A behavior intervention specialist can significantly improve the classroom experience for children who struggle with behavioral challenges. By applying knowledge of the child’s diagnosis and environment, a behavior intervention specialist provides treatment and psychological tools for the child to develop better-coping mechanisms. Those in this position can also help parents or guardians adopt more effective approaches to teaching their children. In this article, we explain how to become a behavior intervention specialist and what kind of tasks the job involves.
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What is a behavior intervention specialist?
A behavior intervention specialist, also called a behavior interventionist or behavior therapist, works with children to treat their behavior, help them develop life skills and improve their social interaction. This term can include those who work at any certification level. A behavior intervention specialist prioritizes inclusion to improve the quality and experience of education for their clients and other children.
What does a behavior intervention specialist do?
A behavior intervention specialist works primarily with children in a variety of environments like homes and schools. They use applied behavioral intervention techniques to develop children’s skills so that they can better respond to their environment. They might work with children who have diagnoses of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or anger problems. The job includes three types of duties:
Performing psychological analysis
Behavior intervention specialist has a background in psychology that prepares them to observe clients and create treatment plans to help them adjust certain behaviors. This involves:
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Observing stimuli that prompt behavioral reactions
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Researching and documenting a client’s learning history
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Evaluating client conditions and responses regularly
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Developing treatment plans such as behavior intervention plans (BIP), behavior support plans (BSP) or Individual Education Programs (IEP), which include parents or guardians
Providing treatment
After analysis, a behavior intervention specialist helps implement their treatment plans to increase a child’s social and emotional skills. Here are some steps involved:
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Working with kids individually or in small groups
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Traveling to schools or homes to provide treatment
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Counseling clients
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Referring clients to other professionals if needed
Communicating
A behavior intervention specialist works to educate those who might interact with their clients and the general public. They mainly help inform parents and teachers who work with their clients so that they can consistently apply treatment plans at home and school. They also increase public awareness of behavioral patterns by sharing information about diagnoses. This involves:
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Helping parents understand how a diagnosis affects behaviors
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Communicating IEPs to parents and teachers
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Advocating for clients
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Educating teachers on how to help clients in classroom settings
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Educating other adults such as medical professionals who regularly interact with clients
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Conducting outreach about behavioral and mental health disorders
How to become a behavior intervention specialist
A behavior intervention specialist may have a variety of education or experience, but they are usually all certified by a national board. Here are the steps to become a behavior intervention specialist:
1. Decide what certification to get and where you want to work
A behavioral intervention specialist can work at several different levels and in a variety of environments. Before you commit to a certain education or certification, research where you can work and see what levels of education and experience they require.
The Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB) sets the industry standard certifications. Here are the levels of certifications:
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Registered Behavior Technician (RBT): This certification only requires a high school education. An RBT works with close supervision from a Board Certified Behavior Analyst.
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Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst (BCABA): These professionals are eligible to perform analysis services under the supervision of a BCBA with this certification, which requires a bachelor’s degree.
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Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA): This certification requires a master’s degree and enables you to work alone without supervision.
In addition, check local educator requirements if you’d like to work in a school. Some states like Virginia and Texas require specific certifications for people who work in schools.
2. Earn a bachelor’s degree
To work at higher behavior intervention levels, obtain a bachelor’s degree in early childhood development, education, psychology, nursing, or a related field. Taking behavior-analytic coursework can help prepare you for later certification exams. You might look specifically for applied behavioral analysis classes and coursework on interventions for behavioral adjustment.
3. Continue your education
If you’d like to become a Board Certified Behavioral Analyst, you next complete a master’s degree. You can use behavior-analysis coursework, faculty teaching and coursework or postdoctoral experience to qualify you for the BCBA exam.
4. Gain experience
Receiving any certification requires completing a certain number of hours of supervised experience, or fieldwork, in an area relevant to the work you’d like to do. After selecting your focus, find an organized and experienced supervisor. It’s important to keep good records of your fieldwork because the BACB may verify this experience through an audit process at any time. Your amount of fieldwork depends on your route to certification. Depending on what level you are aiming for and what education or experience you already have, it can range from 500 to 2,000 hours.
The exception to this fieldwork requirement is the Registered Behavior Technician level. Because this level is designed for those without specific experience or education, it requires an initial competency exam but doesn’t require fieldwork to get the initial certification.
5. Become certified
After you finish your education and gain experience, you can begin the certification process by sending in an application and fee. The process consists of taking a multiple-choice exam. The RBT exam has 80 questions covering skill acquisition and professional behavior and takes ninety minutes to complete. The BCABA and BCBA exams cover behavior-analytic skills and client responsibilities and take four hours to complete. After finishing the exam, you find out immediately whether you pass, and you can retake the exams if you need to.
Becoming certified by the BACB is different from completing a certificate program at a university. Most employers across the country accept the BACB certification levels. A certificate from a university program may qualify you for some jobs, but it may not be nationally recognized.
6. Apply for jobs
As a behavior intervention specialist, you can work in educational environments, residential environments, or specific behavioral centers. If you decide to work in a school, your pay follows the teachers’ pay schedule and can heavily depend on location. Your work happens in a classroom most of the day, but it can also involve working with different children and traveling to other schools. You can also find a job in a residential setting, like a group home or residential treatment center, or a specific facility like an early intervention center or mental health agency.
You can also work with adults as a behavior intervention specialist, particularly if you decide to continue your career as a psychologist. Behavior intervention specialists are often involved in providing drug, alcohol and gambling treatment for adults.
7. Renew your certification regularly
Depending on which certification you have, you may need to renew it after a certain number of years. An RBT renews their certification each year, while a BCBA or a BCABA renews every two years. You are eligible to renew if you complete ongoing education requirements and adhere to ethics standards.
It’s also important to stay updated with developments in psychology, like new techniques and educational advancements. These courses provide experience that your certification renewal requires and may also be required by your workplace. Staying up to date with the latest studies can help you provide better services and also be a more competitive candidate for future jobs or education opportunities.
Average salary and job outlook
The average salary for a behavior intervention specialist in the U.S. is $44,022 annually. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), all behavioral disorder and mental health counselor careers are projected to grow 25% from 2019 to 2029.
Skills for a behavior intervention specialist
A behavior intervention specialist needs to have skills in education, communication and specific applied behavior intervention expertise, including the following:
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Observation: A behavior intervention specialist often starts treatment by observing a client in a classroom or native setting and recording what stimuli lead to behavioral problems. This part of the job requires the specialist needs to be observant at all times to recognize important signals.
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Judgment and decision-making: After observing clients, the specialist decides the best course of action and implements it, so they need to be rational and confident when making decisions.
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Applied behavioral intervention skills: The specialist applies their academic studies and knowledge of intervention practices each time they create a treatment plan for their clients.
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Interpersonal skills: Behavior intervention specialists need strong interpersonal skills to help them develop a strong rapport with clients, teachers and medical professionals.
I hope you find this article helpful.
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