B.C.B.A going for SLP

[pttrac]

Hi, I have a few questions about SLP. I am currently going for my DPT in physical therapy, but the question is about my girlfriend. She is currently in a Master's program in Behavior Analysis at University of Nevada, Reno. She has her undergrad in Psychology and is pursing her masters to obtain a B.C.B.A (Board Certified Behavior Analyst) certification . She has been working for 2 years as a behavior consultant with children with Autism.

My question is that she was thinking of getting her SLP after she is done with her B.C.B.A. Is this route beneficial to her and would it help her more or hurt her if she were to get this. At the moment her work is paying for her master's so money is not a factor for the SLP. She just wants to know if anyone out there has done this and what benefits has it had for them.

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[RemiJP]

While I did not go this route, I have met other people in my MS SLP program who have done similar things and obtained the same credential. Overall, this experience will benefit her in terms of admission, as any experience working with people with communication disorders is looked upon highly. And I can imagine that she will have a solid level of confidence in leading a speech/language therapy session (it's common to start seeing clients two weeks into the first semester).

One obstacle she might discover once she is in the program is that she may encounter slightly different philosophies regarding the treatment of communication impairments beyond BA, but as long as she is open to new ideas, she should be just fine! Also, she may need to take additional coursework and do observation hours when she begins the MS SLP program, potentially extending the program to three years instead of two.

 

[pttrac]

Thanks for the info RemiJP. I told her what you said and she appreciated it coming from an SLP. She is probably going to finish her Master's in Behavior Analysis and will pursue an SLP afterwards.

If anyone else has any insights, it would be appreciated.