Resource Industry: Schools

What Do Behavior Specialists Do? Roles, Responsibilities, & More

Behavioral specialists play a crucial role in supporting individuals who struggle with behavioral, emotional, and developmental challenges. Learn more about what a school behavioral specialist does, the different job titles in behavioral health, and how this role differs from other positions in education below!

What is a Behavior Specialist?

A behavioral specialist is a professional who works with individuals to assess and manage behaviors. They develop strategies and interventions to help improve social, emotional, and functional skills, typically in educational or therapeutic settings.

What is a Behavioral Specialist in Schools?

In educational settings, school behavioral specialists help students manage behaviors that may hinder their learning, social interactions, or overall well-being. Whether working with children diagnosed with autism, ADHD, or other behavioral disorders, behavioral specialists design personalized interventions to help students succeed.

“Behavior specialist” can refer to a few different roles, including BCBAs, ABA therapists, and RBTs, but these job titles differ in expertise, qualifications, and responsibilities.

What is a BCBA?

A board-certified behavior analyst (BCBA) is a professional certified in the field of behavior analysis. They are trained to assess behavior, develop intervention plans, and implement strategies to improve behaviors, particularly for individuals with autism or other developmental disorders. BCBAs are required to have a master’s degree in behavior analysis or a related field, complete supervised experience, and pass a certification exam.

What is an RBT?

A registered behavioral technician (RBT) is a technician who implements behavior intervention plans under the supervision of a BCBA. They are certified through a training program and have a more hands-on role in working directly with individuals, but don’t have the same level of expertise or responsibility as a BCBA.

What is an ABA Therapist?

An applied behavior analyst (ABA) or applied behavior analysis (ABA) therapist is a professional who uses behavior analysis principles to design and implement interventions that address various behaviors, often in schools.

What Does a Behavioral Specialist Do?

A behavioral specialist is responsible for assessing, developing, and implementing strategies to manage and improve challenging behaviors. They work closely with individuals, teachers, and parents to ensure that interventions are effective and sustainable. Below are some of the key duties of a board-certified behavioral specialist:

• Functional Behavior Assessments (FBA): Assess a student’s behavior by observing and gathering data on their actions, triggers, and emotional responses.
• Develop Behavior Intervention Plans (BIP): Based on their assessments, behavioral specialists create individualized plans that outline specific interventions, strategies, and goals to address the student’s needs. These plans might involve teaching new behaviors, reinforcing positive behaviors, or minimizing undesirable actions.
• Implement Interventions: Behavioral specialists implement the plans and monitor their effectiveness over time. They may work one-on-one with students or provide guidance to teachers, parents, and other staff on how to reinforce the strategies.
• Monitor Progress: Continuous monitoring is crucial to determine whether the intervention strategies are effective. Behavioral specialists track progress and adjust plans as needed.

Difference Between a Behavioral Specialist and Other Roles

While the role of a behavioral specialist overlaps with some other positions in the mental health and education fields, there are distinct differences in their responsibilities:

Behavioral Specialist vs. Psychologist: While school psychologists focus on diagnosing mental health conditions and providing therapeutic interventions, behavioral specialists specialize in modifying behaviors through structured interventions and assessments. Psychologists may also address emotional issues, but behavioral specialists tend to focus more on behavioral changes.

Behavioral Specialist vs. School Counselor: Behavioral specialists focus on specific behavior management, while school counselors provide a broader range of support, addressing academic, emotional, social, and career development. While counselors may assist with behavioral issues, their role is focused on overall student development.

Behavioral Specialist vs. Social Worker: Social workers provide a broad range of support services to individuals and families, including counseling and connecting people to community resources. However, a behavioral specialist works primarily in educational or therapeutic settings, focusing specifically on behavior management and interventions.

