New Program to Train Autism Practitioners
Applied Behavior Analysis students to gain experience at MU’s Thompson Center.
SungWoo Kahng. Photo courtesy of the School of Health Professions.
Fall 2015 will see the launch of a new Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) Program in the Department of Health Psychology at the School of Health Professions. Graduate students will learn how ABA uses science-based methods of applying positive reinforcement to improve behaviors in a range of settings, from people with autism to factory workers to executives. ABA is a mainstay of autism treatment, and students will use it while working at MU’s Thompson Center for Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders, says associate professor SungWoo Kahng, who directs the program. Kahng says the increased prevalence of autism creates a strong demand for ABA practitioners.