How to become A Behaviour Specialist

• Behavioural Specialist
• Behavioural Disorder Counsellor
• Behaviour Intervention Specialist
• Behavioural Therapist
• Behaviour Consultant

What do Behaviour Specialists do?

A Behaviour Specialist would typically need to:

• Provide guidance and counselling to patients with behavioural issues that impair their ability to learn and socialise with other people
• Observe, record, and evaluate the patient’s physical, social, intellectual, and emotional development 
• Compile and interpret diagnostic test results to further assess the patient’s condition and readiness for treatment and special services
• Establish the behaviour capabilities of the patient as they function at home and in school/workplace
• Design, develop, recommend, and review viable behavioural treatment plans and goals withthe patient and their family
• Implement the plan to address identified behavioural issues; guide and assist the patient in developing the requisite skills to modify their behaviour
• Work with the patient to identify behaviours or situatons that interfere with their recovery
• Teach social skills, such as conflict resolution, anger management, and empathy to a patient who is facing behavioural problems in school or at the workplace
• Train the patient’s teachers, caregivers, and families to implement the treatment plans and develop strategies to cope with the patient’s behavioural issues
• Provide counselling services to families, couples, individuals, or groups, as required
• Refer the patient to other resources and services, such as job placement agencies and support groups
• Conduct periodic assessments to measure the goals and objectives of the behaviour support plan
• Monitor, determine and record the patient’s behaviour and progress; analyse the behavioural interventions to gauge their success;
• Communicate the conclusions with all stakeholders; assist the patient in identifying inappropriate behaviours and develop better behaviour alternatives
• Maintain patient records and treatment reports; collaborate with relevant healthcare specialists and support organisations
• Carry out outreach programmes to help increase the awareness of the general public
• Research new theories or techniques related to psychology and behaviour and enhance their expertise
• Report probable cases of child abuse, neglect, or endangerment to the proper authorities
• Organise and lead family counselling sessions to help patients who are children cope with divorce, death of a loved one, or abuse
• Offer therapeutic interventions for children with mental health issues, such as anxiety or depression
• Design classes, programmes, and special curriculums to meet the individual needs of a student patient

The work environment of a Behaviour Specialist may vary according to their patient's needs. It can be their office, the home or the school/workplace of the patient. They have frequent interaction with the patient’s family and caregivers.

In addition, the patient population includes individuals, families, and groups. You must be able to travel to meet with the patient and their family/caregivers or attend conferences.

Most Behaviour Specialists work full-time during regular business hours. However, they may need to work evenings, weekends, and public holidays to accommodate the patient’s school or work schedules.

Finding a new job might seem challenging. Behaviour Specialists can boost their job search by asking their network for referrals, contacting employers directly, using job search platforms, going to job fairs, leveraging social media, and inquiring at staffing agencies. Private practice and consultancy are viable options.

Behaviour Specialists are generally employed by:

• Clinics
• Educational Institutions
• Government Organisations
• Mental Health Centres
• Community Health Centres
• Prisons
• Probation or Parole Agencies
• Juvenile Detention Facilities
• Halfway Houses
• Detox Centres
• Employee Assistance Programmes (EAPs)

Professional associations and organisations, such as the Association for Positive Behaviour Support (APBS), are crucial for Behaviour Specialists interested in pursuing professional development or connecting with like-minded professionals in their industry or occupation. Membership in one or more adds value to your resume while bolstering your credentials and qualifications.

• Mentally and physically taxing profession that may require long, unconventional hours and on-call duty to deal with the large case-loads
• Frequent lack of adequate resources and legislation that may lead to frustration and burnout
• Potentially exclusive education, often involving a master’s degree, licence and board certification
• Intervention in crises may be difficult

Any postgraduate academic programme that a potential Behaviour Scientist takes up, especially one that focuses on applied behavioural analysis, typically requires a period of supervised training.

External organisations offer training as part of their licencing or certification programme. Although it may vary according to the specific setting, training usually concentrates on ethics, assessments, appropriate interventions for the particular population you will be working with, and crisis intervention methods and strategies for working with families.

Elsewhere, you must undertake fieldwork for at least 2,000 hours under the continual guidance of an expert in the speciality of your choice.

Some positions mandate significant experience in behavioural management. Often, your personal experiences may help those seeking treatment.

