If you’ve researched a career in special education you may have encountered openings for Behavior Technician jobs. You may be wondering, ‘what exactly does a behavior technician do?’ If so, you’ve come to the right place!
At the Watson Institute, Behavior Technicians are a professional position for individuals who have earned a bachelor’s degree in special education, psychology or a related field. This position offers a great opportunity for Watson employees who are interested in behavior support for students to advance their career and grow professionally!
A number of current Behavior Technicians at Watson earned the degree required for this position while working full-time by utilizing the tuition reimbursement program available to staff.
Within the first 30 days of employment, Behavior Technicians complete 40 hours of behavior management training, providing additional support and mentorship from more experienced Watson staff members and helping them acclimate to school routines.
Behavior Technicians are an integral part of the overall education team. They provide a higher level of behavioral insights and expertise to the school, offering stability and support to students and staff throughout the school day.
The behavior team – which consists of behavior assistants, technicians, and specialists (a Master’s level position) – helps teachers and classroom staff manage challenging behaviors and strategize solutions to support students who are having a difficult time. This team plays a critical part in helping students navigate the school day with more success and fewer interruptions caused by behaviors.
What Are the Duties of a Behavior Technician?
At Watson, a Behavior Technician may be assigned to a particular classroom or support students in a variety of classrooms throughout the school. While the day-to-day particulars may change, the central duties of a Behavior Technician include the following:
- Collect and analyze data to support IEP progress monitoring and/or to help the team make decisions about intervention strategies
- Identify solutions and intervention strategies to address challenging behaviors
- Implement Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) principles
- Provide additional support to classroom staff during behavior incidents
- Collaborate with educational team members (special education teachers, paraprofessionals, and therapists)
The Behavior Technician position works closely with educational staff in special education classrooms to support students with behavioral intervention plans. Behavior Technicians collaborate daily with teachers, paraprofessionals, and therapists to meet the needs of students as they navigate their school day.
If this sounds like the career opportunity you’ve been waiting for, don’t hesitate, apply for a Behavior Technician job today!