The Psychological Society of Ireland (PSI) has recently elected Dr Anton James as a Fellow of the Society, making him the first ever Sri Lankan psychologist to receive this prestigious honour.
Fellowship is the highest individual distinction awarded by the PSI and is conferred on distinguished psychologists who have demonstrated superior psychological knowledge and made outstanding, sustained contributions to psychology.
“Being elected as a Fellow by my peers in Ireland is a deeply humbling milestone,” said Dr Anton. “Sri Lanka is in the early stages of developing its own national professional body for psychologists, so it is a particular privilege to be recognised by the Psychological Society of Ireland this year, having also been elected a Fellow of the British Psychological Society two years ago. This recognition belongs to the educators, therapists and families in Sri Lanka who strive every day for better neurodevelopmental care, and strengthens my resolve to ensure that every child with special needs has access to world class, evidence-based intervention.”
Irish Ambassador HE Kevin Kelly personally congratulated Dr Anton on his achievement, while President of the Irish Psychological Society of Ireland – Dr. Sarah Cassidy, warmly welcomed Dr Anton into the Fellowship “Dr Anton’s extraordinary dedication to behaviour psychology and his transformative impact on special needs education in Sri Lanka embody the exact excellence the PSI Fellowship stands for. His global footprint and clinical leadership enrich our international psychological community.”
Dr Anton is a pioneering neurodevelopmental care expert with over 20 years of global experience. He is the first Sri Lankan born Board Certified Behaviour Analyst (BCBA) and holds multiple postgraduate qualifications from the University of Manchester and Penn State University.
As the founder of The Tree House International, Sri Lanka’s premier school for children with special needs, and the current President of the Behaviour Analysis Registration Board of Sri Lanka, an organisation with a mandate to certify Behaviour Therapists and Behaviour Analysts in Sri Lanka, Dr Anton is also a Subject Matter Expert in Behaviour Therapy and introduced regulated Behaviour Therapy to Sri Lanka.
Notably, he recently led Merak 2026, a national autism awareness campaign that secured a Guinness World Record for Sri Lanka for the world’s longest sensory board.
Dr Anton also holds the distinction of being the only Chartered Behavioural Psychologist and Chartered Educational Assessor in Sri Lanka. Last year, he was awarded Chartered Scientist status by the British Science Council, becoming the first Sri Lankan social scientist to achieve this recognition.
