The MBAEA Challenging Behavior Team (CBT) provides a variety of support and Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) services to our internal support staff as well as district teams, staff, and students. Our team is highly skilled, having four Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBA) and a member of the Brain Injury Team. The team’s skills, knowledge, and resources enable us to provide support and services to all learners across the continuum of general education to special education needs. Support is available on an indirect consultative basis and/or directly for students. Training for AEA and building staff is also available.

The team continues to build its knowledge and skills to provide a broad range of Social Emotional Behavioral Health needs and adapt to the ever-changing population of students we serve. This year our professional learning is focused on Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) with long-term goals of implementing and embedding DBT within our referral supports. 

Services and Supports Provided by the CBT:

  • Indirect consultation: This service is available to all AEA staff to address student needs. This service is also available to teachers for classroom behavior management strategies and resources and/or for individual students
  • Direct consultation of individual students via referral process: These services are available through a referral process via your building-based AEA support staff.
  • Behavior Clinic: The behavior clinic is provided for students with more intensive behavior and intervention needs. Clinic needs and availability are determined by the CBT.
  • Internal training for AEA staff and/or LEA staff: These services may be for basic ABA principles and/or strategies specific to student plans. These can be entire districts, buildings, classrooms, small group needs, and/or student specific
  • Student Behavior Intervention Plan Training: Training can be provided to AEA building support staff  and district building staff
  • District Challenging Behavior Team training: These services are provided to districts for the development of establishing a district challenging behavior team composed of select district staff.

If you are interested, please contact Dr. Sarah Bergthold at sbergthold@aea9.k12.ia.us