Rewarding Opportunities for Behavior Specialists

A career as a behavioral specialist offers a rewarding opportunity to make a meaningful impact on children’s lives by helping them overcome challenges and develop the skills they need to thrive. If you have a passion for making a difference in the educational setting, we invite you to explore Soliant’s current behavioral specialist job listings today, including opportunities for BCBAs, RBTs, and ABA therapists!

Looking for more information about behavioral specialists? Browse Soliant’s additional resources on the behavioral health field. Start your journey toward a fulfilling career as a behavioral specialist today!

Many school professionals are trading in their brick-and-mortar positions for a work-from-home or teletherapy opportunity. Giving up the daily commute to the office helps to reduce stress and better manage a healthy work-life balance. But can school professionals stay efficient when working from home?

Surprisingly, the answer is yes. A two-year study from Stanford showed that working from home helped improve employee productivity. For education professionals transitioning to work-from-home, check out the following tips on how to promote efficiency and productivity when working from home.

1. Create a Designated Workspace

When it comes to working from home, the most important thing is your workspace. The comforts of home, such as your couch, television, and a fully stocked kitchen, are great for relaxation but can provide distractions when it comes to clocking in. For this reason, creating a dedicated work area is essential. A small room, or even a section of the room, dedicated solely to work, is the perfect place to start. Set this area up so that you are comfortable and have everything you need. Be sure to minimize distractions, such as the television or family members. Having an office with a door allows you privacy to work during the day, but also allows you to close the door at the end of the day and leave work behind.

As a teletherapy education professional with Soliant, chances are your workplace will become your classroom. Keep this in mind when planning your workspace. Things that may not be distracting to you may be distracting to your students.

2. Stick to a Routine

Working from home allows you to give up your morning commute, but you shouldn’t give up your morning routine. While you may be able to get a few extra minutes of sleep in the morning, setting a regular alarm and getting up at the same time every day is essential. Humans are creatures of habit, and a regular morning routine can make all the difference. A routine that firmly establishes your schedule helps you manage your time and stay efficient when working from home.

3. Plan Out Your Day

Creating a to-do list or a scheduled plan for your day helps to promote daily efficiency when working from home. Whether you simply create a list of tasks to do during a work session or create a daily schedule, this planned structure helps you stay on task and avoid possible distractions. You can choose to do this at the end of your day so that you start the following day with a plan. In contrast, you can create your plan in the morning as you enjoy your coffee. While things will often come up that require a change in direction, such as an unplanned meeting or new deadline, having a plan for your day helps keep you on track and focused.

For education professionals, a regular plan is not only essential for you, but also for your students. Having a set schedule for both classroom activities as well as one-on-one instruction sessions is essential for both your success and that of your students.

Tips for Maintaining Efficiency and Productivity

While an office space and daily routine are the key components to address when you start working from home, these additional tips can help you stay productive and successful. They are as follows:

Take Regular Breaks

When working a traditional in-person job, breaks are something most employees look forward to to break up the day. While they may not seem as important when working from home, they are. Taking regular breaks throughout the day significantly improves productivity levels and helps you maintain your focus. Whether it is a simple walk outside, an afternoon tea on the porch, or a phone call with a friend, a regular break gives you time away from the screen and allows your brain and body to relax.

Remove Distractions

When working from home, distractions such as the television or your favorite hobby can often tempt you. These can reduce your productivity and get in the way of your work-from-home success. When creating your office space, make sure to remove any possible distractions. This includes distractions for you, your clients, or your students.

Set Boundaries

Many of your family and friends may not understand that working from home means you are working, just the same as if you were in the office. They may see the fact that you are home and assume you are available at any time. Set boundaries with friends and family so they know when your work hours are and that you are unavailable during these times. If you have children at home, make sure they understand that you are working or that you have help at home when needed.

Tips for Avoiding Feelings of Isolation

While the Stanford study showed that working from home increases productivity, it also increases isolation. This isolation can be the main reason people don’t succeed when it comes to working from home. These tips can help combat isolation and increase work-from-home productivity:

Leave Your Home Regularly

Working from home every day can become very self-isolating, but getting out regularly can help. Instead of making your lunch at home, go out for lunch a few days a week. Take your laptop and spend your morning working from the local coffee shop for a change. If those options aren’t available, stepping outside for a walk, riding your bike, or playing with your pet can even help.

