The Children’s Guild Foundation Enables Buffalo State’s ABA Master’s Program to Address Pressing Community Need

In the 18 months since its launch, Buffalo State’s applied behavior analysis (ABA) master’s degree program has experienced exponential growth, thanks in part to substantial funding from The Children’s Guild Foundation (TCGF), a Buffalo-based philanthropic organization that seeks to improve the lives of children and young adults with special needs through grant funding and advocacy. 

ABA is an evidence-based system that acknowledges appropriate behavior through resources and rewards. It is often used with individuals with autism and others requiring behavioral change. 

“It changes the way someone thinks and behaves by putting rewards and supports in place to help them reach their goals,” said Kathy Doody, Buffalo State professor and associate chair of graduate programs in exceptional education. “You put supports in place for someone to do well; if they struggle, you put more supports in place. As they start to progress, you remove supports, so they need less to be independent and successful.”

By supporting more area students who are training to become behavior analysts, TCGF’s support of Buffalo State’s program will help children right here in Western New York, which currently faces a significant shortage in this field even as demand continues to increase.

“The Children’s Guild Foundation’s ABA student scholarship funding is much more than just making a grant award to Buffalo State University,” said Catherine Gura, president of The Children’s Guild Foundation. “It is about investing in a transformational change within Western New York for children and young adults with special needs and their families to take what is in behavioral support and making it what it should be.”

TCGF pledged $211,385 in scholarship funding before the program was even green-lighted, which Doody said boosted confidence in the proposal.

“It was a huge show of faith in our program,” said Doody, who added that of New York State’s 19 ABA master’s programs, Buffalo State’s is one of only two in Western New York and the only one at a public university. “They understood and believed in what we were trying to do and wanted to help us make the program accessible. Many people—myself included—feel their pledge was a pivotal factor in our moving forward.”

TCGF recently awarded the program another grant in the amount of $210,000, to be used to cover tuition and textbook costs for eight to 12 students. The program—which had just five students when it started in August 2022—now boasts 31 candidates, and the applications “just keep coming,” Doody said. “We have students from all across the state. I kept promising people, ‘This program will grow if you give us a chance.’ And it has.”

Wendy Paterson, dean of the School of Education and another strong proponent of the program, said the TCGF funding helped spark that growth.

“The original generous donation meant to support a small cohort of students planted the seeds for the current interest in the program,” Paterson said. “These funds are particularly important to support and maintain the students in the program as they progress through difficult internship hours toward eventual national board certification.”

Because of the extreme regional need for this specialization, TCGF scholarship recipients must agree to work in one of the eight counties within Western New York for at least three years after graduation.

“There are not a lot of board-certified behavior analysts in our geographical area,” Doody said. “The Children’s Guild Foundation wants to fortify supports here. We are working hard to get more BCBAs in the field.” 

New York State had the lowest per capita supply of behavior analysts in the Northeast in 2020 despite having the highest per-pupil spending of all states in that fiscal year, according to a recent study published in Excelsior: Leadership in Teaching and Learning, the journal of the New York Association of Colleges for Teacher Education. Of the estimated 1,500 licensed behavior analysts in New York, only 32 reside in Erie County.

A study published in March 2024 by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board found that the demand for BCBAs has been rapidly rising nationwide since 2010. From 2022 to 2023, BCBA job postings increased by 10.8 percent in New York State.

This increase is partially attributed to a greater number of referrals for special education evaluation, but also to the expansion of applicable areas for BCBAs. BCBAs are now sought for not only positions in education but also roles in animal behavior, brain injury rehabilitation, environmental sustainability, forensics, gerontology, health and fitness, human resource management, sports psychology, and substance abuse treatment.

“The scope has really increased,” said Carol Shaw, Buffalo State’s ABA program director and shared employee of the Summit Center. “Basically, everything we do in everyday life is guided by ABA.”

Though many may think they are familiar with ABA, Shaw said, the therapy has changed significantly over time.

“We are trying to get away from the negative and outdated stigma some people have around ABA practices from decades ago,” said Shaw, a BCBA who not only directs Buffalo State’s program but also teaches courses, advises students, and supervises their fieldwork. “ABA has changed considerably and is framed around a system of positive supports, setting up the environment—and therefore, the individuals—for success.  for success. We want to highlight the benefits of ABA while demonstrating that we no longer employ outdated practices.”

Completion of Buffalo State’s two-year, six-semester M.S. program leads to eligibility for approval as a board-certified behavior analyst (BCBA) from the Behavior Analysis Certification Board and for New York State licensure as a behavior analyst (LBA). Buffalo State will soon also offer a 4+1 accelerated combined pathway degree program for undergraduate psychology students.

Past TCGF scholarship recipients, who will graduate as part of the program’s first cohort in December, said that TCGF’s funding has been invaluable.

“I am interested in learning how to modify home instruction and the home environment for children with disabilities, so they are better able to accomplish daily tasks and build their resilience,” said recipient Samantha Saunders. “Funding from The Children’s Guild Foundation provides me the opportunity to advance my education without having to leave my community.”

“My future goal is to help disadvantaged communities such as low income, minorities, and communities with disabilities,” said recipient Jannat Inqyiad. “Without funding from The Children’s Guild Foundation, I would not have been able to pursue higher education. I do not want to stay stuck working minimum wage jobs like my parents. I have a chance at breaking generational cycles and opportunities that they did not, and I will make sure to use every resource wisely.” 

Pictured top: Carol Shaw (left) and scholarship recipients Samantha Saunders, Matt Carney, and Caitlyn Vishion with her brother.

Photos by Jesse Steffan-Colucci, Buffalo State photographer.