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What Careers Can I Go Into Once I’m A BCBA?

Nicole 05/15/2023
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Woman applying for a job on a laptop and the screen says "We Are Hiring"

What Careers Can I Go Into Once I’m A BCBA?

 

Ok, so why did you become a BCBA? RBT? BCaBA? Was it to work with children? Specifically children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder? Are you freaking out about big mega-funded companies closing their doors? Feeling burnt out from working your speciality? Wondering how else you can use your certification? Well, let the bitches explain what careers you can go into once you’re a BCBA, SNABA style!!

 

What else can I do with my BCBA credential?

Well. The straightforward answer is, probably a lot more than you think. 

 

  • Business/Human Resource Management (Organizational Business Management): take the principles of ABA and assess and evaluate the workplace culture and systems to increase employee performance and workplace culture!

Learn More Here: https://www.obmnetwork.com/page/WhatisOBM

 

  • Behavior Analysis in Health and Fitness: Do you love staying healthy and being physically fit? This just might be the perfect combination for you! There are actual BCBAs who specialize in applying behavior analytic concepts to improve personal health and fitness goals with emphasis on diet and exercise modification. 

Learn more here: https://www.bacb.com/about-behavior-analysis/health-fitness/

 

  • Behavior Analysis in Education: Have a passion for teaching and learning? Perhaps Behavior Analysis in Education is the way to go! Behavior analytic procedures can assist with improving teaching methods, learning across content areas and grade levels, and learner’s responding. Make an impact on what school is and how it’s done.

Learn more here: https://www.bacb.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Behavior-Analysis-in-Education-Fact-Sheet_210108.pdf

 

  • Behavioral Treatment of Substance Use Disorders: Use behavioral approaches to prevent and treat misuse of substances and associated problems. Combine basic principles of operant behavior controlled by consequences with treatments such as CBT and ACT.

Learn More here: https://www.bacb.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Behavioral-Treatment-of-Substance-Use-Disorders-Fact-Sheet_210108.pdf

 

  • Occupational Safety: The application of behavior analytic principles can help companies reduce accidents and injuries through observation, analysis and intervention.

Learn More here: https://www.apa.org/topics/safety-design/behavior-based-work-safety-programs

 

  • FBI Profilers: So we have all watched the profilers in Criminal Minds, and how cool would it be to profile full time! You would become an expert at the analysis of a criminal mind (I think Liat would love this). Although you have your BCBA certification, you would further need training in FBI academics and specific training for the Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU).

Learn More here: https://fbijobs.gov/special-agents

 

  • Forensic BCBA: similarly to a profiler, a forensic BCBA uses ABA to identify patterns in thefts, abductions and assaults through the evaluation of evidence. This process allows the BCBA to identify motivating operations for committing a string of crimes.

Learn More here: https://www.appliedbehavioranalysisprograms.com/specialties/aba-and-forensic-behavior-analysis/

 

  • Behavioral Gerontology: What happens as we age? Behavioral Gerontology aims to apply behavior analytic principles to age-realted issues. Behavior Analysts work with specifically the elderly population to reinforce healthy lifestyle choices to promote continued aging. 

Learn more here: https://assets.bacb.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Behavioral-Gerontology-Fact-Sheet_190520.pdf

 

  • Behavioral Sport Psychology: Do you love sports? Were you, or are you still an athlete? This combination of behavioral principles and sports is ideal for someone who wants to make a difference in performance satisfaction among athletes, teams and coaches.

Learn More here: https://www.bacb.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Behavioral-Sport-Psychology-Fact-Sheet_210125.pdf

 

  • Behavioral Pediatrics : Behaviors that present in a pediatric medical office can also be treated with Behavior Analysis. This is a speciality because nearly half of doctor’s visits with young children involve behavioral concerns and can be easily treated with behavioral principles. 

Learn More Here: https://assets.bacb.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Behavioral-Pediatrics-Fact-Sheet_190520.pdf

 

  • Behavior Analysis in Environmental Sustainability: Do you have a passion for saving the world around us? Well, engaging in behaviors to make a better and more eco-friendly environment for individuals, families, communities, corporations, and governments can be achieved through behavior analytic principles!

Learn More Here: https://www.bacb.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Behavior-Analysis-in-Environmental-Sustainability-Fact-Sheet_210108.pdf

 

  • Behavior Analysis in Brain Injury Rehabilitation: As we have learned in early psychology courses, the brain plays a vital role in learning and behavior. Behavior analysts can join an interdisciplinary team to aid in a patient’s learning and behavior plan after experiencing a brain injury using behavior analytic principles. 

Learn More Here: https://assets.bacb.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Behavior-Analysis-in-Brain-Injury-Rehabilitation-Fact-Sheet_190520.pdf

 

  • Behavioral Financial Counseling: Just like other behaviors, the way we earn, spend and save money can be evaluated, shaped and made better to fit our individual goals and needs. In this field you can also evaluate the psychology of investors and financial markets. I actually know someone who switched from academia to finance and seems to love it!

 Learn more here: https://www.behavioralfinance.com/

 

  • Behavioral Analysis of Sexual Behavior: Have you watched any of Nicholas’ CEUs on SNABA? Well you should! He specializes in this field and shares Oh so much information on how ABA can shape sexual behavior!

Learn more here: https://ceu.studynotesaba.com/instructors/#nicholas

 

  • Life Coach: There is no exact way to coach someone through their lives. But, the overall goal of being a life coach is to help the individual live a more fulfilling life, be happier, strengthen their relationships, and help them achieve their individual goals for their own behavior. 

 

  • Animal Behavior Consultant: use the principles of ABA to change animal behavior specifically the hard and undesired ones to more socially acceptable ones. You can also work to train animals for shows like SeaWorld! 

Learn More Here: https://psycnet.apa.org/fulltext/2016-24947-001.html

 

  • Researcher : Through the assistance of a large company, individual practice or learning institution, as a BCBA (with consent) you can conduct and publish research on the application of behavioral principles in a variety of settings and populations. This can happen in either applied or basic settings, both publications are still going strong!

Still need help finding your passion to build a career in Behavior Analysis, read this article HERE.

Categories: General
Nicole
Nicole Williams is a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst and adjunct professor at Eastern Connecticut State University’s Psychology department. For nine years she has worked with parents and their children who experience developmental, behavioral, and social skills concerns. She continues to work directly with families part time, while her main focus is mentoring and guiding the future educators of our field. She is in all settings an educator, taking pride in a gentle approach to learning, allowing the learner to navigate their learning experience, develop critical thinking and autonomy (for both children and adult learners). Her passion is sharing the benefits of science with everyone.

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