Socialize with Friends and Coworkers

Getting out regularly with friends and coworkers is also a great way to combat any feelings of isolation. If you aren’t able to meet with your colleagues and friends in person, consider using online meeting software. It’s also important that you try to avoid discussing work during online meetings so the chat feels more personable.

Following these tips can help you increase your productivity and see success when working from home. To learn more about working from home or how Soliant can help you, contact us today.

A stigma often surrounds special education students, which can harm their self-esteem and diminish their confidence. One way to boost social, emotional, and academic performance is inclusion. Students of all cognitive levels and backgrounds can achieve amazing things in the classroom, so let’s take a closer look at some of the benefits of inclusion.

What is Inclusive Education?

Inclusive education is a classroom with diverse learners, where special education students are given equal access to the same educational framework as their peers. Teachers deliver the same lesson to the entire class, but with additional support and differentiation for children with special needs. In a co-teaching classroom, general ed teachers and special education instructors work in tandem. You will find full, partial, and hybrid approaches where specialists “push in” to classes instead of pulling students out for instruction. No matter which specific inclusion model schools adopt, students receive an exceptional education, substantial support, and a fostering environment for success.

Why Inclusion is Important in the Classroom

Inclusion is critical for special education students to achieve their highest potential. According to the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA), students need to engage in the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) to maximize equal access to learning. Inclusion satisfies this legal requirement, as special education students work in the general education setting as much as possible. Students with learning challenges can make significant advances in academic and interpersonal skills in the inclusive classroom.

Special ed teachers serve a crucial role in the successful inclusion approach. They use a specially designed curriculum to engage students, differentiating instruction to reach learners with various challenges and needs. Depending on the inclusion approach, special education teachers enhance the lessons of the general education teacher, instruct small groups with proven tactics, or work with individuals to reinforce learning throughout the class period.

However, schools need effective special education teachers to help run inclusive classrooms smoothly. Because they play such an essential role, finding the right individual for your school is vital. Soliant is the ideal staffing solution for any director of special education searching for the perfect staff, as we only provide top-notch special ed teachers.

What are the Benefits of Inclusion for Special Education Students?

There are many advantages to the inclusive classroom for students and teachers alike. Besides creating an enriched academic environment, these classes also improve students’ math, writing, and social skills. Some of the specific benefits for students are listed below:

Provides Support

Special education students have various physical and learning challenges and needs. Inclusive classrooms allow all students to receive services and support, as specialists like OTs, speech therapists, and school psychologists are frequently brought into inclusive setups to help learners in class. Teachers can efficiently serve all kids using this model, ensuring that they meet any child’s specific needs.

Makes Differences Less Different

Inclusive classrooms foster togetherness and community. Some students in special day classes may not feel accepted in the overall school community, but inclusive classrooms can ease that divide. These learning groups are full of diverse learners, and the addition of special education students only makes the class more nuanced, showing kids that they all have their strengths and challenges.

Fosters a Caring Environment

Special education students in inclusive rooms get to be involved in a more normalized school experience, fostering a culture of respect. Students often feel more connected to each other as they build teamwork and compassion. Special education students often miss out on opportunities to meet new people, but inclusion can unlock those possibilities.

Helps With Students’ Academic Goals

Inclusive classrooms give special education teachers a unique pathway to ensuring academic success for their students. Special ed students have Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), which outline eligibility, goals, and accommodations. Teachers can use the IEP to ensure they tailor their instruction to each student’s needs. By having a broad and diverse group of learners, teachers can differentiate their instruction easily, work in small groups, and adhere to IEP objectives effectively.

