ABA Specialization

Individuals who may benefit from ABA Specialization include teachers, ABA therapists, school psychologists, and others who work with individuals with autism and other developmental disabilities.

Jenna (M.S., 2011) and client take a break to relax on the bean bags.

Program Options

M.S.Ed. or M.A. in Educational Psychology. The ABA coursework is easily combined with the requirements of the M.S.Ed. or M.A. programs. Most students complete this degree in just 15 months!

Ed.S. in School Psychology. Many of the ABA Specialization courses are also included in the coursework requirements of the School Psychology program. Typically, school psychology students opt to complete the ABA courses during their second year in the program.

Ph.D. in Educational Psychology. The Ph.D. program offers several specializations, including Behavior Management. Many Ph.D. students complete the ABA Specialization courses as one of their Ph.D. program specializations.

Hands-On Training

Students pursuing the ABA Specialization have the unique opportunity to receive hands-on training at the Baylor Autism Resource Center (BARC). Students are supervised by professors and other Board Certified Behavior Analysts as they provide ABA-based assessment and intervention. Skills and techniques learned in the classroom are directly applied to practice with BARC clients to maximize learning.

Stacy teaches her client how to use an iPad for communication.

Funding Opportunities

The Baylor University ABA program has partnered with two local organizations to create up to four graduate assistantships specifically for ABA Specialization students. These positions offer unique opportunities to provide ABA services to individuals with disabilities within established agencies. Many of the responsibilities associated with these assistantships may fulfill requirements for fieldwork as described by the Behavior Analysis Certification Board.

For more information, download the graduate assistantship applications for the Heart of Texas Region MHMR agency (two positions expected to be available for 2013-2014) and Focus Behavioral Associates (two positions expected to be available for 2013-2014). Financial assistance may also be available from other sources.

Baylor ABA students and alumni reunite at the 2012 ABAI conference in Seattle.

Research Opportunities

All ABA students have the opportunity to participate in ongoing research projects with faculty members. This provides valuable learning experiences and the opportunity to present at state and national conferences as well as publish in peer-reviewed journals.

Selected Publications & Presentations

(ABA students denoted by *)

Davis, T. N., Dacus, S.*, Strickland, E.*, Copeland, D.*, Chan, J.M., Blenden, K., Osborn, S.*, Scalzo, R.*, Wells, K.*, Christian, K.* (in press). Case report: The effects of a weighted vest on aggressive and self-injurious behavior of a boy with autism. Developmental Neurorehabilitation.

Davis, T. N., O’Reilly, M., Kang, S., Lang, R., Rispoli, M., Sigafoos, J., Lancioni, G., Copeland, D.*, Attai, S.*, & Mulloy, A. (2013). Chelation treatment for autism spectrum disorders: A systematic review.  Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 7, 49-55.

Davis, T. N., Barnard-Brak, L., Dacus, S.*, & Pond, A.* (2010). Aided AAC systems among individuals with hearing loss and disabilities. Journal of Developmental and Physical Disabilities, 22, 241-256.

Carter, S.*, Davis, T. N., Scalzo, R.*, Coviello, L.*, Clark, C.*, Butler, E.*, Perez, S.*, Kobylecky, A.*, & Stauffer, M.* (2013, May). A systematic review of functional analysis data: Function and topography phenotypes across disabilities in T. Davis (Chair) Identification of Behavioral Phenotypes Across Disabilities. Symposium at the Annual Conference for the Association of Behavior Analysts. Minneapolis, MN.

Kobylecky, A.*, Davis, T. N., Butler, E.*, Scalzo, R.*, Clark, C.*, Perez, S.*, Coviello, L.*, & Carter, S.*, Stauffer, M.*, & Robinson, E.  (2013, May). Social stories: Discovering the social validity of a popular treatment in L. Coviello* (Chair) Alternative Treatments Among Autism Spectrum Disorders.  Symposium at the Annual Conference for the Association of Behavior Analysts. Minneapolis.

Scalzo, R.*, Davis, T. N., Stauffer, M.*, Perez, S.*, Butler, E.*, Clark, C.*, Kobylecky, A.*, Coviello, L.*, & Carter, S.*  (2013, May). Animal assisted therapy:  A systematic review in L. Coviello* (Chair) Alternative Treatments Among Autism Spectrum Disorders. Symposium at the Annual Conference for the Association of Behavior Analysts. Minneapolis, MN.

Attai, S.*, Davis, T. N., Copeland, D.*, Rispoli, M., O’Reilly, M., Lang, R., & Mulloy, A. (2012, May). The use of chelation to treat autism spectrum disorders: A literature Synthesis. Poster presented at the Annual Conference for the Association of Behavior Analysts. Seattle, WA.

Christian, K.*, Davis, T. N., Dacus, S.*, Stickland, E.*, Blenden, K. *, Weathers, S. *, & Wells, K. * (2012, May). Treatment of self-injurious behaviors utilizing replacement behaviors in T. Davis (Chair) Treatment of Stereotypical and Challenging Behaviors Associated with Developmental Disabilities.  Symposium at the Annual Conference for the Association of Behavior Analysts. Seattle, WA.

Coviello, L.*, Davis, T. N., Dacus, S.*, & Stickland, E.* (2012, May).  Treatment of self-injurious behaviors utilizing replacement behaviors in T. Davis (Chair) Treatment of Stereotypical and Challenging Behaviors Associated with Developmental Disabilities. Symposium at the Annual Conference for the Association of Behavior Analysts. Seattle, WA.

Walter, M.*, Davis, T. N., Durand, S., Strickland, E. *, Blenden, K., Dacus, S.*, & Hannig, A. C. *, Haupert, M. (2012, May).  Latency functional analysis in T. Davis (Chair) Treatment of Stereotypical and Challenging Behaviors Associated with Developmental Disabilities. Symposium at the Annual Conference for the Association of Behavior Analysts. Seattle, WA.

"The ABA program at Baylor was a great opportunity for me, as a school psychology student, to become a more well-rounded practitioner and develop my skills in a specialized area.  The program utilizes a perfect training combination as it places a high emphasis on research while also allowing for the practical development of skills in a supervised clinical setting.  I am grateful for the education this program gave me and the chance to increase my career opportunities and overall ability to effectively serve children of all populations." Sharon Dacus, Ed.S.