Innovation isn’t something that happens just
in Silicon Valley or in experimental laboratories. And forward progress isn’t
just important for traditionally high-tech industries. Some of the most
important fields also benefit from transformative change.
And that’s exactly what The New England Center for Children does for autism
education.
Throughout their 44-year history, NECC has
trained thousands of the world’s best autism educators, pioneered game-changing
curricula, and transformed the lives of thousands of children through both
research and instruction.
Here’s a brief look at the organization’s
history—from start to success—and how their unique story makes them a great
place to start an impactful career.
Transforming Lives With Transformative Tech
NECC started with a $30,000 grant from the
Massachusetts Department of Public Health in 1975. They had three teachers and
six students.
Nowadays, they’ve got more than a thousand
professionals on their staff and thousands of students benefitting from their
programs and services. They have helped
children with autism in 19 countries. One thing that’s always stayed the same,
though: their commitment to pioneering evidence-based treatment and education.
Most of NECC’s research and methodologies are
based around the field of applied behavior analysis (ABA). NECC’s ABA practice
is one that treats each child as an individual—with their own custom education
plan—but in the context of decades of data and research. By applying the types
of learning methods and educational plans that have demonstrated success, the
staff at NECC are able to make the most progress with as many children as
possible.
And that’s where their groundbreaking Autism
Curriculum Encyclopedia comes in. The ACE is an educational curriculum tool
developed through years of research, thousands of data points, and the experiences
of the thousands of children with autism whom they’ve helped. By allowing
teachers—including those who work at NECC—to enter data into the tool and
receive real-time suggestions and action plans, the ACE allows every child to
have an evidence-backed, effective education.
Training The Best Autism Educators In The World
One of the ways NECC accomplishes their
mission is not just to run a superb autism education institution, but to train
the best educators. That’s why the team at NECC focuses so heavily on
professional development and further education. In fact, NECC will pay for a
master’s degree for all of their teachers looking to pursue advanced programs
in behavioral analysis and special education.
The best part of this program: classes are
completed on campus at NECC and research is conducted as a member of the NECC
staff. So, not only do NECC teachers work with some of the world’s best autism
educators, they also contribute to and work on important research in the field.
Once NECC teachers complete an advanced
degree, they’re often eligible for the BACB certification, which will open
career opportunities down the
line. In fact, people who train at NECC are some of the most likely to pass the
exam on the first try, hence the program’s distinction as one of the top programs
with an 80% pass rate or higher for first-time BCBA exam takers. Many of NECC’s
best teachers have gone on to start their own programs, schools, and become
leaders in the field of special education.
By making a difference in the lives and careers of their teachers, NECC enables them to proliferate the same superb standard of evidence-based treatment and education that the institution has pioneered for their whole careers.
Ready to transform lives? Check out open opportunities at NECC on WayUp!
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