Dr. Laura Bassette is an Associate Professor Applied Behavior Analysis and Autism at Ball State University and a doctoral level Board Certified Behavior Analyst. Prior to Ball State, Dr. Bassette earned her Ph.D. in Special Education from Purdue University and completed a post-doctoral fellowship with an emphasis in severe disabilities at the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana. She developed her passion for exploring the connection between animals and people based on personal experiences she had growing up. She earned her PATH (then NARHA) Registered Riding Instructor in 2006. Her master’s thesis in Youth Development and Agricultural Education compared using live horses and horse materials to teach an equine-based mathematics curriculum to students with moderate disabilities. During her doctoral program in Special Education, she conducted several preliminary studies examining the impact of animals on people with disabilities during academics (e.g., dog reading programs). Dr. Bassette continues to maintain her PATH Certified Therapeutic Riding Instructor​ certification and engage in research that includes horseback activities for children with disabilities. In her free time she enjoys riding her Percheron horse and spending time with her mini Australian Shepard.