How to Create an Inclusive Classroom

Creating a dynamic, inclusive classroom involves more than mixing special ed students with their peers. Special education teachers can implement many tools to increase student engagement across the board. For example, teachers can strategically group students for cooperative learning, encouraging structured socialization and academic growth for all. Special education students, in particular, will benefit from working with various peers, giving them the ability to collaborate. Special ed teachers can also improve their skills in specialized areas (like Autism, deaf and hard-of-hearing, visual impairments, etc.) to better meet all needs. Teachers can differentiate lessons and activities to meet IEP objectives and engage students, appealing to their strengths and learning styles. Educators can adjust their grading to be less peer-competitive, ensuring that students are all given a fair chance to show performance in their own way.

Final Thoughts on Inclusion for Special Education Students

There are many benefits of inclusive programs. All learners receive additional support, whether from the general education teacher, special ed teacher, or specialists who come into the room to service students. The differences among classmates become points of strength and individuality, creating a caring atmosphere, and the approach ensures that teachers can help kids meet their IEP goals. Special education teachers, particularly, are essential to inclusion. Having a reliable and dedicated special ed teacher can instantly impact the value of the inclusive classroom, as they use specialized tactics and differentiation to maximize all learners’ outcomes.

Find special education teacher jobs by searching through our available opportunities.

With the prevalence of learning disabilities in the classroom, school therapists are always in high demand. Most schools have access to a team of therapy specialists who can help with speech, occupational, and language issues, and many other problems that children face in and out of the classroom.

Many times, parents and teachers are not aware of all of the different programs available. Healthcare workers should make themselves aware of the different services that are available within the school system and share that information with parents, to create a cohesive plan of action when working to improve the life of a child.

1. Speech Therapy

Speech therapy is one of the most well-known school services. These programs are designed for students with a debilitating speech or language issue that requires intervention from a speech-language pathologist. Each district has its own set of criteria to determine qualification for speech services. The two most common factors in the decision are whether there is an actual disability present and whether that disability affects the student’s academic performance.

2. Occupational Therapy

Occupational therapy is a wonderful tool for students with both gross and fine motor skill weaknesses. In some school districts, physicians’ orders are required for students to be able to visit with occupational therapists within the school for sessions. However, in others, sometimes the occupational therapists’ assessment is all that is necessary. Many districts share occupational therapists between multiple schools, so it may take time to have patients assessed for school-level services.

3. Water, Animal, and Other Specialty Therapies

In some school districts, programs like water therapy, horseback riding, and other forms of therapy are in place for students with varying levels of disabilities. These can be used for students who need additional gross and fine motor skills therapy, or in some cases, to assist students who have difficulty focusing and communicating. Check with your local school district to see if any special resources could be useful to your students.

4. School Psychology

School psychologists are often the first school clinicians to spot a mental health issue with a child. Generally, they are not able to diagnose and treat mental health concerns, but they are a wonderful resource for physicians working with students. Though mental health services at school should not be a replacement for treatment by a medical professional, they should be brought into the loop with any known diagnoses so that they can handle any situations that arise during school hours.

Check with your local school districts to find out which services are available and what the qualifications are for students to take advantage of those services. Connect with the therapists and counselors to get their feedback on treatment changes that are working and things that are not. With a team approach between physicians, school therapists, and family, students’ lives are impacted for the better.

School is often one of the first places where mental health issues in youth begin to be recognized. Parents can become conditioned to the actions and reactions of their child, failing to realize that a personality trait or quirk is a sign of something bigger. However, once these children reach school age, school nurses are often the first to assess students showing irregular behavior.

Below are some essential ways school nurses play a role in identifying, aiding, and supporting children with mental health challenges:

Identification and Referral

Among all of their other important physical health-related tasks, school nurses need to have an understanding of the signs and symptoms of anxiety, depression, and other mental health concerns. Working with teachers to recognize these signs in students is one of the most important parts of the role of school nurses in mental health care.

