appointed to the Standards Committee of the Autism Commission on Quality, where she helps shape national benchmarks for autism service providers seeking accreditation.
Dr. Waters has also contributed significantly to academia and research. She has taught graduate-level ABA coursework and presented at numerous professional conferences. Her 2020 publication—a clinical replication study of the Lovaas model—demonstrated the effectiveness of early intensive behavioral intervention (EIBI) in a community setting, following foundational work she supported in another EIBI replication in 2006. Her current research focuses on training new BCBAs in clinical interviewing techniques to strengthen family collaboration and engagement.
She earned her Master of Science in ABA Psychology from California State University, Stanislaus, and holds both an Education Specialist (Ed.S.) degree and a Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of West Florida. Dr. Waters lives on California’s Central Coast with her family.
