Program Guidebook Applied Behavior Analysis, M.A. - Los Angeles

Transcription

1 Program Guidebook Applied Behavior Analysis, M.A. - Los Angeles

2 Table of Contents Department Educational Model and Goals...3 TCSPP Individual and Cultural Differences...3 Program Competencies...4 Grading...8 Personalized Student Learning Assessment...8 Professional Development Group and Academic Advisor Assignment...9 Academic Development Plans...9 Practicum Thesis

3 Department Educational Model and Goals Overview The Master of Arts in Applied Behavior Analysis program provides students with opportunities to develop the scientific, analytical, and conceptual skills needed to provide effective, ethical, and practical behavior-analytic interventions to a variety of diverse populations. Students are educated on the basic concepts and principles of behavior analysis and trained to implement ABA procedures correctly and ethically. They learn to select, implement, and manage effective systems to improve outcomes across a variety of settings. Training in all four domains of behavior analysis is provided to establish a solid understanding in the Theory and Philosophy of Behavior Analysis as the foundation that informs the Applied Behavior Analysis, Experimental Analysis of Behavior, and Service Delivery domains to produce graduates with the conceptual and scientific underpinnings necessary to understand why interventions work, how to measure their effects, and to make appropriate program modifications when they do not. Additionally, a scientist-practitioner model is incorporated across the domains of Behavior Analysis to teach students to be consumers of new research findings, evaluators using empirical methods, and researchers producing and reporting new data to the applied and scientific community. They gain the skills to move forward to the next steps in their professional progression including eligibility for certification as a Board Certified Behavior Analyst and learn to rely on the science of behavior to contribute to the betterment of society. Delivery Model The ABA program is Los Angeles is designed to meet the needs of working professionals wanting to obtain graduate training. The program operates on a Fall, Spring, and Summer semester schedule (with standard school breaks). The ABA classes are held on campus on Saturdays and Sundays on alternating weekends of each semester. During the Fall and Spring semesters which are comprised of 15 to 16 weeks, ABA students attend classes on 7 weekends and 4 weekends during the Summer semester which is comprised of 8 weeks. Additionally, the TCS LA ABA Department follows a blended-course model for all 3-credit courses. Blended courses combine on-ground classroom instruction with additional on-line content. The purpose of the on-line instruction is to support material covered during the onground classes, and to assist students in incorporating that material in more complex domains such as issues relevant to applied practice, theoretical and philosophical considerations, and scientist-practitioner related research activities. TCSPP Individual and Cultural Differences The Chicago School is committed to preparing professionals for practice in a multicultural and diverse society. In keeping with this commitment, the content of all courses is informed, where appropriate, by knowledge of individual and cultural differences (e.g., age, ethnicity, gender, physical and mental disability, race, religion, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic status), so 3

4 that students develop the skills that enable them to provide professional services to individuals of diverse backgrounds. Faculty convey attitudes respectful of these individual and cultural differences. Program Competencies In accord with The Chicago School s plan for assessing student learning, the ABA program has articulated 10 key Program Competencies including 1) Clinical Skills and Professionalism, 2) Diversity Values, 3) Ethics, 4) Theoretical Issues in Behavior Analysis, 5) Behavior Principles, 6) Behavior Assessment and Measurement, 7) Identify and Select Goals and Outcome, 8) Experimental Designs, Visual Displays of Quantitative Information, and Interpretation, 9) Behavior Change Procedures, and 10) Obtaining Systems Support. Performance Levels have been designed for each Program Competency (0-4 scale). All program requirements (e.g., courses, practicum, thesis, etc.) are aligned with a Performance Level for one or more Program Competencies. Students learn more about the specific employed measures of student performance during their first semester in the program and are provided with a comprehensive curriculum map detailing the alignment across requirements, competencies and performance levels. The Performance Levels include: Clinical Skills & Professionalism Performance Level 0: Students do not name or describe variables in applied clinical practice that promote effective communication or problem solving. Performance Level 1: Students name and describe the variables in applied clinical practice that promote effective communication and problem solving with clients and with program stakeholders. Performance Level 2: Students communicate clearly and directly with clients and stakeholders in describing program risks, costs, potential benefits and support requirements. Performance Level 3: Students select and apply research-based treatments in design and development of treatment programs. Performance Level 4: As (part of) a thesis completion requirement, students present /demonstrate consistent professional behavior toward peers, colleagues and clients with effective communication and problem solving activities. Diversity Values Performance Level 0: Students are unfamiliar with the function or meaning of diversity as a value and do not articulate its generality or its limitations. Performance Level 1: Students provide both logical and empirical reasons for and against diversity as a core value in the evolution of cultural practices, as well as in both ontogeny and phylogeny, and give examples of each. Performance Level 2: Students use conceptual tools in behavior theory to evaluate their own biases toward cultural groups and/or practices which are similar to or different from their own. 4

