TLS’s Behavior Health Department Prepares For New Certification

The Learning Spectrum’s Behavior Health Department is growing, and paraprofessionals will soon begin the process to earn a Registered Behavior Technician (RBT) certification from the Behavior Analysts Certification Board (BACB). Individuals with a RBT credential will be responsible for implementing, not designing, the behavior plans created by the Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) at TLS.

Tiffanie Ryan, TLS’s Assistant Director of the Behavioral Health Department, says the RBT certification was introduced in January 2015, but is not yet mandatory for insurance credentialing. However, TLS is moving forward with the certification for all of its ABA paraprofessionals in that department to ensure those who are implementing behavior plans are properly trained and continuously supervised by a BCBA.

The certification involves 40 hours of training, a criminal background check, a RBT Competency Assessment and passing an exam created by the BACB. Tiffanie said her team will likely start the training in mid September/October 2015.

Tiffanie is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) and a Certified Ohio Behavior Analyst (COBA). Along with Samantha Angelas MS, the director of the department, Brynne Artim MS, BCBA, COBA , and seven paraprofessionals, TLS’s Behavioral Department Team helps children on the spectrum improve their overall life through the principles of applied behavior analysis (ABA).

ABA is a scientific approach to discovering factors (reinforcers) that influence behavior. Therapists look for these reinforcers (or reinforcer) in order to determine what is motivating a target behavior of interest an individual displays. This is crucial because the target behavior will more likely continue or increase as long as the reinforcer(s) is available and decrease once the reinforcer(s) is not available.

Through scientific principles, one-on-one time, objective data collection, and introducing or removing different items or situations to a child’s environment, a BCBA systematically eliminates reasons for a certain behavior and identify the reason that behavior is occurring.

Then, an individualized plan is created along with appropriate behavior interventions to help each child improve his or her social significant behaviors, such as but not limited to, communication, social skills, academics, fine and gross motor skills, and adaptive living skills.

The Behavior Health Department at TLS provides services to all age groups at all locations. While insurance companies are beginning to deem ABA as a medical necessity, there are limits to coverage and individual policies, especially with government-funded programs such as Medicaid and policies purchased under the Health Insurance Marketplace.

As more people learn about the benefits of ABA, the greater the demand has been for services. Tiffanie and her team are working hard to build the department to help as many children as possible, while adhering to that delicate balance of who needs services, what insurance will cover and how many therapists are needed on staff. Some families have used the Autism Scholarship to help to pay for one-on-one ABA, while other families choose to self-pay once insurance has reached its limits.

If you’d like more information about TLS’s Behavioral Health Department, the RBT certification, or how ABA could help your child, contact The Learning Spectrum at 614-844-5433.