Dear Friend,
Thank you for your interest in the Post-Graduate Division of the Institute for Special Education.
Enclosed is information describing our program.
We have also enclosed an application form. If you decide to apply to the Post-Graduate
Division, please complete the application form and submit it together with a $100 application
fee, a resume, and an official copy of your most recent college transcript.
Upon receipt of your application with all enclosures, you will be contacted. Due to limitations of
space, we are unfortunately unable to accept all applicants. Admission into the Post-Graduate
Division is based upon educational background and experience.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Henie Meisels
Coordinator
Applied Behavior Analyst Program Fact Sheet
What is Applied Behavior Analysis?
Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is the design, implementation and evaluation of environmental modifications to produce socially significant improvements in behavior.
ABA-based interventions are best known for treating people with developmental disabilities, most notably autism spectrum disorders. However, applied behavior analysis contributes to a full range of areas including: education, gerontology, health and exercise, industrial safety, language acquisition, conservation of natural resources, medical procedures, parenting, and severe mental disorders.
Does ABA get results?
ABA focuses on outcome rather than process. Behavior analysts continuously measure behavior to determine if progress is being made. Applied behavior analysis is data based and has the best scientifically demonstrated track record for teaching skills and replacing problem behavior with appropriate social skills. The positive outcomes are outstanding. Experience indicates that intensive programs with ABA at their core are the most promising for
teaching and maintaining skills.
What Is Required to Become a Board Certified Behavior Analyst? To obtain Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst (BCaBA) certification one must complete this three-course sequence set by the BACB and
document 1,000 internship hours.
BEHP 5000-Concepts and Principles of Behavior Analysis BEHP 5001-Behavior Assessment and Program Evaluation
BEHP 5002-Behavior Change Procedures and Ethical Considerations To obtain Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) certification one must complete an additional two-course sequence, document an additional 500 internship hours, apply and pass a national Behavior Analyst Examination.
BEHP 5003-Advanced Topics in Applied Behavior Analysis BEHP 5004-Special Topics in Behavior Analysis
What is the cost of this program? Each course is $900
Registration fee - $100 (one-time) Total cost of program - $4600
Why should you pursue certification in behavior analysis?
The answer is marketability. ABA practitioners know that certification is the key to job growth and security. There is a growing need for well-trained board certified professionals in behavior analysis to work or consult in
schools, early intervention programs, day programs, residential settings and home-based programs. The career options are limitless.
When and Where?
Classes are offered online via our interactive distance-learning portal. What are the admission requirements?
Masters Degree in Education GPA of 3.3 or above
What are Benefits and Career Options of a BCaBA & BCBA? Ability to further enhance your education and knowledge in
behavior analysis
Administrative growth in designing programs & curriculum Consult on home-based teams
Provide educational services directly through the Board of Education
Child advocacy opportunities
Become a certified member of the national registry What makes us different?
Certification from the Florida Institute of Technology (F.I.T.), the most recognized and prominent university in the field of ABA Assistance in internship placement – we are the only program
which offers this critical service Unparalleled personal student mentoring
Fieldwork experience in multiple learning environments
Interactive video sessions with instructors who created the BCBA national accreditation standards
Individualized job placement assistance Material screened for appropriate content
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT APPLICATION FORM
I
NSTITUTE FOR
S
PECIAL
E
DUCATION
of Sara Schenirer Seminary
PROGRAM APPLYING FOR:
‘ APPLIED BEHAVIOR ANALYSIS - ABA
Please fill out this form completely. ‘ ASSESSMENT & EVALUATION
‘ BILINGUAL EXTENSION
APPLICATION DATE: ‘ GENERALIST – GRADES 7-12
‘ LITERACY
SEMESTER APPLYING FOR: FALL / SPRING / SUMMER 20 ‘ SCHOOL BUILDING LEADERSHIP - SBL
NAME (circle one) MISS MRS.
Last First Middle
NAME (as it should appear on your certificate):
LIST ANY OTHER NAME UNDER WHICH YOU HAVE ENROLLED AT ANY INSTITUTION:
MAILING ADDRESS:
Number & Street City State Zip
TELEPHONE: ( ) ( ) E-MAIL
Home Cell
BUSINESS NAME:
BUSINESS ADDRESS:
Number & Street City State Zip
DATE OF BIRTH: SOCIAL SECURITY NO.
HAVE YOU EVER TAKEN A COURSE AT THE INSTITUTE FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION? ‘‘‘‘YES ‘‘‘‘NO
EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND: LIST ALL COLLEGES YOU HAVE ATTENDED (ENCLOSE TRANSCRIPTS) NAME OF COLLEGE DATES ATTENDED UNDERGRADUATE/
GRADUATE
DEGREE CONFERRED DATE DEGREE CONFERRED
PLEASE LIST CERTIFICATION TITLE(S) AND/OR LICENSES HELD:
WORK EXPERIENCE:
NAME OF EMPLOYER DATES OF EMPLOYMENT TITLE / RESPONSIBILITIES
HOW DID YOU LEARN ABOUT THE INSTITUTE FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION’S PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT COURSES? ‘ EMPLOYER ‘ FRIEND/RELATIVE ‘ DIRECT MAILING ‘ ADVERTISEMENT
Signature _ Date
Fill out above form completely. Mail together with $100 application fee, resume, & official copy of most recent college transcript to: INSTITUTE FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION • 4622 14TH
AVENUE • BROOKLYN, NY 11219
INSTITUTE FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION ♦♦♦♦462214TH
AVENUE ♦♦♦♦BROOKLYN,NY11219♦♦♦♦(718)633-8557, EXT.15♦♦♦♦ POSTGRADUATE@TIFSE.COM
FOR OFFICE USE ONLY: ‘APPLICATION FEE RECEIVED INTERVIEWED
‘TRANSCRIPTS RECEIVED ACCEPTED (A)/PENDING (P) COMMENTS
ABA Mentorship Program
The Behavioral Analyst Certification Board [BACB] maintains strict standards on the mentoring process and this documents aims to inform you of some of the more pertinent guidelines, how they affect your choice of a mentor and how our mentorship program will address them.
There are three categories of experience which may be counted toward one’s Supervised Experience
requirements: Supervised Independent Fieldwork, Practicum, and Intensive Practicum. Practicum and Intensive Practicum, however, may be accrued only in a BACB approved university experience program which are hard to find and impractical solutions for our student body. Supervised Fieldwork, on the other hand, is an excellent solution provided BACB guidelines are followed and certain criteria to ensure quality control are implemented. BACB requirements for Supervised Fieldwork are:
The distribution of 1500 hours of Supervised Fieldwork must be no less than 10 hours per week, but not more than 30 hours per week, for a minimum of 3 weeks per month. Of those 1500 hours, 75 of them must entail direct contact with one’s supervisor and these hours must be distributed at a certain rate throughout the total supervision experience in the following manner:
Of the total hours spent in Supervised Independent Fieldwork in each two week unit, 5% must include direct supervision by the mentor.
The definition of qualified fieldwork experience is somewhat expansive and can often be tailored to one’s current work situation even if it does not currently include direct ABA activity. Our mentors can often come up with appropriate solutions to help you adapt your work environment to meet the required fieldwork experience. Examples of appropriate experience activities include:
• Conducting assessment activities related to the need for behavioral interventions
• Designing, implementing, and monitoring behavior analysis programs for clients and students • Overseeing the implementation of behavior analysis programs by others
• Attending planning meetings regarding one’s worksite behavior analysis program
In addition, there are many other activities normally performed by a behavior analyst that are directly related to behavior analysis that may possibly qualify. Only a competent supervisor can determine if activities qualify. Activities that are not appropriate as fieldwork experience activities include: attending meetings with little or no behavior analytic content, providing interventions that are not based in behavior analysis, performing non-behavior analytic administrative activities, or any other activities that are not directly related to non-behavior analysis.
Our mentors have accumulated years of experience in the field, understand which activities qualify, and are committed to working with every student to ensure that they can meet their fieldwork experience requirements in a practical and reasonable manner.
To serve as a supervisor, the supervisor must be a BCBA in good standing and may not be the student's relative, subordinate, or employee, during the experience period. Throughout the supervisory experience, supervisors are responsible for providing documentation for each supervisory period on a special feedback form which will require documentation of number of hours of experience, number of supervised hours, feedback on the student’s performance, the supervisor for each supervisory period, and signatures of the student and
supervisor. The supervisor must review the completed feedback forms with the student for each supervisory period.
