Career Options

Opening doors for behavioural analysts

Sixty Ontario university students are poised to make a big difference in the lives of individuals with autism and other developmental disabilities.

SHARON ASCHAIEK
[ 2006-11-29 ]

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They're taking part in the province's first Master of Applied Disability Studies program, introduced this past fall through Brock University, which is designed to enable students as well as those working full time with the developmentally disabled to become better behavioural analysts -- professionals in increasing demand in the province.

"There's been a real HR problem in filling intervention programs with competent and qualified staff," says Maurice Feldman, program director. "We're trying to help professionals who are supervising these programs and who are providing behavioural consultation to upgrade their training at the graduate level."

Indeed, demand is increasing for competent clinicians with Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) training to work in the nine government-funded regional Intensive Behaviour Intervention (IBI) programs geared toward 1,000 children with autism. Other growing areas of demand for ABA professionals include special education, children's mental health and acquired brain injury.

Up until now, behavioural analysis was a clinical approach used in a variety of other professions, such as education and speech-language pathology. The introduction of this new specialized graduate program is leading to the evolution of behavioural analysis as its own profession.


The curriculum begins with an introduction to the science, philosophy and basic tenets of ABA. Over the course of the three-year program, students will the gain the knowledge and expertise needed to provide more effective ABA intervention.

Not only will they graduate with a specialized master's degree in their field, they'll be eligible to apply for certification as a board-certified behaviour analysts by the Behaviour Analyst Certification Board (BACB) in the U.S. Ontario will soon implement a co-ordinated certification process with the BACB to establish ABA certification here.

"More and more, the government is looking for certified behavioural analysts who have received the right education, have a fair amount of experience and can demonstrate their competence," Feldman says. "Like any other profession where there is a certification in place, it gives you an edge and a degree of confidence that you have the credentials to do the job."

Aliya Rahim is among the students enrolled in the program, and like most of her classmates, she already works full time -- with autistic children in the GTA. The program's flexible structure let's her and her fellow students take class one weekend per month.

Already, she says, she's able to apply what she's learned into her daily practice, and she's excited about what's to come.

"I'm able to integrate conceptual knowledge within my professional career," Rahim says. "This program will add to my interdisciplinary knowledge of disabilities and help me become specialized in applied behavioural analysis."

The classes are taught by faculty members with extensive expertise in diverse areas of disability studies, including autism, intellectual and learning disabilities, mental health, acquired brain injury, education and applied behaviour analysis. In fact, Brock has more behavioural analysts on staff than any other school in the country.

When they graduate, students will enjoy a broad range of career opportunities in a burgeoning field.

"With a master's degree, they can work at mental health clinics, in corrections, as senior therapists in autism programs, as special education consultants," Feldman says. "There are a wide range of career opportunities waiting for them."



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