Medication Administration and Monitoring

Once a student has been diagnosed with a mental illness, school nurses will likely be tasked with administering any prescribed medications. Nurses should educate themselves on the interactions and side effects of the prescriptions and monitor for potential issues. Sharing information with parents and the prescribing doctors about the results they have noticed is important to successful care.

Provide a Safe Haven

School nurses can also help to provide a haven for students who are struggling with mental illness. They may need a place of calm and quiet to help them through an episode of anxiety. Some might simply need a little isolation from others, but without the stigma of being sent to the principal. The school nurse typically has the space to allow their office to be a quiet place for children with mental health challenges to reset.

Contributing to the Overall Care Team

Checking in with teachers and counselors to see how the student is coping in the classroom is another responsibility that school nurses have. It is important to help uncover any red flags so that a different course of action can be taken to ensure the child is getting the care they need to live their healthiest life.

School nurses play an important role in the safety of students every day, but efforts in treating sports and recreational injuries, like concussions, often go unnoticed. Concussions are a type of traumatic brain injury (TBI) that can affect the way the brain works. Even when mild and non-life-threatening, they may have serious effects.

Concussions can happen to any student as a result of a fall or coming into contact with another student during sports activities. Over eight years, more than 2.5 million children aged 19 and younger were treated for sports-related injuries, and nearly 180,000 of them were TBIs. The majority of these TBIs resulted from activities such as football, soccer, and basketball, as well as unorganized playground activities.

Sometimes, students may suffer a concussion outside of school, but come to campus displaying signs that need attention. Regardless of the cause of injury, the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that nurses and other school professionals be aware of the ABCs of concussions:

• Assess the situation.
• Be alert for signs and symptoms.
• Contact a healthcare professional.

Assess the Situation

School nurses should ask anyone who witnessed the injury what happened in order to determine if there was any sort of blow to the head or behavior change. If the student displays at least one concussion symptom during evaluation, they should receive further medical evaluation.

Be Alert for Signs and Symptoms

Concussions may present with one or more signs or symptoms. For the safety of the student, the school nurse should evaluate any suspected concussion for 30 minutes after the injury occurs to watch for changes in condition. Signs and symptoms include:

• Difficulty thinking
• Pressure/pain in the head
• Drowsiness/more or less sleepy than usual
• Numbness or tingling feeling
• Sensitivity to light
• Generally not feeling “right”

More serious concussions may present with:

• One pupil is larger than the other

• Blurred vision

• Slurred speech

• Loss of consciousness/difficulty remaining conscious

Concussions cannot be seen, and many of them present without loss of consciousness. As a result, nurses must know what to look for, with the understanding that some symptoms may not be observed or reported until days after the injury.

Contact a Healthcare Professional

School nurses who believe a student has a concussion should contact parents and medical professionals right away to ensure the student receives proper medical care.

Post-Concussion Care

After a student suffers a concussion and has received medical treatment, parents, teachers, coaches, and other school employees who come in contact with the student must be notified of the condition, watch for signs of trouble, and ensure the recovery is going smoothly.

Students suffering from a recent concussion should not engage in any physical activity that could lead to another concussion after the initial injury. A second concussion can not only slow recovery, but it can also cause serious swelling, which can lead to more serious long-term effects, and sometimes death.

Concussion Education and Prevention

School nurses play a key role in concussion education and prevention, as their medical knowledge can help school administrators be aware of what to look for and make changes to help keep students safe. If a district-wide concussion policy is not in place within the nurse’s local area, the nurse can advocate to implement one.

In addition to taking preventive actions such as helping to create safe sports environments and play areas, nurses can interact directly with students to make sure they are aware of the signs, know when to seek help, or when to tell a teacher about another student who may be suffering.

School nurses can send home important information about concussions, including their causes, symptoms, treatment, aftercare, and long-term effects. They can also host on-campus meetings for parents, helping to ensure students are safe both at school and at home.

Children and young adolescents are at risk for more dangerous long-term effects from concussions, as their brains are still developing. Through awareness, education, and prevention, school nurses help to ensure their students’ overall safety.