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Practicum

Doing a Practicum at the DDDC

Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey is among the places you should consider if you want to develop a sophisticated grasp of the use of applied behavior analysis (ABA) for treating individuals with autism spectrum disorders. The Douglass Developmental Disabilities Center is an on-campus facility that serves children, adolescents and adults with autism spectrum disorders. We use a broad range of ABA technology to serve those learners and their families. We support master’s- and doctoral-level students from the Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology and Graduate School of Education at the Center every year. The practicum also provides the opportunity to accrue the hands-on fieldwork required for one to become a board certified behavior analyst (BCBA), provided that the trainee has initiated coursework in ABA.

The training model for students who work at the DDDC involves primarily hands-on clinical work. You would do some direct work with children, adolescents and adults, and provide classroom consultation to teachers about challenges in skill acquisition and the reduction of behavior problems. The role is very structured with ample supervision by clinical faculty members Dr. Robert LaRue and Dr. Robert Isenhower, both of whom are BCBAs. Additionally, you would be supervised by the capable BCBAs who oversee the DDDC classrooms. Your hours with them would count toward the required hours to become board certified yourself.

Many master’s students interested in practicum also seek employment as a classroom assistant at the DDDC. In this role, classroom assistants work directly with the students of our program in the classroom and, through their practicum, take on additional training activities that prepare them for board certification in behavior analysis. Find job opportunities at the DDDC through University Human Resources.

For all students, a minimum of two years of practicum are required to finish all fieldwork hours for board certification in behavior analysis (guidelines for fieldwork can be found on the BACB’s website). Students may opt to complete only a portion of their hours at the DDDC with a 1-year practicum, though a 2-year practicum commitment is preferred.

To apply:

Students interested in applying for practicum should contact Dr. Robert Isenhower with their resume or CV and practicum application. Applications for DDDC practicum are accepted through March 31, 2024.

For more information about the Rutgers programs from which we accept practicum students, please click the links below: