Imagine being a parent of a child who is unable to speak – knowing that there is not a lot of help available to them. Being unable to communicate is one of the most frustrating things a person can feel and it is a very real problem for many children with autism.

The methods used by behavior analysts have been empirically proven to help autistic children with their behavior and communication deficiencies. There are only nine practicing certified board behavior analysts in West Virginia, while there are over 1,000 documented cases of autistic children in the state, according to fightingautism.org.

At the end of the summer, the number of practicing board certified behavior analysts in the state will be almost doubled, thanks to the board certification program Behavior Analysis for Teachers, created by West Virginia University’s Department of Psychology in the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences.

“It’s heart-wrenching when I get calls from distressed parents, asking me if I know who can help their children when there are such limited resources in the state,” said Claire St. Peter Pipkin, coordinator of the Behavior Analysis for Teachers program.

As more teachers become educated about the methods of behavior analysis, they will in turn be able to help other teachers, producing a generative effect, Pipkin said.

“I entered the BAT program because I think it is a great opportunity, not only to advance my own knowledge base, but to bring the techniques to our general education and special education teachers. As the economy worsens and more parents are forced to work when they can, behaviors and issues for children arise. It is nice to know how to help children and classroom teachers with issues in a constructive manner,” said Caron Vilasuso, special educator at Mountainview Elementary School in Morgantown.

Eight teachers from Monongalia County schools are currently enrolled in the four-semester program and will be the first round of students to graduate from the program in the summer of 2010. After completing the course work, the teachers will be eligible to take the exam to become fully-certified behavior analysts.

“This program is unique because instead of the teachers having to enroll in graduate classes at a university, we are able to go to them,” Pipkin said.

The teachers began the five-course program in summer 2009, where they attended class for two-and-a-half-hours everyday. When school is in session, they have class once a week, along with working on completing the 750 hours of their required practicum. During the practicum they must demonstrate what they have learned in class under the supervision of program instructors.

The program maintains a partnership with the Monongalia County School District and classes meet at Mountainview Elementary. Though the program is open to all teachers, it is competitive, and only top candidates are selected for the rigorous coursework.

The methods used by behavior analysts are the only empirically-based mechanisms that are proven to help autistic children. The behavior analysis program at WVU is working to make those resources more available, Pipkin said.

-WVU-

ep/03/09/10

CONTACT: Claire St. Peter Pipkin, Department of Psychology
304-293-2001 ext. 31676, Claire.Stpeterpipkin@mail.wvu.edu