2020-2021 Graduate Catalog 
    
    Mar 28, 2024  
2020-2021 Graduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Applied Behavior Analysis Advanced Certificate


The 29-credit Advanced Certificate in Applied Behavior Analysis meets the academic requirements for licensure as Licensed Behavior Analyst in accordance with Subpart 79-17 of the New York State Commissioner’s Regulations.  License applicants must also meet additional requirements as outlined by NYS Education Law Title VIII, Article 167 and Commissioner’s Regulations Subpart 79-17.  The program also meets the academic requirements for eligibility to sit for the Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) examination. The certificate includes 6 optional, additional, elective credits of intensive supervised practicum (equaling 750 hours total on completion) that satisfy the BCBA experiential requirement. Students have the option of completing 29 core credits without the 6 credits of intensive supervised practicum. Taught by a diverse group of highly qualified faculty, the courses are designed to provide enriched theory; comprehensive training, practice and evaluation, and supervision in applied behavioral analysis as it relates to students with autism, autism spectrum disorders or related disorders. 

Admission Standards

Students seeking the Advanced Certificate in Applied Behavior Analysis must possess a minimum of a master’s degree (minimum 3.0 G.P.A.) that was conferred in behavior analysis, education, psychology or a field related to behavior analysis (as approved by NYS and the BACB).

List of educational and (if appropriate) career objectives:

“As licensed behavior analysts, students will have the opportunity to work with individuals who have been diagnosed with autism, autism spectrum disorders or related disorders in a variety of public and private settings including schools, homes, day programs, communities, residential and vocational training settings, businesses and related human service agencies.  With a focus on behavior interventions, planning and implementation, such licensees may use their skills to remediate maladaptive behavior and teach functional behavior skills to individuals at all age levels from infancy through adulthood.  Individual clinicians and employees executing the principles of applied behavior analysis are commonly found in the fields of education, behavioral, natural science and mental health.”

Mission Statement


The mission of the Applied Behavior Analysis program at St. Joseph’s College is to provide students with enriched background in behavior analytic theory, as well as comprehensive training and supervision in the practice of behavior analytic assessment and intervention as they relate to students with autism, autism spectrum disorders or related disorders.  By preparing students for NYS Behavior Analysis licensure (as well as national/international BCBA certification through the Behavior Analyst Certification Board), such licensees will become fully trained in the design and implementation of behavior interventions that target the reduction of challenging behaviors while increasing functional behavioral skills in individuals at all age levels, from infancy through adulthood.    

Student Learning Outcomes


  1. Students will objectively define target behaviors and select appropriate measurement systems to monitor the occurrences of these behaviors.
     
  2. Students will design appropriate behavior acquisition procedures for an array of skills, including language, academic, and socialization skills.
     
  3. Students will design ethical and appropriate behavior reduction procedures for various interfering behaviors.
     
  4. Students will use principles in research design to evaluate and modify the efficacy of behavior interventions in a systematic manner that allows precise control over environmental variables.
     
  5. Students will conduct Functional Behavior Assessments (FBAs) in accordance with NYS Part 200 Regulations and create hypotheses aimed at identifying the functions of behaviors, including the identification of contributing antecedents, consequences, and setting events.
     
  6. Students will be exposed to different cultural and religious understandings of autism, autism spectrum disorders and related disorders in terms of diagnosis, intervention and social significance and be able to incorporate such cultural understandings into intervention and educational plans when appropriate and/or necessary.
     
  7. Students will develop comprehensive Behavior Intervention Plans (BIPs) in accordance with NYS Part 200 Regulations using evidence-based behavioral strategies to integrate proactive (antecedent-based) and reactive (consequence-based) behavioral strategies with teaching adaptive replacement behaviors, and will create appropriate time lines for measuring the efficacy of the plan.
     
  8. Students will demonstrate understanding and application of the Professional and Ethical Compliance Code for Behavior Analysts across all aspects of behavior analytic services.
     
  9. Students will demonstrate the ability to determine specific developmental needs and formulate educational plans based upon a variety of formal and informal assessment measures.
     
  10. Students will utilize the literature in the field of autism, autism spectrum disorders and other related disorders to make clinical decisions surrounding assessment and effective treatments.
     
  11. Students will use current research in the field of autism, autism spectrum disorders and related disorders to create strategic tools effective in reducing problematic behavior.

 

Program Goals


  1. To provide students with a thorough understanding of the principles of learning and behavior analysis, with particular emphasis being placed on research design and measurement systems.
     
  2. To train students on the use of these principles to develop meaningful, effective, and evidence-based behavioral interventions to individuals with autism, autism spectrum disorders, and related disorders.
     
  3. To provide students with a firm background in autism, autism spectrum disorders, and related disorders, including defining characteristics, typical challenges seen, multicultural and intercultural perspectives, and interventions that have been shown to be effective in increasing socially significant behaviors in these populations.
     
  4. To provide students with the strong core knowledge base of behavior analytic principles necessary to become a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) and Licensed Behavior Analyst (LBA).

Optional Elective Courses: 6 Credits