Master of Science in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) - Practicum

Fall 2018 Semester
October-December 2017
MS-ABA Info Session	Monday, October 16, 2017 Monday, October 23, 2017	We encourage all students interested in the program to attend this info session to find out more information and speak with program faculty.
Priority Deadline	Friday, December 8, 2017	All completed applications submitted by this deadline will be reviewed by the MS-ABA Review Committee.
January/February 2018
Free Application for Federal Student Aid: "FAFSA"		We encourage all of our applying/returning students to complete the FAFSA, here: www.fafsa.ed.gov each year. Please also check the “Federal Work Study” option on your FAFSA as we do offer “Federal Work Study” opportunities within the MS-ABA Program.
Applications	Monday, January 22, 2018	Applications are due for MS-ABA Program.
FAFSA	February 1, 2018	Deadline for FAFSA! If you don’t apply by the deadline, you cannot qualify for Federal Work Study!
May 2018
Applications	May 15, 2018	Applicants provided status of application for MS-ABA Program.
June - August 2018
Coursework Info for New Students		Incoming MS-ABA & 2nd year students receive the Book List and information about clickers.
Practica	TBD	Practica Information Meeting for 1st year students Find out a lot of information regarding Practica You will be asked to provide your availability for Practica You will be asked to provide times and days that you are available for your group meetings based on the provided options. This information will be utilized to create Practica Group Sessions
Practica	TBD	Receive an email with an application to apply for Practica There will be a strict deadline for submittal of Option I Practica applications. Information will be provided to students as to what options they have for internship sites and site supervisors If you have a job site that is not an approved internship site and/or site supervisor, but would like to be approved, you will need to provide the CSUN Practica Handbook ASAP and the MS-ABA Review Committee will conduct a review if possible
Practica	TBD	Interviews for Option I Practica will be conducted by MS-ABA Faculty There will be a strict deadline for submittal of Option I Practica applications. Information will be provided to students as to what options they have for internship sites and site supervisors If you have a job site that is not an approved internship site and/or site supervisor, but would like to be approved, you will need to provide the CSUN Practica Handbook ASAP and the MS-ABA Review Committee will conduct a review if possible
Coursework Info for New Students	August 21, 2018	Mandatory MS-ABA Orientation for 1st year students Provide information regarding the program Opportunity to meet the faculty
Coursework Info for New Students	August 28, 2018	Your 1st MS-ABA Class (PSY 552) will begin at 6pm
Practica	September 3-7, 2018	Practica Group Meetings Begin

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This practica option provides direct supervision by MS-ABA Research Faculty. These positions are competitive and students must apply and be selected by the research faculty members. Below, is a list of our four tenure-track faculty members conducting clinical work and behavior analytic research:

1. Faculty member: Dr. Debra Berry Malmberg
   
   Website: https://autismclinic.wixsite.com/csun
   
   Research & Clinical Interests: The Autism Research Lab focuses on developing and evaluating behavioral interventions and parent education programs to promote socio-communicative skill development of children with autism.
   
   Setting: Autism Clinic at CSUN
   
   Clients: Young children with Autism Spectrum Disorders and their caregivers.

2. Faculty member: Dr. Tara Fahmie
   
   Website: https://tarafahmie.wixsite.com/tarafahmie
   
   Research & Clinical Interests: Dr. Fahmie's research interests include the assessment, prevention, and treatment of behavior disorders in children and adults with disabilities (intellectual, developmental, physical). In addition, Dr. Fahmie conducts research to enhance the efficacy and efficiency of skill (social, academic, self-care, etc.) acquisition programs. Most of Dr. Fahmie's research is conducted in a clinical context and the results of her research are used to help inform teachers, parents, and caregivers, and ultimately, to improve the independent functioning of individuals with special needs.
   
   Setting: Off-site Community partnerships
   
   Clients: Individuals (ages 3-15) with and without disabilities as well as their caregivers (i.e., parents, guardians, teachers).

3. Faculty member: Dr. Stephanie Hood
   
   Website: https://ssail7.wixsite.com/hoodlab
   
   Dr. Hood’s primary research interests have been related to determining the extent to which efficacious teaching procedures produce socially important behavior change and promote maintenance and generalization, and expand the reach of behavior-analytic services. One of Dr. Hood’s primary research lines is assessing procedures to teach complex social skills and assess the extent to which stimulus generalization occurs. Effective interventions to teach complex social skills is essential for adolescents and young adults with social skills deficits to become fully functioning members of the community (e.g., independent living, success in higher education, and employment). Some of Dr. Hood’s current projects are related to developing interventions for specific conversation deficits (e.g., articulation, discriminating and responding to sarcasm, identifying common interests and potential friends), job-training programs, college-student time management and study skills. In addition, Dr. Hood is interested in evaluating refinements to current functional analysis methodology to identify determinants of problem behavior. This line of research focuses on developing and refining intervention practices to produce effects that maintain in the natural environment.
   
   Setting: Social Skills Assessment Intervention and Learning Research Lab and Clinic at CSUN
   
   Clients: Individuals (ages 7 – 35) with and without disabilities as well as caregivers (parents, guardians, and teacher; when appropriate).

4. Faculty member: Dr. Ellie Kazemi
   
   Website: https://klab-csun.weebly.com/
   
   Research & Clinical Interests: Effective, efficient training and supervision are extremely important, particularly for professionals who provide clinical care. My lab is invested in research and community work that lead to improvements in training and supervision of staff. Most of our research is centered on examining effective training and supervision strategies (e.g., performance feedback, conflict resolution, and computer-based personalized instruction) that lead to significant behavior change. Most recently, we are interested in leveraging technology (e.g., A.I.., robotics, virtual reality) for simulation-based training and to disseminate behavior analysis. Graduate and undergraduate students, as members of my lab family, are involved in all aspects of research and community collaborations. They may become involved in developing and conducting community trainings, designing simulations, and creating behavior measures. Master’s level graduates of my lab either go on for PhDs at nationally competitive programs or obtain leadership positions in behavior analytic organizations.
   
   Setting: Training & Supervision Laboratory at CSUN and off-site with Community Research Partners
   
   Clients: In this lab, students provide trainings in a pyramidal model and sometimes conduct translational research. To accrue supervised experience hours, students are required to select the off-site practica option in addition to their work in lab. Therefore, this lab is only appropriate for MS-ABA students interested in pursuing doctoral training in ABA.

	UNIVERSITY-BASED ON-SITE PRACTICA: OPTION 1	UNIVERSITY-BASED OFF-SITE PRACTICA: OPTION 2	OFF-SITE PRACTICA: OPTION 3
Direct Supervisor	Dr. Fahmie, Dr. Hood, Dr. Malmberg, Dr. Kazemi	CSUN Approved Off-site Supervisor	BCBA in good standing
Practica Group Supervision	Dr. Fahmie, Dr. Hood, Dr. Malmberg, Dr. Kazemi	CSUN Practicum Supervisor	CSUN Practicum Supervisor
Students must enroll in 3-CE units of XBEH 903 practicum course each semester	X	X	X
Students must attend supervision meeting	Weekly - Specific to each faculty	Bi-weekly Practica Meetings Weekly Field Supervision	Bi-weekly Practica Meetings Bi-Weekly Supervision
Students must adhere to the course syllabus & "MS-ABA Internship Student Agreement"	X	X	X
Total required supervised experience by BACB	1000 hours (About 15 hours per week for 2 years)	1000 hours (About 15 hours per week for 2 years)	1500 hours (About 20 hours per week for 2 years)
Commitment to Internship	2 years to Faculty	1 academic year to Internship Site	1 academic year to Internship Site

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