Behavior Intervention Specialist Job Description, Skills, and Salary
Get to know about the duties, responsibilities, qualifications, and skills requirements of a behavior intervention specialist. You can use our job description template in this article to produce your own. We also provide you with information about the salary you can earn as a behavior intervention specialist.
Who is a Behavior Intervention Specialist?
In the area of special education, a behavior intervention specialist, or BIS, assists instructors and kids in the classroom by developing behavior intervention plans, or BIPs. A behavior intervention specialist provides educational settings with professional behavior assistance by providing teachers and parents with instruction on how to convert undesirable or harmful behaviors into more suitable and useful ones.
In addition to writing behavioral intervention programs that can be implemented at the school by other behavioral specialists or other professionals with a certificate in behavioral analysis, a behavior intervention specialist is trained to gather information on challenging behaviors, identify the purpose of why behaviors are occurring in the home or school environment, and collect data on those behaviors.
These experts have the training and credentials to supervise the implementation of the program and make any required modifications if objectives are met or brand-new troublesome behaviors arise. So that there is continuity of services and support in both home and school contexts, they assist in educating teachers and parents about the tactics they utilize in group or individual settings.
It is your responsibility as a behavioral intervention expert to contribute to the development and implementation of a treatment plan for your client’s mental health. In this position, you may evaluate each patient psychologically, test them often to track their development, and keep an eye on them to see if they need any more treatment. As an interventionist, you’ll probably deal with kids from all sorts of circumstances and backgrounds, including those who have significant medical needs or a history of living in unstable households. This position requires you to be able to recognize the root reasons for troublesome behavior and modify your answers accordingly.
Behavior Intervention Specialist Job Description
Below are the behavior intervention specialist job description examples you can use to develop your resume or write a job description for your employee. Employers can also use it to sieve out job seekers when choosing candidates for interviews.
The duties and responsibilities of a behavior intervention specialist include the following;
- Create treatment programs based on evaluations of the requirements and objectives of the clients.
- Observe how students act in different contexts, such as the classroom, cafeteria, playground, or gym, to spot potential triggers for bad conduct.
- Discuss student success with teachers and parents.
- Conduct behavioral evaluations on kids to find out their social, emotional, behavioral, and academic strengths and limitations.
- Implement behavior modification strategies to help people acquire new skills and behave better.
- Enforce behavior intervention strategies for kids with specific needs or impairments to enhance their conduct.
- Hold parent education seminars to assist parents in comprehending their child’s conduct, rewarding good behavior, and establishing a controlled atmosphere at home.
- Conduct individual therapy sessions with pupils who are acting inappropriately or have emotional problems.
- Track and record student development, and modify treatments as necessary.
- Assemble and analyze test data to determine if a pupil qualifies for special services and to diagnose their issues.
- Notify the appropriate authorities about any potential child abuse, neglect, or endangerment.
- Determine a student’s ability to behave appropriately both at home and at school.
- Make plans for student behavioral interventions.
- Put behavior support programs into practice.
- Check the progress of behavior support plans’ goals and objectives to make sure they are being fulfilled.
- Collaborate with parents and teachers to put behavioral interventions into place.
- Share information on the development of the pupils with parents and case managers.
- Determine the effectiveness of the behavioral therapies via analysis.
- Help pupils recognize incorrect actions and come up with healthier behavioral alternatives.
- AEPS or Affiliated Education Programs Services evaluations are developed and carried out for kids enrolled in special education programs.
- Create lessons, plans, and specific curricula to suit each student’s requirements.
- Aid in the facilitation of behavioral interventions by carers.
- Keep track of the development of kids getting special education programs.
- Maintain records of the services provided, behavioral information, and special education reports for kids.
Qualifications
- Special education bachelor’s degree.
- A valid teaching license for substitutes.
- Working knowledge of special needs youngsters.
- Ability to create programs for diverse youngsters that work.
- A thorough understanding of classroom rules and regulations.
- The conclusion of the criminal history investigation.
- Exceptional communication abilities.
- Strong interpersonal skills and a love of kids.
- Excellent analytical and observational abilities.
- Willing to put in extra time at work so that parents may meet with you.
Essential Skills
- Plans for Behavior Intervention: The ability to draft behavior intervention plans for clients is a requirement for behavior intervention experts. These programs need to include methods the expert may use to assist a customer in altering their conduct and enhancing their social abilities. A behavior intervention expert could create a plan if, for instance, a kid struggles to engage with other students in the classroom. This plan might involve encouraging the child to play games at recess or giving them literature on how to make friends.
- Writing Reports: The process of producing a report involves compiling information on a person or group in a written form. Reports are used by behavior intervention professionals to monitor their client’s development and provide proof that their treatment plans may need to be modified. They can also speak with other specialists, including psychologists, who may not be in the same place thanks to this ability.