5 Performance Level 3: Students demonstrate the minimal components of compliance with ABA ethical guidelines as they pertain to diversity issues in their own professional practice. Performance Level 4: As (part of) a thesis completion requirement, students demonstrate adherence to ABA ethical guidelines as they pertain to diversity issues in their thesis work and in their own professional practice. Ethics Performance Level 0: Students do not articulate the ethical issues surrounding the decision to change behavior. Performance Level 1: Students verbally acknowledge and respect the ethical issues in behavior analysis regarding client rights to effective treatment, the ethical measurement of behavior, and legal and ethical limitations in communication of client data with other professionals. Performance Level 2: Students state the ethical codes or principles common to the state, national and international professional organizations of applied behavior analysis and demonstrate appropriate verbal (written or spoken) problem solving repertoires with respect to a variety of common ethical dilemmas encountered in behavior analysis. Performance Level 3: Students comply with (meet?) minimum acceptable standards of ethical conduct in their applied work with clients and in their professional interactions with peers and colleagues and in setting performance expectations for supervisees and/or employees. Performance Level 4: As (part of) a thesis completion requirement, students demonstrate consistently high ethical performance standards with their clients in the selection and deployment of ABA procedures and with professional colleagues in communications about behavior analysis issues. Theoretical Issues in Behavior Analysis Performance Level 0: Students do not describe conceptual or historical systems of thought and scientific process that lead to the establishment of behavior analytic research and theory. Performance Level 1: Students describe conceptual or historical systems of thought and scientific process that lead to the establishment of behavior analytic research and theory. Performance Level 2: Students define and explain the key features and assumptions of radical behaviorism and its implication for a behaviorally derived account of complex behavior and private events. Performance Level 3: Students critically evaluate the assumptions, the supporting data, and the philosophical alternatives to radical behaviorism both within and outside the natural sciences. Performance Level 4: As (part of) a thesis completion requirement, students use/apply the concepts of radical behaviorism to interpret and analyze their thesis data, as appropriate. Behavior Principles Performance Level 0: Students do not articulate basic learning principles and definitions. Performance Level 1: Students name and define basic behavior principles and cite the studies which support those principles in the basic and applied literature. 5

6 Performance Level 2: Students name and define advanced behavior principles and cite the studies which support those principles in the basic and applied literature. Performance Level 3: Students select and apply specific behavior principles and contingency management procedures in behavioral self-management projects. Performance Level 4: As (part of) a thesis completion requirement, students state and apply general behavior principles used in the design, deployment and description of their thesis. Behavioral Assessment and Measurement Performance Level 0: Students do not describe natural science dimensions of behavior, reliability and validity issues in measurement, various response sampling systems, or behavioral assessment strategies or systems. Performance Level 1: Students describe natural science dimensions of behavior, reliability and validity issues in measurement, response sampling systems, and the advantages and disadvantages of each system. Performance Level 2: Students provide definitions and describe functions and applications of various types of behavioral assessment procedures. Performance Level 3: Students arrange reliable response measurement systems and demonstrate a variety of functional behavioral assessments in accord with the requisite assessment needs. Performance Level 4: As (part of) a thesis completion requirement, students arrange reliable response measurement systems and demonstrate a variety of functional behavioral assessments in accord with the requisite assessment needs. Identify and Select Goals and Outcomes Performance Level 0: Students do not articulate a rationale for selection of constructive or adaptive goals or for operational definitions of goals. Performance Level 1: Students articulate ethics and functionality of goals that increase skills and functional independence of clients vs. goals that are designed solely to reduce unwanted behavior or for the primary benefit of those other than the client. Performance Level 2: Students use client s current repertoire assessment data, and input from relevant stakeholders to establish goals that will be supported, are achievable, and can be expected increase functional and independent performance of client. Performance Level 3: Given behavioral goals, students generate well-written corresponding behavioral objectives meeting stringent operational definition criteria. Performance Level 4: As (part of) a thesis completion requirement, students write behavioral objectives as incremental performance increases based on consensus with client and client s verbal community and on the known entering or current repertoire of client. Experimental Designs, Visual Displays of Quantitative Information, and Interpretation Performance Level 0: Students do not identify basic experimental designs and do not describe the logic of experimental inference with respect to those designs. Performance Level 1: Students identify and describe basic experimental designs, the inferential logic of such designs, the options for data display, and the use of data to make 6

