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Since 2023 Rotary clubs in Costa and the US have been partnering with the government hospital system, and the Ministry of Education to address the need to train personnel to specialize in the science of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), the globally accepted therapy to support people with autism and other neurodiverse conditions.
Prior to 2023, the science of ABA was unknown in Costa Rica. With the attention Rotarians have been placing on autism and ABA through club projects and events, professionals in the medical and education fields have begun to recognize the value of ABA as a therapy that will vastly improve the lives of Costa Ricans with autism, their families and even in communities.
ABA does not replace traditional therapies such a Speech, Audiology, Physical or Occupational but seeks to support them through specific behavior methods in people with ASD to increase positive outcomes for the patient so he can manage day to day living challenges.
This global grant will continue the work of the earlier global grant (#2454803) by increasing the number of trained professionals through Vocational Training Teams (VTT) who will travel to Costa Rica and teach Behavior Specialists (in elementary schools) how to incorporate Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) into a classroom curriculum.
There are now two hospitals in the country authorized to diagnose autism in a child. Opportunities have become open for Rotarians and our autism training partners to instruct medical professionals in more hospitals to offer parents information about where to seek ABA services as well as opportunities to educate themselves about autism. This has never been offered.
The earlier global grant (#2454803) awarded 13 scholarships to both medical and educators to become globally certified as either International Behavior Analysists (IBA's) or Globally Recognized Behavior Technicians (RBT).
What we learned from this grant is that both the need for and the interest in using ABA therapy is much greater than the resources we have. By creating a VTT global grant, we can bring highly qualified ABA experts to Costa Rica to train and work alongside a larger number of medical personal and school Behavior Specialists. This also presents an opportunity for Rotarians to explore incorporating ABA as part of Special Education programs for advanced degree students at two universities.
The expansion of ABA in Costa Rica is an opportunity for Rotarians to consult with CONARE (National Council of Rectors) in Costa Rica with the goal of including ABA degrees throughout the national higher education system under the Master of Special Education degree. CONARE is tasked to oversee the design and implementation of programs and initiatives for higher education in the country, including efforts to promote innovation, research and internationalization.
Individuals and families affected by autism have been underserved due to denial and misdiagnosis, compounded by the lack of resources and education. With this VTT, we aim to train professionals in Costa Rica with the goal that the science of ABA can become a standard treatment for autism throughout the country.
The goals of this VTT are to:
Create three Vocational Training Teams. Each team will focus on a specific area they are currently working in: Higher Education, Special Education (elementary school level), children's medical professionals with specializations in ASD/neurodiverse conditions and parents of children with autism.
Each VTT will be led by a Rotarian who currently is or has worked in one of these four areas. In addition to the team leader there will be 3 members that are certified in their respective ABA specializations and have extensive work experience. They may visit Costa Rica up to 4 times in 12 months.
The teams will have specific objectives. Before they arrive, local Rotarians will have pre-arranged details such as locations, number of people to be trained and outcomes. Multiple visits with the same groups working together will encourage communication between team members and local professionals, which encourages sharing their new knowledge with other professional colleagues.
1) Introduce an ABA education platform to university faculty that teach under the Special Education departments as part of the Masters programs to graduates so they are prepared when they enter the workforce.
(2.) Expand training of Behavior Specialists in the elementary school system through VTT training and certifications to increase their skills for working with not only children with autism, but other neurodiverse conditions such as ADHD.
3.) Help hospitals ensure that trained, certified ABA staff are available to serve and support the ASD population by bringing the VTT teams directly into the hospitals to focus on training psychologists, pediatricians and neuro-physicians.
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