If you’ve ever wondered what a “typical” day is like for a Behavior Technician working at the Watson Institute, you’re in luck!
In this series, we’ll take you into the day-to-day responsibilities and experiences of our educators and therapists at Watson. You’ll hear from Watson employees first-hand and learn from them why working to support students with disabilities is such a rewarding career.
Here we delve into what it looks like to work as a Behavior Technician at the Watson Institute, and how they are an integral part of the classroom and behavior management teams.
What is the role of a Behavior Technician?
Behavior Technicians (BT) at the Watson Institute provide direct support to students with disabilities in our WISCA and Education Center special education school programs. BTs work in the classroom and throughout the school building, providing hands-on support to students as they navigate their school day.
When students are present, the role of a Behavior Technician may include:
- assisting students at drop-off and pick-up times
- helping students transition from one task or classroom to another
- helping with self-care and hygiene tasks like toileting, snack time, meals, and tidying up
BTs work with classroom teachers during academic lessons to ensure all students are engaged and participating to the best of their abilities. BTs help students utilize adaptive technologies and equipment, and support students during community outings.
As part of the behavior team, a behavior technician may be called upon to support students during behavioral episodes or as a part of prevention efforts to keep behaviors from escalating for a student. They utilize their knowledge of behavior interventions and preventative strategies to help students have successful school days and are there to support them when things aren’t going as planned.
What is the difference between a Paraprofessional and a Behavior Technician?
Behavior Technicians at the Watson Institute are different from Paraprofessionals (also called Instructional Aides) in a number of ways.
- BTs are a part of the Behavior Team as well as the classroom team. This enables Behavior Technicians to work closely under the guidance of Behavior Specialists who have earned master’s degrees and may be Board-Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBA)
- A Behavior Technician has earned a bachelor’s degree in education, psychology, or a field that’s closely related to their work in the education realm
- Behavior Technicians are responsible for data collection and analysis, particularly when it pertains to behavior management and the effectiveness of intervention strategies
- BTs complete a 40-hour certification program that prepares them to support students with disabilities through applied behavior analysis (ABA) principles, reinforces ethics, outlines effective documentation practices, in addition to a number of other topics related to the position
A Paraprofessional, or Instructional Aide as they’re called at Watson, is an entry-level classroom support professional who assists students under the direct supervision of the special education classroom teacher.
Paraprofessionals are assigned to a classroom and assist students throughout their school day as they engage in classroom activities. Instructional aides perform administrative tasks, prepare materials for lessons, and support the teacher and classroom team with other duties throughout the school day to ensure their students have a successful day!
What makes a successful Behavior Technician?
Successful Behavior Technicians are energetic and bring their passion for supporting students with disabilities into their work each day!
One such Behavior Technician, Avrey Barnes, started working at Watson in 2022 as an Instructional Aide in the Extended School Year (ESY) program. At the time, Avrey was earning her undergraduate degree in psychology and fell in love with the work at Watson.
As Avrey finished her schooling, she continued to work as a substitute at Watson and joined the organization full-time as a Behavior Technician in 2023 upon completing her degree.
In her own words, Avrey enjoys “being able to work through challenges with her students and breaking through to find a method that works for them.” She also appreciates the collaborative, team approach her colleagues take at Watson, ensuring all opinions and voices are heard and the well-being of the student is always kept as the central focus of their work.
When asked what other qualities make for a successful Behavior Technician at Watson, Avrey shared these traits:
- patience,
- ability to work as part of a team,
- a positive attitude,
- a sense of humor and the ability to have fun!
At the end of the day, the goal of each individual at the Watson Institute is to help students with disabilities achieve their own individual successes. Though the work brings many challenges, working together and collaborating with colleagues helps our Behavior Technicians and their colleagues make a positive impact in the lives of their students every day!
Learn more about Watson’s Behavior Technician job openings and apply today!