Since I entered the ABA program in hopes of teaching children with behavior disorders and Autism Spectrum Disorders, our practicum experiences at the Pier Center are exactly what I was hoping for. Briar Cliff University has a working relationship with the Pier Center for Autism here in Sioux City and our practicum experiences allow us to get hands on experience working with children with Autism and their families!

I spend my time at the Pier Center working with a girl with Autism who is developing her communication skills (verbal and non-verbal) along with other academic skills. Her treatment plan involves using Discrete Trials Training, a teaching method including errorless teaching and reinforcement techniques. She is also working on manding for items with her PECs book, a small three-ring binder with small, removable pictures of items she can request by handing the picture to the instructor. She has made a lot of progress in her academics and communication skills even in the short time we have been observing her.

I look forward to working with her every week. (I was feeling very deprived as full-time graduate student and missed working with children like I did in my undergraduate.) The experience is also helpful because our instructor can give us immediate feedback on how we are doing and can give us suggestions on how to improve our practices as we are implementing them. The hands-on experience is invaluable and I am gaining confidence as a professional before I have even graduated!