Applied Behavior Analysis and Child Life Programs

The Fischler College of Education and School of Criminal Justice (FCE-SCJ) Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) Fellowship Program was created to provide selected fellows from the College of Psychology and the FCE-SCJ the opportunity to complete ABA coursework while accruing hours toward ABA certification—effectively bridging theory and practice in real time.

 

In Summer 2025, our second fellow, Jacqueline Molino, completed her journey at the Baudhuin Preschool, advancing from teacher’s aide to classroom teacher and graduating from the Master of Science in Developmental Disabilities program.

FCE-SCJ proudly recognizes the collaboration among members of the college administration, the Baudhuin Preschool, the Kapila Family Foundation Starting Right Program, and the ABA concentration team for receiving an award from the Robert E. Dooley Trust NSU Center for Autism Endowment Fund. This innovative project is designed to extend support to families of children with autism spectrum disorder by providing training in proactive and reactive behavior strategies through human-powered artificial intelligence (AI) sessions.

The Association for Behavior Analysis International (ABAI) has approved the renewal of Verified Course Sequence (VCS) status for both the master’s and doctoral ABA concentrations within FCE-SCJ. This recognition ensures that completers of our ABA sequences meet the coursework requirements for certification established and enforced by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB).

Additionally, FCE-SCJ received pre-approval status from the Association of Child Life Professionals (ACLP) for both the undergraduate and graduate concentrations in Child Life—initially in 2021 and 2022, respectively. This pre-approval guarantees that students completing the Child Life concentration meet the coursework requirements for certification as a Child Life Specialist (CLS), equipping them to support emotional regulation, reduce stress and anxiety, and enhance health-related education for children and their families. To sustain this essential academic and clinical training, FCE-SCJ applied for and received continued ACLP pre-approval for the 2024–2026 academic years.