Certificate of Graduate Study in Applied Behavior Analysis Program 

Program Mission

The purpose of the Certificate of Graduate Study in Applied Behavior Analysis program at the University of Southern Maine is to prepare professionals to apply and promote the scientifically supported practice of applied behavior analysis to improve academic, social-emotional, and behavioral outcomes for diverse learners of all ages. 

The program aims to  impart the knowledge and skills required to:

• Conduct behavioral assessments
• Design interventions that facilitate the acquisition, generalization, and maintenance of socially significant skills and the sustained reduction of behaviors that interfere with learning
• Implement and evaluate the effectiveness of interventions
• Provide inclusive and collaborative behavior analytic assessment, intervention, consultation, and supervision services at the individual and organizational level.

Program Outcomes

• Students will demonstrate foundational knowledge of the core concepts and principles of Applied Behavior Analysis
• Students will demonstrate an understanding of the alignment between behavioral analytic research and practice by evaluating research articles for evidence of the dimensions of applied behavior analysis and making recommendations for a more thorough integration of these dimensions in research and practice. 
• Students will demonstrate the ability to select and apply appropriate measurement and reliability methods for continuously monitoring operationally defined behaviors, thereby enhancing their capacity to assess and monitor behavior in practice.
• Students will identify the standards by which the effectiveness of interventions in single-case design studies are evaluated (i.e., causal relationships), a practice which aligns with high quality standards in behavior analytic practice, and knowledge of which may support quality measurement, implementation, and data-based decision making standards characteristic of high quality behavior analytic services. 
• Students will demonstrate knowledge of critical components of functional behavior assessment, including indirect and direct assessment methods, analysis of assessment data to develop functional hypotheses, and development of recommendations informed by functional hypotheses, social validity data, and cultural considerations. 
• Students will demonstrate an understanding of pertinent information they must communicate to future employers and clients by developing a Declaration of Professional Services Document, which includes necessary professional and ethical behaviors in which they must engage, limitations to such activities, and the organizations that regulate their practices. The document will emphasize accountability of informed consent practices, documentation, and communication between the practitioner and clients. 
• Students will demonstrate an understanding of factors included in making ethical decisions by applying an ethical decision-making model to one or more real-life scenarios, a process that aligns with the ethical and professional standards established by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board. 
• Students will apply the steps of behavior-analytic consultation to a hypothetical client, including the development of assessment-informed skill acquisition goals and interventions, analysis of interventions, and engagement in considerations for continuation or adjustment (i.e., an assessment-intervention continuum).
• Students will apply the steps of behavior-analytic consultation to a hypothetical client, including the development of assessment-informed behavioral interventions, analysis of interventions, and engagement in considerations for continuation or adjustment (i.e., an assessment-intervention continuum).
• Students will develop supervisory skills by creating a comprehensive competency-based training plan to support the development of a targeted behavior-analytic skill for a BCBA trainee. The plan will include strategies for developing prerequisite knowledge, baseline skills assessment, performance monitoring methods, and a behavior skills training protocol. 
• Students will apply steps of a behavior-analytic performance management intervention, which includes problem identification, pinpoint(s), functional assessment, function-based intervention, and outcome evaluation (i.e., an assessment-intervention continuum)