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Brock launches a Master of Applied Disability Studies for students and working professionals

October 5, 2006

A newly created graduate program in Applied Disability Studies at Brock will provide education and training that is particularly suitable for specialists currently working in the field.

The Master of Applied Disability Studies (MADS) with a specialization in Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) is the first graduate program of its kind in Ontario. It is administered by the Applied Disability Program in the Faculty of Social Sciences at Brock.

The degree will allow students and working professionals the opportunity to apply for certification as a Board Certified Behaviour Analyst by the Behaviour Analyst Certification Board (BACB) in the U.S. (Ontario will soon be implementing a co-ordinated certification process with BACB to establish Ontario ABA certification).

"The University established the Applied Disability Studies Program to meet the growing need for professionals in the disabilities and ABA fields," says Maurice Feldman, Graduate Program Director for the Applied Disabilities Studies Program. "Ontario funds nine regional Intensive Behaviour Intervention programs for about 1,000 children with autism and ABA is their primary teaching and therapeutic modality. There is also a need for ABA professionals in special education, children's mental health, acquired brain injury, and other disability-related fields."

The Program has accepted 60 students into the first year of the specialized master's degree. Many students are currently working as senior or instructor therapists in Intensive Behaviour Intervention programs or as behaviour consultants and therapists in Community Behavioural Programs.

Faculty members in the Applied Disabilities Studies Program at Brock are internationally respected in disabilities and applied behaviour analysis. Students enrolled in the program will be able to follow a carefully-designed program of study that meets their current and future interests and career aspirations.

"Brock is uniquely qualified to mount these programs," he adds, "since we probably have more faculty and adjuncts with expertise in ABA than any other university in Canada." The MADS professional degree is designed to be completed on a full-time (two years) or part-time (three years) basis and classes will be offered at various locations. This year, courses are offered in Toronto and the Brock University Hamilton campus. Plans are also in the works to offer weekend and summer courses to accommodate working students.

In 2007, the program will commence the Master of Arts option for students interested in intensive research and preparation for doctoral studies. As well, a graduate diploma option will be available in 2007 for professionals who would like to upgrade their educational qualifications without obtaining a graduate degree.

Faculty within the program have expertise in diverse areas of disability studies including autism, intellectual disability, learning disability, acquired brain injury, inclusion, policy, services, mental health, education, leadership, resilience, rights, ethics, early intervention, counselling, applied behaviour analysis, qualitative and quantitative research and program evaluation.

Faculty members have published extensively and many serve as consultants to governmental and nongovernmental organizations. Faculty members have received grants from federal and provincial agencies such as Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC), Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), Ontario Mental Health Foundation and the Ontario Trillium Foundation.

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