Endicott Launches New Applied Behavioral Sciences Program

BEVERLY, MA — Endicott College has launched a new Applied Behavioral Sciences Institute designed to train students for this growing field of education, treatment and study.

Director Mary Jane Weiss said that the program will involve the study of autism intervention and special education as well as have a broader, multidisciplinary scope.

"We are excited about introducing a wide variety of students to behavior analysis, so that they may see its potential relevance in the context of their own course of study," Weiss said in a school release.

Endicott said the launch is in response to the growing field of understanding and to better prepare students for post-graduate employment opportunities.

"The creation of the Institute for Applied Behavioral Science contributes to our goal of expanding the educational offerings of Endicott College to meet the needs of today's society," Endicott President Steven R. DiSalvo said. "With the Institute, Endicott graduates in behavioral science will be equipped with the knowledge and skills necessary to conduct research, treat patients, and contribute to this growing and evolving field."

In the past 20 years, ABA and autism intervention has grown exponentially, with all 50 states now requiring certifications to practice, and insurance companies beginning to recognize it as a treatment worth covering.

"I think we're at a very unique moment — we have an industry now with lots of different certified and licensed professionals, and those changes have created opportunities beyond autism and special education, so we can highlight all those other threads of the discipline that have always been there," Weiss said.

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)