The Arc of Washington County
Self-Study Course
For
Independent Support Coordinators
Writing Behavioral Objectives
This self-study training course is part of an in-service training program for Independent Support Coordinators of The Arc of Washington County. It is intended to augment training and technical assistance provided by other entities.
Portions of this publication are taken, with permission, from the course “Writing Behavioral Objectives and Measuring Behavior” produced by the Meyer Children’s Rehabilitation Institute, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska, Copyrighted 1980.[1]
You may obtain each of the five training lessons from www.arcwc.org. Please go to “Personnel” and then “Training.” A worksheet to help you analyze written behavioral objectives is provided as part of this self-study course.
Please print a copy of the lesson, complete the self-study examination, and take the next course in the series. Start with Lesson 1. When you complete Lesson 5, make an appointment with Bill Schiers, Executive Director, to complete an examination covering all of the material in the five lessons. If you achieve a score of greater than or equal to 90%, you will receive a training certification. If you do not achieve a score equal to or greater than 90% you will be assigned a tutor until you and the tutor agree you are ready to re-take another form of the final examination.
The following Lessons are provided as part of this self-study course:
Lesson 1: First Things First: What is a Behavioral Objective?
Lesson 2: The Four Parts of a Behavioral Objective
Lesson 3: Looking at Behavioral Objectives in Detail
Lesson 4: Descriptive Language
Lesson 5: Evaluating Behavior Objectives
Upon successful completion of the self-study course, you will be awarded a Certificate of Completion and enrolled in a seminar to review objectives you have written and objectives written by three of your colleagues.
This course is provided for Independent Support Coordinators of The Arc of Washington County. Because the materials are provided on our web site, other individuals may use the self-study materials; however, the tests and seminars associated with this course will not be available to others.
Any questions concerning this course should be directed to Bill Schiers, Executive Director, at
[1] The “Writing Behavioral Objectives and Measuring Behavior” course is part of a Value-Based Skills Training Curriculum for Community-Based Mental Retardation Programs produced by the Meyer Children’s Rehabilitation Institute in 1980. Permission has been granted for the author to use portions of the course in this self-study presentation. As part of the permission agreement, the following disclaimer is offered: the information provided from the 1980 publication may be out of date. The examples and information provided as part of this course may or may not be relevant given the changes that have occurred in the provision of supports to people with disabilities over the course of 26 years. The examples are provided for heuristic purposes and are not intended to promote any service, treatment, or therapy in any manner. We are grateful to the Meyer Children’s Rehabilitation Institute for allowing us to use these materials.