What Are Some Of Problems Typically Associated With Supervision?
1. The student feels that the mentor is more interested in rubber-stamping her fieldwork experience than in providing actual mentorship and guidance which is a time-consuming and intensive experience. 2. The mentor lacks sufficient experience in ABA fieldwork and cannot provide adequate guidance 3. In an effort to hold down the costs of the mentoring, the mentor agrees to provide supervision at
rock-bottom prices, but also seeks to cut corners to make it worth her while. Technically the supervision requirements may be met, but the student is left without adequate guidance and her technique and reputation will suffer as a result.
4. Mentoring depends largely on the personal interaction and relationship between the student and mentor. If their personalities don’t mesh and there is no possibility of additional oversight, the student is left with little recourse and the mentoring experience proves less than satisfactory.
5. One undergoes a quality mentoring experience, but experiences difficulty obtaining employment because the quality of her mentorship is difficult to substantiate for prospective employers who are increasingly looking at this aspect of ABA training.
How Will Our Mentorship Program Address These Scenarios?
1. Our carefully selected mentors are required to follow strict guidelines regarding their mentorship to ensure that the mentoring process is personal and practical. Mentors will be required to submit their bi-weekly evaluations to our office as well as to the student so that we can ensure that proper protocol is being met.
2. Only mentors who have significant experience in the field of ABA and a passion for giving over their knowledge will be working with our student body.
3. The mentoring will be broken down into three segments. Following each segment which consists of 25 contact hours plus 475 fieldwork hours, both the mentor and student will submit an evaluation of the mentoring relationship to ensure that it is proving mutually satisfactory. Adjustments will be made as necessary.
4. The benefit of obtaining mentorship through our program is that it offers the student the ability to take their concerns or complaints to a higher authority. If a particular mentor proves unsatisfactory, we have the ability to modify it or switch the student to a different mentor if the situation calls for it. This availability removes the onus of confronting the mentor from the student and empowers the student to seek her own best interest.
5. Over our thirty year history of providing Special Education training, The Institute for Special Education has earned an outstanding reputation for excellence and our students are the first choice for
prospective employers and agencies. Following the conclusion of the mentorship program, students who meet our standards will be granted a Certificate from the Institute of Special Education certifying that they have met our standards and those of the BCAB. Prospective employers will know that you have met our rigid standards and been mentored by a competent supervisor.
How Much Does It Cost?
The fee for the entire mentorship program is $6,500 which is on the lower end of the industry standard. This fee is payable in three parts [3 X $2,166] with each payment due before commencing a new segment. Supervised fieldwork can begin immediately upon the commencement of the first ABA course and we are now accepting applications for the mentorship program.
As we are one of the few ABA training programs that also offers fieldwork supervision, interest in our mentoring program is high and we are endeavoring to accommodate as many of our students as possible. Therefore, if you are interested in mentoring, we must request that you submit your application and payment for the first segment in the amount of $2,166 together with your course registration.
Applying for Financial Aid for BCBA
If you wish to apply for financial aid to finance your BCBA certification, please be advised that PELL and TAP are not going to be options.
You have two options:
1 - Please contact your local bank to request a career training loan.
2 - If you are interested in applying for the Sallie Mae Smart Student Option Loan you may do so by:
Contacting Sallie Mae by phone at (888-272-5543) Apply online at: http://salliemae.com/smartoption
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If you are completing our courses for the BCBA certification you will need to apply for two separate loan certificates. This is because Sallie Mae can only certify applicants for one year. To complete the BCBA courses one needs a minimum of 15 months.
-First Loan will be for courses: BEHP5000, BEHP5001, and BEHP5002 -Second Loan will be for courses: BEHP5003 and BEHP5004
Please use school code: 001469
********************************************************************** Steps to complete your Sallie Mae Loan:
1) Apply for Sallie Mae Smart Student Option Loan
2) Once approved you must contact our office -- we will then confirm your loan application approval.
3) Complete your course registration form
Additional options:
http://www.estudentloan.com/
http://www.studentfinancedomain.com/student_loans/career_training_loan.aspx http://www.mystudentloansweb.com/private/career-training.htm