One of the best introductions to a career in mental health is to vol­unteer at a local hospital, clinic, or nursing home. Work experience demonstrates your interest and dedication to the profession. 

It allows you to understand what it is like to work around other healthcare professionals and patients. In addition, working with a diverse range of clients helps you build an understanding of different behaviours, situations, and problems you may encounter during your practice as a Behaviour Specialist.

Summer internships, part-time work at an entry-level position, or short-term paid/voluntary work also offer a taste of the work, provide valuable insight into how an institution operates, help build useful contacts, and improve the prospects of getting a permanent job. 

The experience may also help determine whether the public, private, or voluntary sector is best suited to realise one’s ambitions. Your educational provider’s career service department can provide information about viable opportunities for work placements, internships and voluntary work in diverse sectors.

Read about the profession and interview or job shadow experienced Behaviour Specialists to prove your commitment to course providers and prospective employers.

Your location and employer will define the educational qualifications you must acquire to become a capable Behaviour Specialist.

Some schools offer specialised degrees in behavioural studies. Where that is not an option, a bachelor’s degree in behavioural science, psychology, public policy and social services, social science, sociology, social work, human services, education, cultural anthropology, or applied behavour analysis is often the first step.

An increasingly popular next step would be to complete a master’s degree in psychology, behavioural psychology, behavioural analysis, education, clinical social work, and mental health counselling so you can provide more services to your clients, work with children, and require less supervision.

Based on your area of focus and the specific school programme, you may choose between a regular two-year programme, one that combines a master’s with a bachelor’s degree, or one that allows professionals to work during the day and attend school part-time.

Your education should provide a deep understanding of the science of psychology, performance management, and education. Aspiring Behaviour Specialists would also need to gain specialist knowledge of autism, data collection, developmental disabilities school discipline, treatment planning, and therapy.

Focus on psychology social sciences, and physical education in high school. English and speech classes will help you develop your research, writing, and oral communication skills.

In general, Behavioural Specialists must be certified or licenced to take up private practice or work with specific populations, such as children with autism.  

A combination of education, training, experience, and testing is generally required to gain certification, though requirements differ from region to region. Successful certification programs protect public welfare by incorporating a Code of Ethics.

Some Behavioural Specialists opt for voluntary board certification to demonstrate professional standards beyond those required for state licensure and increase their chances of advancement.

A master’s degree in behaviour analysis or a related field may help you obtain the Board Certified Behaviour Analyst (BCBA) certification. A BCBA-D designation requires a doctoral degree in a relevant field. 

Individual government entities conduct the licensing process. It typically requires the passage of an examination in addition to the fulfilment of eligibility requirements, such as a minimum level of education, supervised clinical experience, training, or the completion of an internship, residency, or apprenticeship.

You would need to undergo an employment background check including but not limited to a person’s work history, education, credit history, motor vehicle reports (MVRs), criminal record, medical history, use of social media, and drug screening.

Performance, experience, and the acquisition of professional qualifications drive the career progression of Behavioural Specialists who may consider becoming School Counsellors, Rehabilitation Counsellors, Team Leaders, or Programme Managers.

Other options include working as a Probation Officer, Social Service Manager, Social Worker, Community Health Worker, or Psychologist.

In addition to specialising in working with children, adolescents, or adults, you may also set up private practice and provide consulting services to other organisations.

Candidates with a master’s or doctoral degree in behavioural science/analysis or related fields, accredited certifications and licences, and adequate experience have the best job prospects.

Usually, newly-hired Behaviour Specialists undergo employer-sponsored on-the-job training to learn about organisational policies and procedures and the various programmes and services available to patients. Some organisations contract with external agencies to provide requisite in-service and on-site, hands-on training. 

In addition, continuing professional development (CPD) is essential in the mental healthcare sector for public well-being and career progression. It also helps maintain one’s certification in the face of constantly evolving new research and technological advances.

Behaviour Specialists familiar with technology can develop apps and software to help the patient stay on track with their treatment plan. Technology can also facilitate patient communication and progress updates.

CPD embraces several new learning objectives, educational methodologies, best practices, and novel technological developments, especially in education, management, and IT. To become a rehab counsellor, one must acquire a master’s degree and obtain the requisite licence and certification.

Reflective learning, interaction with peer groups, comprehensive inclusion, and workshops serve to educate, influence, support, and foster lifelong enlightenment in all career-grade Behaviour Specialists.

As hospitals and other healthcare providers turn to them for help in reducing costs, Behaviour Specialists must be prepared to work with patients on preventing further episodes of mental illness through the timely identification of warning signs and developing strategies to prevent relapse.

Change for the Better

Behaviour Specialists may gain expertise in one of the following subspecialties and offer better support to a particular population, the most favoured being patients with autism and other developmental disabilities.

Behavioural gerontology helps senior patients overcome obesity, depression, diabetes and neurocognitive disorders, while behavioural paediatrics offers viable solutions to at least half of all pediatric medical visits.

Behavioural sport psychology focuses on enhancing the performance and satisfaction of athletes, athletic teams and coaches. In contrast, behavioural treatment of substance use disorders prevents and treats misuse of illegal drugs and associated psychosocial issues.

Skill acquisition and behaviour-reduction programmes form the base of brain injury rehabilitation, while collaboration with experts and policymakers helps improve environmental sustainability.

Behaviour Specialists who specialise in education aid the systematic design, implementation, and evaluation of instruction based on analysing teacher-student interactions.

Emphasis on health promotion through dietary and exercise changes is the focal aspect of improving the patient’s health and fitness. Clinical behaviour analysis applies theoretical and practical tools to treat so-called mental disorders.

Organisational behaviour management seeks to improve employee performance and workplace culture by assessing and changing the work environment. Prevention and behavioural intervention of child maltreatment help strengthen child health care, home safety, and parent-child interactions.

A Treasure Trove of Techniques

Behaviour Specialists use various techniques to help their patients go from strength to strength. Included are consistent and prompt positive and negative reinforcement, judicious prompting and fading of visual and verbal cues that are neither intimidating nor accusatory, and generalising knowledge to different settings.

Also of value are analysis of a given task in terms of physical/cognitive actions, repetition, allocation and environment, three-part behavioural contracts including expectations and rewards, and errorless teaching that includes verbal, visual or physical gestural cues to reduce the likelihood of an incorrect response.

Video modelling is instrumental in improving the social, communicative and play skills of patients with autism. At the same time, picture exchange communication systems help nonverbal patients or those with limited speaking abilities express their wants and feelings.  

Peer-mediated social skills training teaches children with disabilities how to engage in social situations, while discrete trial training teaches a new behaviour by breaking it down into a sequence or discrete trial.

Play-based pivotal response treatment targets reinforcing development in critical areas of language and social behaviours. Functional communication training aims to stop tantrums by teaching children to speak or gesture their feelings.

Besides behaviour chaining, which instils positive behaviours in a routine sequence, Behaviour Specialists employ activity schedules that use visual prompts to promote systematic planning of play or social behaviours.

Teaching with acoustical guidance uses sounds like music or clickers to reinforce good behaviour.  Incidental teaching uses natural opportunities such as play to build language and behaviour skills in patients with autism or developmental delays.

Fluency- or precision-based instruction builds mastery in specific behaviours and quick, accurate responses that will help in academics and work, whereas shaping gradually teaches new behaviour through reinforcement until the target behaviour is achieved.

Self-management is often used to help patients with autism identify a goal and modify the environment to increase the likelihood of reaching the goal.   

Potential Pros & Cons of Freelancing vs Full-Time Employment

Freelancing Behaviour Specialists have more flexible work schedules and locations. They own the business and can select their projects and clients. However, they experience inconsistent work and cash flow, which means more responsibility, effort and risk.

On the other hand, a full-time Behaviour Specialist has company-sponsored health benefits, insurance, and retirement plans. They have job security with a fixed, reliable source of income and guidance from their bosses. Yet, they may experience boredom due to a lack of flexibility, ownership, and variety.

When deciding between freelancing or being a full-time employee, consider the pros and cons to see what works best for you.

It takes about 66 days for an average individual to make something a daily habit.

Despite the everyday challenges and frustrations they experience in the discharge of their duties, Behaviour Specialists gain immense satisfaction from the creation of sustainable and lasting behaviour changes that go a long way in improving the lives of their patients and their close circle.

Understanding why we behave in the ways we do leads to enhanced communication, grace, and acceptance of others.