7 informed program decisions. Performance Level 2: Students generate appropriate data displays for effective communications and make program decisions based on data. Performance Level 3: Students select and deploy appropriate research methods, data collection systems, and acceptable experimental designs or control procedures, and present those data in appropriate visual displays. Performance Level 4: As (part of) a thesis completion requirement, students select, deploy, and report on appropriate research methods, data collection systems, and acceptable experimental designs or control procedures, and present those data in appropriate visual displays. Behavior Change Procedures Performance Level 0: Student does not describe or demonstrate any effective behavior change procedure guided by the ethical application of behavior principles. Performance Level 1: Student describes and demonstrates basic behavior change procedures, including identification and use of effective antecedent and consequence delivery for effecting behavior change. Performance Level 2: Student describes stimulus control procedures, including discrimination training, prompting and prompt fading, modeling, instructions, and establishes new behavior with shaping and chaining. Performance Level 3: Student demonstrates stimulus control procedures, including discrimination training, prompting and prompt fading, modeling, instructions, and establishes new behavior with shaping and chaining. Performance Level 4: As (part of) a thesis completion requirement, students demonstrate use of appropriate behavior change procedures, guided by scholarly research, program goals, experimental design and obtained data. Obtaining Systems Support Performance Level 0: Students do not demonstrate any knowledge of how to obtain program support. Performance Level 1: Students describe various approaches and systems for establishing and maintaining competency-based staff training procedures and the use of staff performance monitoring and feedback systems for maintaining program fidelity/integrity. Performance Level 2: Students demonstrate the design and application of competency-based staff training procedures. Performance Level 3: Students demonstrate the design and application of staff performance monitoring and feedback systems for maintaining program fidelity/integrity. Performance Level 4: As (part of) a thesis completion requirement, students describe and demonstrate use of staff training and performance monitoring and feedback systems along with other relevant OBM systems for evaluating and correcting or maintaining program fidelity/integrity. 7

8 Grading Grades are assigned in all courses and students can review course grades online through eportal. Course grades assist the school, the student, and the student s academic advisor to monitor the student s progress and mastery of material deemed necessary by the department faculty to become proficient and competent clinicians. The ABA Department does not accept grades of "C" or "F" as indicating student mastery of the knowledge, skills, or attitudes associated with any course. A student who receives a grade of "C" or F in a core course must repeat and pass that course with a "B-" or better. Grades of "C" and "F" are not counted toward graduation requirements. To replace the "C" or "F" grade, the retaken/replacement course must be offered by The Chicago School. Only in the most unusual of circumstances is a student allowed to replace a grade with a retaken/replacement course offered at another institution. Repeated/retaken courses are not eligible for Financial Aid coverage. When the retaken/replacement course is successfully completed, the second grade will be computed in the cumulative grade point average; the quality points for the first grade ("C" or "F") will no longer be computed in the student's GPA. However, the original grade ("C" or "F") will remain on the student's transcript. Students may retake a course only once. Those who are unable to earn a grade of "B-" or better in the retaken course will be referred to the Student Affairs Committee with a departmental recommendation for dismissal. Personalized Student Learning Assessment Students are expected to play an active role in the evaluation of their own progress. To this end, all ABA students follow a Personalized Student Learning Assessment System (PSLA). The purpose of the system is three-fold: 1) More accurately depict student progress at the individual level, 2) Set the occasion for students to receive more individualized feedback as needed and 3) Formally acknowledge outstanding student progress. All ABA program requirements (i.e., individual classes, thesis, etc.) are individually aligned with the ABA Program Competencies and Performance Levels. Each program requirement includes a range of possible scores (scale 1-4) and individual course syllabi include related information. All PSLA scores are based on student performance and students are required to calculate their PSLA Score at the termination of each semester (and submit a PSLA Progress Report to the TCS LA ABA Department). PSLA Progress Reports are due within 1 week after all course grades have been posted. All submissions will be reviewed immediately after the PSLA Progress Report deadline each semester and individual faculty members will receive a status report for all advisees. Students who receive a score lower than a 3 on any given program requirement targeted for that current semester are required to schedule a meeting with their Academic Advisor prior to the first on-ground class of the next semester. Faculty advisors will notify the ABA Department Chair about any students who did not meet the submission deadline and the Department Chair will follow-up with each student accordingly within the first week of the next semester. Given that certain program 8

