BCBA interview

Exploring a Career in Applied Behavior Analysis

In your Unit 1 studies, you were asked to reach out to a board certified behavior analyst (BCBA) or board certified assistant behavior analyst (BCaBA), and ask some guiding questions to gain a better understanding of career choices in the field of applied behavior analysis. Based on those findings, complete the following:

Review and summarize the responses from the BCBA or BCaBA professional.
Integrate the interview findings into a cohesive written composition that explains for the reader the focus, scope, and expectations in the professional’s work. Describe areas of the work that are interesting and areas that are challenging. Reflect on how the interview has impacted your perceptions of the field.
Include following in the paper:

Summarize the job requirements of the professional.
Describe the job title, setting (private practice, clinic, school, group home, et cetera), and the population with which the professional works.
Describe how this job compares with your career interests. Would you be interested in working in this setting and with this population of individuals? Why or why not?
Note: Since the paper requires a personal reflection on perceptions of the field and your career interests, you can write in first person for these areas of the work.

Assignment Requirements

Written communication: Should be free of errors that detract from the overall message.
APA formatting: References and citations are formatted according to current APA style guidelines.
Resources: At least one scholarly or professional source.
Length: 3–4 pages, in addition to title page and reference page.
Font and font size: Times New Roman, 12-point.

HERE IS THE INTERVIEW

· What is your job title? I worked for CARD (Center for Autism and Related Disorders) as a Clinical Supervisor Designee. It was an entry level BCBA position. I received by supervision hours by paying for them from a company and being a special education teacher for Clark County.
· With what population of individuals do you work? At CARD, worked with individuals from 18 months – 21 years old. Prior to CARD, I was a Self Contained Autism Teacher for the district teaching Primary and Middle School. I really like working on communication goals, my undergraduate degree is in Communication Sciences and Disorders so I am very comfortable working with PECS and other communication devices.
· Could you discuss your daily job tasks. I worked directly with clients and RBTs on programing and implementing BIPS. I conducted parent training to teach parents ABA techniques to work on their child’s goals and behavior plans. CARD I did very little office work, and spent alot of my time writing reports and being on the clinic floor. We had a seperate department that solely focused on training.
· What inspired you to become a BCBA (or BCaBA)? I met a little boy who had Down Syndrome and was Deaf. I used ABA techniques (Differential Reinforcement) to teach him to keep his Cochlear Implants long enough to have the Audiologist activate them. I was getting Audiology supervision hours by assisting with the case, the only thing disclosed to me beforehand was wear running shoes. I had no idea that I was using ABA at the time until my professor told me. I got a job as an RBT out of college and began my Masters at George Mason that August. When you know you know!
· What do you like most about your job? I love working with the clients. Watching them gain skills while decreasing maladaptive behaviors is what kept me motivated. Review client graphs is fun to me.
· What do you like least about your job? Getting parents to buy in is so important but it can be a long process. It’s vital for success. I hate being asked when I think their child will be cured or will be “normal”. Tricare asks for a timeline of and I dread writing that portion for clients.
· What would be the one thing you would tell a newcome entering the field? Don’t be afraid to collaborate with other professionals and BCBA’s! Reach out and ask questions. I had a very involved student when I was teaching. This resulted in sitting in meetings with a ton of professionals who have been teaching longer than I have been alive. Professionals from a variety of fields including lawyers and CPS- the parent had child abuse charges pending. I reached out and spoke to John Bailey via the ethics portal on the board website. His advice really stuck with me, he said when spoke to use your data to support claims. If it went to court, have your data ready, don’t use “I feel statements” but put your numbers to work. That really stuck with me.