Behavior Specialist Program Overview
The Vermont Higher Education Collaborative is offering a training program for educators and mental health case managers who are interested in becoming a behavior specialist. Upon successful completion of the sequence of courses and a supervised internship, applicants are eligible to sit for the national certification exam. A master’s degree is also required.
There are two levels of certification. To become a BCBA (Board Certified Behavior Analyst), the student would successfully complete 5 courses (15 credits), a supervised internship (which VT-HEC does not offer), and then sit for the national certification exam. For a BCABA (Board Certified Associate Behavior Analyst), there are 3 courses (9 credits), a supervised practicum (which VT-HEC does not offer), and the national certification exam.
Application and Admission Requirements
Applicants must possess a Bachelor’s Degree to enter the program and a Master’s degree must be completed before final BCBA certification. Contact Joy Wilcox for more information. Joy.wilcox@vthec.org
Sequence of Courses and Course Descriptions
Certification for National Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA)
This is a five course sequence that fulfills the coursework requirement to be eligible to take the BCBA certification exam. An internship is also required but is not a part of the VT HEC program. Two of these courses, ABA I and ABA II overlap with the VT HEC Autism sequence. The course sequence for this program is:
a. Applied Behavior Analysis I: Introduction to Concepts & Principles
b. Applied Behavior Analysis II: Advanced Concepts & Principles/Beginning Applications
c. Applied Behavior Analysis III: Advanced Applications & Ethics
d. Research Methods in Applied Behavior Analysis
e. Discrete Trial Learning and ABA Methods
Certification for Board Certified Associate Behavior Analyst (BCABA)
This is a three course sequence (10 credits) which fulfills the coursework requirements for Associates level of the national certification exam. An internship is also required but is not provided as a part of the VT HEC program. Two of these courses, ABA I and ABA II, overlap with the VT HEC Autism sequence. The course sequence for this program is:
a. Applied Behavior Analysis I: Introduction to Concepts & Principles
b. Applied Behavior Analysis II: Advanced Concepts & Principles/Beginning Applications
c. Applied Behavior Analysis 4: Research Ethical Considerations, Behavior Change and Systems Support
Schedule for Courses:
- General Schedule:
Fall ABA II Methods
Spring Research ABA III ABA IV
On-Going ABA I
- This year’s exceptions: ABA III Fall 2010
ABA I Fall 2010 and On-line – Spring 2011
| 2010/2011 | 2011/2012 | 2012/2013 | 2013/2014 | 2014/2015 | |
| Fall | ABA IABA IIABA III | MethodsABA II | ABA II | MethodsABA II | ABA II |
| Spring | ABA IVResearch | ABA III | ResearchABA IV | ABA III | ResearchABA IV |
ABA I will be on-going and will be offered as needed
ABA II will be offered every fall unless no need is identified
COURSES:
EDU 5371 Applied Behavior Analysis I: Introduction to Concepts & Principles
This course will provide the learner with an introduction and overview of the basic concepts, principles and techniques of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA). Upon successful completion of this course the learner will be conversant with the vocabulary of Applied Behavior Analysis, understand how environmental events influence human behavior, know how to measure behavior in applied settings and begin to learn how to structure learning environments to increase pro social behaviors or decrease maladaptive behaviors.
EDU 6372 Applied Behavior Analysis II: Advanced Concepts & Principles/Beginning Applications
Prerequisite: ABA I
This course will review the basics of Applied Behavior Analysis and teach advanced ABA theory and methods. Through literature reviews and practical experience, the student will begin to apply ABA principles to teaching situations and to the management of maladaptive or interfering behaviors. Legal and ethical issues and considerations will be explored as well.
EDU 6373 Applied Behavior Analysis III: Advanced Applications & Ethics
Prerequisite: ABA I and ABA II
This course provides students with the advanced techniques needed to analyze and monitor intervention across a wide variety of applications and situations. In addition to learning statistical and graphing techniques relevant to behavioral interventions, students design, carry out, analyze, and report the results of their own research studies.
EDU 6150 Research Methods in Applied Behavior Analysis
Prerequisite: ABA I and ABA II
This course is designed to provide students with an introduction to the methods of data collection and data analysis as used in behavioral research. Students learn the basic parametric, non-parametric, and single subject approaches to educational and behavioral research methods. The focus will be on research techniques that are appropriate to the specialized treatment techniques of applied behavioral interventions.
EDU 6390 Discrete Trial Learning and ABA Methods
Prerequisite: ABA I and ABA II
This course will examine ABA instructional methods often used to teach children and youth with ASD and other developmental disabilities. Emphasis will be placed upon Skinner’s model of verbal behavior and the development of direct instructional techniques, including data collection systems, reinforcement, and assessment of reinforcement preferences, shaping and chaining techniques, prompting and prompt fading and Discrete Trial Learning (DTL).
EDU 5710 Applied Behavior Analysis 4: Research Ethical Considerations, Behavior Change And Systems Support
Prerequisite: ABA I and ABA II
Students will explore issues of ethical considerations and standards of professional practice in ABA. Students will also learn measurement techniques appropriate to the collection of reliable direct and daily data, study various graphing techniques used to display and interpret behavioral data and will review the major experimental designs used to evaluate the effectiveness of ABA procedures. In addition, students will be expected to work within their existing systems to apply ABA concepts and procedures within a single subject case study.