9 requirements serve as pre-requisites for continued coursework, students who score less than a 3 in any given Program Competency may be required to add/drop a program requirement for the next semester. PSLA Scores per semester will be used to determine a student s eligibility to participate in certain program activities including Teaching Assistantships, Faculty Assistantships, etc.. Students who earn the highest possible PSLA Scores will be eligible (at the point of graduation) to receive the ABA Award for Academic Excellence. Students receive more detailed information about the PSLA system during their first semester in their Professional Development Group. Professional Development Group and Academic Advisor Assignment Professional Development Group All students are required to enroll in Professional Development Group during their first semester in the program. Course topics include: the ABA Department s history and current leadership, The Chicago School s Educational System, the ABA curriculum, practicum and thesis requirements, the Los Angeles Students for Behavior Analysis (LASBA), behavior analytic professional organizations and conferences, academic journals, certification, and on. Academic Advisor Assignment From the outset of the program, a student's Professional Development Group instructor serves as his/her academic advisor. Students wishing to change academic advisors may petition to do so upon completion of their first semester in the program. The request for Advisor Change Form may be requested from the Department Manager. Once students initiate the thesis process there are required to submit a Thesis Advisor Request Form. Details about the form and the process are provided during the student s Professional Development Group. Academic Development Plans Students experiencing difficulty meeting department requirements may be placed on an Academic Development Plan (ADP) by their academic advisor or by the department chair on behalf of the department faculty. An ADP is not punitive, but rather aims to identify and address weaknesses in a student s behaviors, skills, and academic performance. An academic advisor, department chair, or APP representative may seek consultation from each other, ADP manager, or a student s academic file to best inform academic development planning. When an ADP plan ameliorates the identified concerns, no further action is required. If an ADP is unsuccessful or unlikely to remedy the presenting problem or concern, the ADP could be modified or a student may be referred to the Student Affairs Committee for disciplinary action up to, and including, dismissal from school. 9

10 Practicum Practicum is a course taught by a Board Certified Behavior Analyst, or BCBA. The course content aligns with the five areas identified under the BACB Client-Centered Responsibilities in the 4 th Edition Task List (see and during classes students actively engage in practice scenarios designed in accordance with those task list items. Topics include assessment and intervention, instructional programming, data collection and analysis, session design, system s analysis, and on. Supervision during the practicum courses (8 credits across 5 consecutive semesters) can be counted toward part of the supervised experience requirements needed to become a BCBA. Specifically, the BACB allows an individual to complete up to 50% of the required supervision hours in a small group format, and as such you can accrue these hours during your TCS practicum meetings. However, the Practicum course at The Chicago School is not to be confused with the practicum supervision category in the experience requirements of the BACB. Individuals who wish to become Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBA ) must possess at least a Masters Degree, have 225 classroom hours of specific Graduate-level coursework, meet experience requirements, and pass the Behavior Analyst Certification Examination. Refer to the BACB website for more details ( Thesis Masters students are required to complete a thesis. The thesis must be a data-based empirical evaluation, but does not necessarily need to mark a contribution to the published literature (it may be a replication and extension). The primary function of the thesis is to demonstrate that students are actively learning to function as scientist-practitioners who are continually engaged in making data-based assessment and treatment decisions. The MA course sequence facilitates student completion of theses with a carefully designed course sequence that has the necessary steps toward thesis completion embedded into the required coursework. Students are required to enroll in the Advanced Research Project course for 3 semesters, during which they propose, conduct, and defend their theses. Students attend the research lab of the faculty member that has been identified as their thesis advisor and research lab serves as a forum for students to both present and receive feedback throughout the thesis process. More details about the thesis process are provided during the first Advanced Research Project Course. 10