Partnership with Clemson University Center for Behavior Analysis

January 12, 2016

Master of Arts in Applied Psychology (MAPAP) Program at American University of Central Asia (AUCA) is pleased to announce the launch of its partnership with Clemson University Center for Behavior Analysis. Within this partnership program, MAPAP students will have the opportunity to take a sequence of courses in applied behavior analysis recognized by the American Behavior Analysis Certification Board (BACB). The completion of this sequence makes a student eligible to take a certification exam, receive professional credentials from BACB, and become a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA).

BCBA professionals are independent practitioners who provide behavior-analytic services. The BACB recognizes individuals who have specific training in the principles of applied behavior analysis (ABA). ABA therapists teach skills and implement behavioral reduction plans to help individuals learn and function in their environments and/or increase adaptive living skills.

Applied behavior analysis is the scientific study of principles of learning and behavior. It is a widely recognized treatment for children with autism but is not limited to this application. The majority of certified behavior analysts provide services for children with autism because of high demand and increasing rates of autism in the world. As of yet, there is insufficient data on the prevalence of autism in Kyrgyzstan or Central Asia, but, in the US, data suggests that in 2014 an estimated one in sixty-eight newborns were on the autism spectrum. At the same time, behavior analysts are qualified to provide services for clients in organizations (for instance, in performance management, incentive systems, enforcing safety rules, etc.), for people looking to improve certain skills (communication, social skills, academic skills, self-care skills etc.), and for reducing problem behaviors (aggression, self-injurious behavior).

The launch of this partnership with Clemson University is great news—not only for the University but also for Central Asia in its entirety. There are no certified behavior analysts in Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, or Uzbekistan providing these critical services for children with autism. There are just a few behavior analysts in the whole China, in spite of the fact that the rates of autism are increasing there as well.

This program will also benefit the community as more services and more specialists are be available for families of children with autism and other special needs. Certification is absolutely necessary for protecting the rights of clients to receive qualified service in accordance with the professional and ethical standards of the Behavior Analysis Certification Board.

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