Episode #192: School-Based BCBAs with Melissa Connor-Santos

There’s been a noticeable shift in the field of behavior analysis, with more BCBAs being hired as full-time employees in public schools. This is a big change from the past, when BCBAs were typically brought in as outside consultants. Schools are now seeing the benefits of having these experts on staff to support students with specialized needs directly in their school environment, rather than sending them out of the district. Today, I spoke with Melissa Connor-Santos, someone I connected with on LinkedIn who is deeply passionate about improving behavior-analytic services for children in public schools. Melissa and I both believe in the power of public schools to provide the least restrictive environment for our learners, and she shared some valuable insights on how BCBAs can make the most impact in these settings.

Working as a BCBA in a public school comes with its own set of challenges and opportunities. Public schools are large systems where you might not have much control over certain decisions, so it’s crucial to focus on collaboration and relationship-building across the entire school team, from administrators to teachers and support staff. To thrive in this environment, BCBAs need to refine their skills to fit this setting. Melissa emphasized the importance of finding a mentor, even if they’re not a BCBA, but someone with experience in public schools who can provide guidance. She also warns that while public forums and online (Facebook) groups can be helpful, they need to be used wisely and carefully. And above all, sticking to the ethics code is non-negotiable—it’s the foundation of our work and crucial for maintaining trust and effectiveness in the school community.

#autism #speechtherapy

Today’s Guest:

Melissa Connor-Santos is a passionate advocate for improving behavior analytic services to children in public schools. Melissa has worked extensively in public and private schools providing consultation, evaluation and staff training, as well as in the home providing individualized treatment programs and parent consultation. Melissa is an adjunct faculty member at Endicott College where she is also finishing her doctoral degree. Melissa served as a member of the team that developed the ABA in Public Schools concentration for Endicott College’s master’s program and recently served on the New Jersey Department of Education BCBA Advisory Panel, where she contributed to the creation of practice guidelines for school-based BCBA’s in the state. Melissa is the founder and CEO of Oceanview Behavior Solutions, a consulting agency dedicated to providing high-quality consulting, CEU workshops, and mentorship opportunities. Through her work, Melissa emphasizes competency-based training and strives to enhance the effectiveness and reach of behavior analytic services.

What’s Inside:

• Why are more BCBAs being employed in public schools?
• How to navigate ethics as a BCBA in a public school setting.
• The most important skill for BCBAs: Collaboration.
• Tips for BCBAs in public schools.

Mentioned In This Episode

• Oceanview Behavior Solutions
• Oceanviewbehaviorsolutions@gmail.com   
• Join us in the ABA SPEECH Connection for Parents 
• Join us in the ABA SPEECH Connection for Professionals 
• Rose Griffin (@abaspeechbyrose) on Instagram

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