- Organization: The capacity of the organization is the capacity to monitor documents, data, and other information. As an expert in behavior intervention, you may need to keep thorough records on each kid in your class as well as any information on their unique behavioral goals. It might be easier to remain on top of all the paperwork involved with these activities if you have great organizational abilities. It’s crucial to keep track of the supplies and resources required for different projects during the academic year.
- Data Gathering: The capacity to compile information on an individual or group is known as data collecting. Data are used by behavior intervention professionals to monitor progress and make necessary corrections. For instance, if you’re dealing with a worker who has behavioral issues, you may watch them at work to determine what makes them act in a specific way and how they react to certain scenarios. As a result, you may come up with a strategy to encourage them to behave better at work.
- Programs for Individualized Education: Plans for behavior intervention are built on individualized education programs. To provide tailored education programs that may assist kids in overcoming their behavioral issues, behavior intervention specialists need to be able to evaluate individuals’ learning preferences, as well as their strengths and limitations. Understanding educational standards and how they relate to each student’s particular requirements are necessary for this.
- Consultation: The capacity to advise and help others is consultation. Working with instructors or parents who are attempting to alter their child’s conduct is possible for behavior interventionists. Your ability to consult with others enables you to assist them in creating plans that may successfully alter their child’s behavior. Additionally, you use your consulting abilities while assisting pupils in acquiring new habits.
- Interpersonal Competence: Examples of interpersonal skills include being able to communicate with others and understanding their sentiments. The fact that behavior intervention professionals often interact with kids, parents, and teachers makes this a crucial ability. Interpersonal abilities may assist them to establish connections with these individuals and promote constructive student conduct.
- Management of time: The capacity to organize and carry out duties in a manner that guarantees you reach your objectives is known as time management. Time management abilities are crucial for behavior intervention specialists since they enable you to finish all of your tasks on schedule. For instance, it’s crucial to plan your time if you’re dealing with pupils who have behavioral difficulties so that you can properly watch them and provide interventions when required.
- Flexibility: The ability to alter course as required. Specialists in behavior intervention need flexibility in their work since they often interact with kids who have particular needs and difficulties. A kid could, for instance, react well to one kind of behavior control method but not to another. A behavior interventionist’s flexibility enables them to modify their strategy as necessary.
- Progress Tracking: A behavior intervention expert must be able to evaluate a client’s progress and modify their strategy as necessary. They must be knowledgeable about how to assess clients’ behavioral patterns and about the many behavioral types and the solutions that work best for each. They must also be adaptable in their thinking so that they may alter their strategies as necessary.
- Collaboration: The capacity to cooperate with others to achieve a shared objective. This ability may be helpful in behavior intervention since it often entails collaboration with other specialists to develop a customized strategy for each kid. When developing behavioral interventions, it’s crucial to work closely with students to ensure that everyone is aware of their roles and responsibilities.
- Functioning Behavior Evaluations: Using a functional behavior assessment, a behavior intervention professional may examine the causes of a person’s problematic or disruptive behaviors. For instance, a behavior interventionist may carry out a functional behavior assessment on a kid who struggles to concentrate in class to evaluate if the student has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and requires accommodations from their school. A functional behavior assessment enables a behavior interventionist to comprehend the reasons behind a person’s behavior so they may develop successful tactics for altering it.
- Creativity: The ability to generate unique concepts and solutions is what we call creativity. When putting up plans to deal with difficult behaviors, behavior intervention professionals often use their creative faculties. For instance, a behavior intervention professional may advise utilizing stickers as an incentive system to promote good conduct if a kid struggles to concentrate in class. The learner may learn how to concentrate on classwork with the aid of this original method.
- Education Management: The capacity to keep the peace in a classroom is known as classroom management. Knowing how to deal with interruptions, such as when pupils are chatting or playing instead of working, is a part of this. It also entails having the ability to impose guidelines and penalties for bad conduct. If a pupil doesn’t follow instructions, for instance, you can order them to sit in a time-out chair until they do.
- Supporting Positive Behavior Plans: The ability to draft positive behavior support plans that specify what an employer or client should do when a student exhibits problematic conduct is required of a behavior intervention expert. Plans for minimizing problematic behaviors and enhancing constructive ones may be part of these plans. For instance, a behavior intervention expert may recommend giving a pupil a quiet study area if they are having difficulty concentrating in class.
- Patience: When working with clients to assist them to overcome obstacles, behavior intervention professionals must exercise patience. They may have to wait for the client to acknowledge their improvement or until the client is at ease enough to try out new tactics. Behavior interventionists must be able to maintain composure under pressure to provide appropriate instruction.
How to Become a Behavior Intervention Specialist
- Select your certifications and the position you wish to pursue: A behavioral intervention expert may operate in several settings and at various levels. Find out what levels of education and experience are needed where you may work before committing to a certain degree or certification.
The Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB) establishes the benchmark credentials for the field. The certification levels are as follows:
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- The sole educational requirement for a Registered Behavior Technician (RBT) is a high school diploma. An RBT is closely supervised by a Board Certified Behavior Analyst while at work.
- Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst (BCABA): With this qualification, which needs a bachelor’s degree, these practitioners are qualified to provide analysis services under the supervision of a BCBA.
- A master’s degree is required for the Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) accreditation, which gives you the freedom to practice independently without supervision.
If you want to work at a school, you should also research the local criteria for educators. For those who work in schools, certain states, like Texas and Virginia, have special certification requirements.
- Complete a bachelor’s program: Get a bachelor’s degree in early childhood development, education, psychology, nursing, or a similar subject to work at higher behavior intervention levels. Coursework in behavior analysis might help you become ready for upcoming certification tests. You could check especially for courses on therapies for behavioral adjustment and applied behavioral analysis.
- Forward with your schooling: Next, get a master’s degree if you want to become a Board Certified Behavioral Analyst. You may qualify for the BCBA test by using behavior-analysis courses, faculty teaching, coursework, or postdoctoral experience.
- Acquire expertise: For any certification, you must complete a certain number of hours of fieldwork under supervision in a field related to the job you want to conduct. Choose a supervisor who is structured and experienced after choosing your specialty. It’s critical to maintain accurate fieldwork records since the BACB may at any moment utilize an audit procedure to confirm this experience. The quantity of fieldwork you must do depends on your certification path. It may be anything from 500 and 2,000 hours, depending on the level you’re striving for and the training or experience you currently have.
The level of the Registered Behavior Technician is an exemption from this fieldwork requirement. This level involves an initial competence test but does not require fieldwork to get the first certification since it is intended for persons without particular experience or education.
- Earn a certification: You may start the certification procedure by putting in an application and fee after completing your schooling and gaining experience. The procedure includes passing a multiple-choice test. The RBT test, which comprises 80 questions and takes 90 minutes to complete, covers skill development and professional conduct. The four-hour BCABA and BCBA tests address behavior-analytic abilities and client obligations. You may repeat the examinations if necessary, and you are informed immediately after the exam is over whether you passed or not.
A certificate program from a university differs from being certified by the BACB. The BACB certification levels are accepted by the majority of businesses nationwide. You may be able to get a job with a university credential, but it might not be widely recognized.
- Submit a job application: A behavior intervention expert may work in residential settings, behavioral treatment facilities, or educational settings. If you choose to work at a school, your income will be determined mostly by geography and will follow the instructors’ pay schedule. Most of the time, you’ll be working in a classroom, but you could also be working with other kids and visiting other schools. In a residential environment, such as a group home or residential treatment center, or a particular establishment, such as an early intervention center or mental health agency, you may also find employment.
If you want to pursue a career as a psychologist, you may also work as a behavior intervention expert with adults. Treatment for adult addictions to drugs, alcohol, and gambling sometimes involves the involvement of behavior intervention experts.
- Frequently renew your certification: Depending on the certification you already have, you may have to renew it after a certain period. A BCBA or BCABA must renew their certification every two years, whereas an RBT must do so every year. If you meet the criteria for continuing education and uphold ethical standards, you are qualified to renew.
It’s also crucial to keep up with improvements in psychology, such as new methods and academic discoveries. These courses provide you with the experience you need to renew your certification and can even be required by your employer. Keeping up with the most recent research may help you provide better services and make you a more compelling prospect for future employment or educational possibilities.
Where to work as a Behavior Intervention Specialist
Work environments for behavior intervention specialists include both public and private schools, as well as clinics, hospitals, and residences. They might work with groups, families, or individuals. Working with kids who have autism or other developmental disorders is a common task for behavior intervention specialists. They could also work with individuals who have mental health issues, drug misuse issues, or developmental impairments. Although behavior interventionists can work nights or weekends to meet with clients or attend training sessions, the normal work week for behavior interventionists is 40 hours. Behavior interventionists may have part-time jobs.
Behavior Intervention Specialist Salary Scale
In the USA, the typical behavior intervention specialist earns $47,034 per year or $24.12 per hour. Most experienced professionals earn up to $67,504 per year, while entry-level occupations start at $37,772 annually.
In the UK, the average income for a behavior intervention specialist is £28,543 per year or £14.64 per hour. Most experienced professionals earn up to £46,519 per year, while entry-level occupations start at £24,154.
In Ireland, the typical compensation for a behavioral intervention specialist at entry level (1-3 years of experience) is €37,518. On the other hand, a behavioral intervention specialist with senior-level experience (8+ years of experience) makes an average pay of €62,134.
In Australia, an entry-level behavioral intervention specialist makes an average income of $59,175 per year with 1-3 years of experience. A senior-level intervention expert with behavioral experience (8+ years) makes an average pay of $97,998 per year.