If you enjoy psychology, you may want a career in applied behavior analysis. A field recognized by the CDC, National Institute of Mental Health, and other agencies and organizations, ABA can be a fascinating career offering many paths.
Should you be contemplating the pursuit of a Master’s in ABA, consider the following when making your decision.
What is ABA and What Do Behavior Analysts Do?
ABA is a therapy that is based on the many scientific concepts associated with learning and behavior. In fact, behaviorism is the ABA guiding philosophy.
Thus, ABA therapists believe that by focusing on behavior changes, individuals can see a dramatic improvement in education, job performance, and even athletic competitions.
Since this field is very comprehensive, a behavior analyst may perform many different tasks. The most common include meeting with clients to assess their needs and develop a treatment plan, conducting research studies, and compiling data, and writing reports that may be published in various medical and scientific journals.
When meeting with clients, you may use many different interventions to help your client reach the desired outcome. These can include computer-assisted instruction, small group instruction, video modeling, peer-mediated social skills training, and other techniques.
Why Get a Master’s In ABA?
Since being a behavior analyst requires very specialized training, having a Masters in applied behavior analysis from a reliable place like AppliedBehaviorAnalysisEdu.org is a necessity.
Whether you wish to focus on only one aspect of ABA or instead want to have the flexibility to expand your ability to contribute to various areas of research, a Master’s in applied behavior analysis will let you do this and more.
As you scan the information on Applied Behavior Analysts, you’ll find other reasons why having a Master’s in ABA is so important.
These can include such things as if you wish to work with adults or children who suffer from autism or other intellectual disabilities, you want to focus on scientific research, you desire to obtain BCBA certification, and if you want to work your way up to an ABA supervisory position.
A Variety of Career Paths
While many ABA therapists are employed in positions within early childhood education and with organizations that help support adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities, you may be surprised to learn that being an applied behavior analyst can lead you on many different career paths.
For example, if you are interested in athletics, you can use your skills to become a sports coach or personal trainer, where you would help athletes with improving their performance, concentration, and motivation.
Other career possibilities include being a substance abuse counselor, human resources manager, or even a criminal profiler, where you may work for the FBI to help catch dangerous criminals.
Though it will take much work to earn your Master’s in ABA, you will have a wealth of opportunities ahead of you once you finish your studies. Whether you work with autistic children or spend your time with the FBI, an ABA career will bring you great satisfaction.
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