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CT FEAT Professional Scholarship Opportunities
The Nancy Leahy Shea Memorial Scholarships for Professional Development
Applications Now Being Accepted
Established in 2004 in memory of Nancy Leahy Shea, the scholarships provide
financial awards to Connecticut educators pursuing advanced academic training
and certification in applied behavior analysis (ABA). By funding these
scholarships, CT FEAT actively supports expanding the number of highly trained
autism professionals in Connecticut.
Mrs. Shea was the mother of CT FEAT board member Bob Shea and grandmother of his
son Jeremiah and daughter Fiona. According to Bob, “My mother always wanted the
best for Jer and would definitely love the fact that through her scholarship we
are training professionals to do the best for all kids with autism."
To date, awards totaling nearly $20,000 have been made to seven educators: four
special education teachers, a school psychologist and two paraprofessionals.
With CT FEAT’s support, two of these recipients have been able to complete their
training and qualify as Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBA), thereby
helping to meet the growing need for professionals with this highly specialized
training.
Who Can Apply
CT FEAT recently has changed the format of the scholarship program in order to
broaden its impact. Instead of annually supporting a single person pursuing
certification as a BCBA, FEAT is offering smaller grants to a larger number of
recipients studying any specialized autism certification that includes a
concentration of training in applied behavior analysis (ABA). Any Connecticut
special education teacher, paraprofessional, speech-language professional or
other educator currently working with children with autism is eligible to apply.
How to Apply
Applications for funding can be submitted at any time. CT FEAT’s board of
directors reviews the applications on a quarterly basis and makes financial
awards based on a variety of considerations, including the merit of the proposed
activity, competing requests for funding, and the fund’s quarterly budget. The
scholarship may cover the entire cost of the proposed activity or some portion
thereof.
You can request an application by writing to:
ctfeat1@ctfeat.org. Be sure to put “Professional Scholarship” in the subject
line of your email.
Where to Study
Opportunities for studying research-based interventions for autism are available
at various educational institutions here in CT as well as in the surrounding
region and online. CT locations include Saint Joseph’s College in West Hartford,
and Eastern CT State University in Willimantic. Many CT students also study at
Elms College in Chicopee, MA, and Westfield State College in Westfield, MA.
For more information about where you can take courses approved by the Behavior
Analyst Certification Board (BACB), including distance learning programs in
applied behavior analysis, go to
www.bacb.com.
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