Honest and reliable adults are sought to provide behaviour-analytic interventions (aka teaching of skills) to 3 - 7 year-old children with autism. Most services will involve comprehensive interventions teaching language/communication, play, early-academic and self-care skills, but you will also be involved in focussed interventions such as intensive toilet-training. In most cases, clients receive individualised programs in a 1:1 teaching ratio and in multiple 2-hour sessions per week. Staff are allocated to clients in teams, so you - a Therapist (aka Technician) - will see the same clients multiple times each week. Teaching and behaviour-management procedures will have been designed by senior staff, and the Therapist will apply these procedures with the client in his/her home, daycare facility, and/or school. A significant amount of training and continued supervision will be provided.
Essential requirements: 1) A willingness to seek education and training in Applied Behaviour Analysis (see below); 2) a WA driver's license; 3) access to a private vehicle; 4) able to work until 6:00pm on weekdays and some Saturdays; and 5) joy when playing with children and when seeing desired changes in their behaviour, no matter how small they might be. (Note: A university degree or prior experience working with people with autism is NOT required.)
Preferred Requirements: 1) Animated mannerisms; 2) relatively fit and agile; 3) playful manner with children; 4) ambition to master technical teaching procedures; and 5) relatively "thick skin" and so not easily embarrassed or intimidated.
This position is ideal for someone who has just finished (or is close to finishing) an undergraduate degree in psychology, speech pathology, occupational therapy, etc., because it's an opportunity to practice clinical work while earning professional certifications. Preference will be given to those with 30 or more hours of availability for work per week. This availability should be between 9:00am and 6:00pm on weekdays, and there should be no weekdays when they cannot work for at least 3 hours.
All staff will be expected - and helped - to pursue professional certification by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB) and/or The Association for Behaviour Analysis Australia (ABAA); the minimum of which is the Registered Behaviour Technician (RBT) certificate (see ). (A more senior position is also available for those who already have some BACB or ABAA certification.). This could be someone's first step toward a career as a behaviour analyst working with children presenting developmental disabilities.
Generic ABA and commercial treatment models developed by behaviour analysts are the most empirically-validated approaches to assisting children with developmental disabilities. As well, a large body of published research informs the assessment and intervention procedures used by ABA practitioners. Therefore, staff will need to be pro-science and willing to read scientific literature. To learn more about Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA), look at these websites:, ,, ,, ).