When a student explores an education major, one of the most common questions we get asked as student ambassadors is "what is your favorite class?" While it's not an easy question to answer because I have loved so many, I can think of one class that comes out on top...
CPSE 410 - Applied Behavior Analysis: Have you ever wondered why people do the things they do? Or why do some children struggle behaviorally and others seem to be the quintessential student? If you have, we're in the same boat.
Applied Behavior Analysis can sound daunting, but it is the most captivating class I've taken at BYU (and that includes my stint with foreign film). In this course, professors take you through the basics of human behavior before taking a deep dive into why behavior of any kind happens. A deep dive like this does not allow for simple slides and presentations that fill up a whole hour and forty-five minutes. This course is full of discussion and hypotheses, with plenty of opportunities to look into the specific behaviors of a student you might currently be working with.
As a future Special Education teacher, I plan to work with children with serious behavioral issues requiring me to understand the motives and the cause of behavior in order to help a student succeed. This course is one of a kind with its ability to prepare you to shape behavior and shape a student, not to mention molding your own actions to achieve a desired outcome.
As a BYU student interacting with people on an hourly basis, I have a strong belief that this course should be added to every single grad plan and go on to amplify the career path of each student. CPSE 410 can help teachers of every kind to come to a greater understanding of our peers, our students, our coworkers, and our brothers and sisters.
To get more information on the required courses for Special Education click here for mild/moderate and here for severe! If you have any questions, visit our website or schedule an appointment to meet with one of our ambassadors.