Behavior Technician Job Description

A behavior technician is a professional who works with patients to help improve their social and emotional functioning. They are responsible for delivering evidence-based interventions, developing individualized treatment plans, and monitoring patient progress to ensure that goals are being met.

• Implementing behavior intervention plans and strategies as prescribed by the supervising behavior analyst.
• Collecting data on target behaviors and graphing progress.
• Developing positive relationships with clients and their families.
• Providing positive reinforcement and reinforcement-based instruction.
• Teaching functional communication skills.
• Teaching self-help and independent living skills.
• Teaching social skills and appropriate behavior in a variety of settings.
• Implementing strategies to reduce challenging behaviors.
• Collaborating with other professionals to ensure the best outcomes for clients.
• Documenting progress and maintaining accurate records.

• Patience: A behavior technician must be patient when working with clients, as they may need extra time and guidance to learn new skills.
• Empathy: A behavior technician must be able to understand and empathize with their clients in order to effectively help them.
• Communication Skills: A behavior technician must be able to effectively communicate with clients and other professionals in order to ensure that everyone is on the same page.
• Organizational Skills: A behavior technician must be organized in order to keep track of progress and ensure that all tasks are completed in a timely manner.
• Problem-Solving Skills: A behavior technician must be able to think on their feet and come up with creative solutions to difficult problems.
• Flexibility: A behavior technician must be flexible and willing to adapt to changing situations in order to best serve their clients.

On a daily basis, a behavior technician works with their clients to implement behavior-analytic interventions in order to help individuals with different abilities. The technician typically works one-on-one with their clients, assessing behavior, setting behavioral goals, helping to develop interventions, monitoring the progress and outcomes, and troubleshooting when needed. They may also work in teams or with a supervisor to provide training for other technicians on research-based methods. Ultimately, the goal of the technician is to empower the client to acquire and maintain socially significant behavior changes related to daily life.

Behavior technicians are essential to providing effective care for individuals with behavioral issues. Behavior technicians provide support to individuals with autism spectrum disorder, intellectual disabilities, and other developmental disabilities by aiding in the development of positive behavior skills, social skills, communication skills, and independence. Although experience as a behavior technician is preferred, there are several other similar roles and industries that are compatible with the nature of the job. These include roles such as Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) Therapists, Mental Health Trainers, Teaching Assistants, Autism Support Specialists, Special Education Aides, Behavioral Health Specialists, Mental Health Technicians, and Residential Treatment Counselors.

• Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) Therapist
• Mental Health Trainer
• Teaching Assistant
• Autism Support Specialist
• Special Education Aide
• Behavioral Health Specialist
• Mental Health Technician
• Residential Treatment Counselor
• Clinical Behavioral Health Technician
• Youth Behavioral Technician