Connecticut Families for Effective Autism Treatment (CT FEAT) is a non-profit organization staffed by volunteers. We provide Connecticut families with information and networking opportunities

 

CT FEAT Professional Scholarship Opportunities

The Nancy Leahy Shea Memorial Scholarships for Professional Development
Applications Now Being Accepted


About the Scholarship
Established in 2004 in memory of Nancy Leahy Shea, the scholarships provide financial awards to Connecticut educators pursuing training 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 exceeding a total of $20,000 have been made to approximately a dozen educators, including special education teachers, paraprofessionals, a speech and language pathologist, and a school psychologist. 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?
Any Connecticut special education teacher, paraprofessional, speech-language professional or other educator currently working with children with autism is eligible to apply. The funding can be applied towards the study of applied behavior analysis (ABA) or any specialized autism certification that includes a concentration of training in ABA.

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.

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 the University of Saint Joseph in West Hartford, and Eastern CT State University in Willimantic and Southern CT State University in New Haven. Many CT students also have studied at Elms College in Chicopee, MA, and Westfield State University 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.

 

Application
You can download an application form here. In order to fill out the application, you will need software, such as Adobe or Nitro, that permits you to work with a pdf document. You can download Nitro for free at www.nitroreader.com.

Note that the application must be saved and downloaded before it can be filled out. Otherwise the information will be lost. After you have downloaded and saved the blank application form, fill it out and save it again. Then email it to: info@ctfeat.org. Be sure to put “Professional Scholarship” in the subject line of your email.

 

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CT FEAT, P.O. Box 370352, West Hartford, CT 06137-0352 Phone (860) 571-3888
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