The Chicago School’s new Ph.D. in Behavior Analysis (BA) program is taking a fresh approach to instruction in the field with a focus on individual client needs. This new program reflects the development of BA instruction and study at The Chicago School.
“After reviewing the offered courses and student requirements, we realized that the program was better conceptualized as a Ph.D. in Behavior Analysis, because it incorporates a broad range of topics rather than focusing exclusively on BA,” says Cameron Mittelman, Ph.D., interim department chair and director of clinical training department. “In addition to regular training, our students take courses in basic experimental research, translational research, and scientific philosophy.”
The Ph.D. in Behavior Analysis incorporates the school’s commitments to service and diversity to provide students with a modern, empathetic, and person-centered approach to practice.
All in the approach
Behavior analytic services primarily focus on autistic individuals; however, the field has a somewhat controversial reputation within the community. Some autistic clients have critiqued Applied Behavior Analysis tactics for over-emphasizing conformity to neurotypical methods of thought rather than accepting the different and varied thought processes of neurodiversity.
To help mitigate this potential harm, the difference is all in the approach, according to Dr. Mittelman. “It’s all about teaching practitioners to listen to their clients rather than operating from the standpoint of knowing better than them,” he says. “That means asking a lot of questions and making a conscious effort to understand your client’s responses so you can provide the most meaningful care for them.”
The same values and a mission guide every faculty member in the department at The Chicago School in teaching students to provide person-centered and compassionate service. “We’re not operating on business as usual or focused on doing things exactly the same way they’ve been done in the past,” Dr. Mittelman says.
To ensure they expose students to autistic perspectives, instructors incorporate class materials written or published by members of the autistic community. Students are encouraged to view autism through the lens of the neurodiversity movement, as another way of thinking rather than a defect to be fixed.
“Autism is part of who our clients are, and we aren’t out to change that. For us, autism is just one of the variables we consider when working with each client,” Dr. Mittelman explains. “It doesn’t set any kind of a limit on what somebody is or is not capable of, and we don’t ‘treat’ it or consider it something that needs to be treated. We just want to help people function as is necessary for their lives so they can reach their goals.”
Built for accessibility
The Ph.D. in Behavior Analysis program presents an opportunity to receive a Ph.D. education that may have previously been out of reach for those with financial or time conflicts, while simultaneously maintaining The Chicago School’s standards for high-quality education.
Through an executive blended model, students meet one weekend per month for an intensive full day of workshops, which are then supplemented with additional remote or asynchronous content including online meetings with instructors.
Additionally, the program now incorporates the option of two tracks: a generalist track and a track in organizational behavior management. The generalist track focuses on clinical populations and educational contexts, while the organizational behavior management track trains students to apply behavior analysis to operational systems in businesses and organizations.
Practitioners of organizational behavioral management often serve in consultative roles, making behavior-specific recommendations for how organizations may improve to become more efficient and potentially more profitable. Their consultations help organizations examine varied factors including delivery of training, expectations for employees, and incentive systems. As part of the organizational behavior management concentration, students will take courses in organizational behavior management, behavioral economics, systems analysis, consultation, and more.
“We tell students up front that pursuing this route often requires having to ‘blaze your own trail,’” Dr. Mittelman says. “But now, students in this track will receive a specialized series of coursework that directly addresses their intention of practicing behavior analysis in a business setting.”
To help students provide the best possible service for their communities, the program also emphasizes the importance of diversity by embedding it in all instruction and coursework. “You can’t separate behavior analysis from diversity, equity, and inclusion considerations,” Dr. Mittelman explains. “We’re called behavior analysts because we analyze situational variables that affect behavior and performance. Cultural variables feature prominently among these, so any analysis that fails to incorporate them is incomplete.”
Learn more about the Ph.D. in Behavior Analysis program at our Chicago Campus and online: