ABA Supervision at Bay Path University

A supervised learning experience is a critical component of becoming a credentialed practitioner in ABA. In order to assure a thorough, comprehensive supervised learning experience, Bay Path’s ABA Program has developed a 6-semester fieldwork experience for all students enrolled in the program.

Highlights of the Bay Path Supervision Experience: 

• Each student completes a comprehensive orientation to the supervision experience, during their first semester enrolled in the program. This is called Pre-Supervision in ABA;
• Each student is assigned a Bay Path ABA Supervisor – a qualified BCBA® employed by Bay Path who will oversee the student’s progress through the supervision experience. This occurs upon successfully completing the Pre-Supervision Experience;
• Students progress through the experience by following a structured, comprehensive Supervision Curriculum, which includes opportunities to practice a range of skills typically required of BCBA’s practicing in applied ABA settings. This continues for 5 semesters of the ABA Program;
• Students are instructed, observed, and evaluated on each performed skill outlined in the curriculum, and taught to combine and generalize skills in a fluent manner;
• Skills practiced to mastery include: program/ treatment plan development, measurement, analysis & experimentation, case discussion and conceptualization, behavioral assessment, ethical decision-making and policy development, cultural competencies, and professional skills.
• Students have opportunities to practice the application of ABA tactics ad principles in areas of special interest, including Organizational Behavior Management (OBM), Sports & Fitness, Health & Safety, Environmental Sustainability, and Education (among others);
• Supervision in ABA is conducted completely remotely, or in an onsite location, as selected by the supervisee;

For a more detailed description of the ABA Supervision Experience & Model at Bay Path University, please review the Supervision in ABA Informational Handout.

Meet Our ABA Supervision Team! Some Highlights of Bay Path's skilled ABA Supervisor Team.

Course Descriptions for Supervision in ABA:

ABA 607 Pre-Supervision in ABA (Semester 1): Each student identifies and proposes a site (or sites) to complete the requirements for supervision in applied behavior analysis. Attendance at 2 seminars is required during the pre-practicum. The seminar is a competency-based course which is part of the Program in Applied Behavior Analysis fulfilling the requirement for BACB© Supervision. The seminar is designed to ensure the student understands the requirements of supervision and is placed in an appropriate setting.

ABA 626, ABA 636, ABA 639, ABA 641, and ABA 642 (Supervision 1-5, taken during semesters 2-6 of the ABA Program - 18 credits total):  This is an experiential learning opportunity designed to fulfill the requirement for a supervised independent fieldwork experience as defined by the Behavior Analyst Board (BACB©). During a supervised independent fieldwork experience, students complete 2,000 hours of applied work in behavior analysis. Students are supervised at least twice per month for 5% of the total hours they spend in the supervised experience. The student’s primary focus during supervision is on learning and applying behavior analytic skills related to BACB© 5th Edition Task List (Behavior Analyst Certification Board, 2019). Activities conducted during this supervised learning experience adhere to the dimensions of applied behavior analysis identified by Baer, Wolf and Risley (1968) in the article Some Current Dimensions of Applied Behavior Analysis published in the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis. The assigned supervisor directly observes the student’s performance and provides specific feedback related to the results of observation, work sample review, review of written work, and performance management. 

ABA 640 and ABA 642 (Group 1 and 2 in ABA - 5 credits total): Group Supervision occurs concurrently with Supervision 3 and 5, with peers of 10 or fewer. The focus in group supervision is on supervisor-mediated peer interaction, professional presentations, and case discussions.