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Happy Days ABA is a clinic for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder, specializing in applied behavior analysis (ABA). Turnover rates are high and they are urgently hiring individuals that they can train to become Registered Behavior Technicians (RBTs). RBTs are trained individuals who provide daily, 1:1 therapy to children in the clinic.

Below are learner personas representing the typical individual training to become an RBT.

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John Atkins: Recent Enthusiastic High School Graduate

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John Atkins: Recent Enthusiastic High School Graduate

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I created the above learner personas using my own experience in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), specifically as an RBT.

You are eligible to become an RBT when you are 18 years old and hold a high school diploma or equivalent. Therefore, I see many recent high school graduates like John who are brand new to the field of ABA. For some of these individuals, this might even be their first job. They need the most amount of classroom and hands-on training as they have the least amount of experience. Videos, demonstrations, additional resources, and assessments are essential.

I also see a lot of individuals who are currently in college or just graduated, looking to become RBTs. Not all, but a majority I have found are in the process of earning, or have already earned, a degree in psychology or a similar field. These individuals are coming into training already familiar with some of the core concepts in ABA. Their training may need to focus more on hands-on activities, assessments, and demonstrations.

Some trainees are in school, have second jobs, children at home, etc. so it's important to consider how much time they have outside of work to study for the RBT exam and competency assessment. A majority of training will be during work hours, but it's important to provide additional videos and resources that trainees can access on their own time if they feel they need more study time, specifically in a certain topic.

The trainees will be provided with company tablets to complete training on during the work day. It's important to consider the access to technology they have outside of work when coming up with additional resources.

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The particular course I am creating is focusing on one core training topic for RBTs: Measurement. This is just one topic that is covered in an RBTs required 40-hour training course. Collecting data/ utilizing various measurement techniques is one of the main day-to-day jobs of an RBT. This is so important because Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs) use the data collected to make critical decisions regarding clients' treatment.

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One of the most common mistakes RBTs make relates to collecting data. RBTs, particularly new RBTs, either do not have a proper understanding of how to accurately collect data or believe they are collecting data correctly when in fact they are not. Treatment fidelity is absolutely essential to the field of ABA and this includes data collection. Inaccurate data collection leads to improper treatment of individuals, which can be costly.

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Many individuals entering the field of ABA have never been exposed to data collection procedures. They must learn why data collection is important, how to take data accurately and appropriately, and be assessed on their knowledge and skills.

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1. Remember: RBT trainees will be able to define the measurement procedures outlined in the BACB Task List 2nd Edition within their first week of training.

2. Understand: RBT trainees will be able to give examples of each measurement procedure within their first week of training

3. Apply: RBT trainees will be able to demonstrate each measurement procedure either with a client or through role-playing 9 out of 10 times.

4. Analyze: RBT trainees will be able to select the correct measurement method being used when given an example scenario, with 90% accuracy.

5. Evaluate: RBT trainees will be able to assess an example scenario and determine the most appropriate measurement method to use, 9 out of 10 times.

6. Create: RBT trainees will be able to collect data using each measurement method, either with a client or via watching a video, and will have a minimum of 80% interobserver agreement with another observer.

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In ABA, we have to write goals for each of our clients, and are taught to utilize the SMART method. I tried to utilize what I have learned through school and real life application when creating my outcomes here. I decided to use SMART because of my prior knowledge and experience with it. However, I am new to Bloom's Taxonomy so I hope that I was able to implement that into each one of my outcomes. I love how we are given so many verbs to use for each level of Bloom's Taxonomy to aid us in our writing. ABA is so hands on, that I think the various levels of Bloom's Taxonomy are perfect for it!

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Below you will find a modular framework outlining the content of the course.

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This course will be broken up into 6 modules. Each module will have a supplemental Toolkit with additional resources such as articles and videos for trainees to view in their own time.

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I selected and broke down the modules to align with the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB) 2nd Edition Task List for RBTs. Each module covers the required topics outlined in the Measurement section of the Task List. The topics on this task list, including measurement, are areas that RBTs will practice daily. They will also be assessed in these topics via their competency assessment and RBT examination.

I utilized a bottom-up approach when creating my content map. I looked at the overall topic, measurement, and broke that down into the various topics within. The learners will flow through this course in a linear fashion. One topic builds on the previous one. The trainees are on a structured and timetabled approach, as they need to learn all of the material within a set amount of time and demonstrate mastery of the material.

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This course will utilize a blended learning model. Trainees will report to a training room at the center at a specified time every day and participate in live training sessions (synchronous). Trainees will also have asynchronous activities that they can engage in on their own time such as practice tests and resources available within their toolkits (asynchronous).

The course will also include interactive learning resources. Trainees will be given scenarios/situations that they will likely encounter in their daily life as an RBT and will be guided through these scenarios. They will also be given assessments throughout the course to measure their understanding.

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Content:

Multimedia Learning: Content will be delivered via on-screen text and corresponding audio

Infographics: Will be included to assist trainees in navigating the course

Instructional Videos: Will be used to model concepts

Activities, Assessment, & Feedback:

Polling and Quizzes: Will be provided in a multiple choice format. Will provide scenarios and examples at the end of each module to test trainees' understanding of the material

Exam: Exam will be provided at the end of the course to test the trainees' overall understanding of the course content

Facilitation Technique:

Live Chat: There will be live classes via Zoom. Trainees will be able to interact with classmates and the instructor via the live chat to ask questions, comment, etc.

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I felt like putting together the linear model and creating a visual for that was the most difficult part for me. I think I knew how I wanted the course to flow in my head, but for some reason putting it on paper proved challenging. However, the templates provided by DLI were very helpful in putting my thoughts in an organized format. When I was training to become an RBT, I had four weeks of training that combined both classroom learning and training with a seasoned RBT and a client to see skills being implemented in real life. I was trying to think of how my own training was broken down and what I felt could have been done better, what elements of training I liked, etc. It was really fun taking all of these thoughts and ideas and putting them on paper!