Melinda Docter, clinical assistant professor and director of the LMU School of Education’s Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) Program, has received a prestigious Fulbright award that will allow her to bring her expertise to Ukraine for a four-month stay beginning next January.
The Fulbright international scholarship will take Docter to Mykolaiv, Ukraine, where she will teach a 12-week course in behavior analysis to undergraduates in the Department of Sociology at Petro Mohyla Black Sea University. The course will focus on behavior assessment and measurement, as well as on the writing and implementation of treatment plans for children with severe behavioral challenges. Docter will also travel to local regions to provide training and support for staff at organizations and schools that offer educational programs for students with behavioral challenges.
Docter says the sociology department chair at Petro Mohyla Black Sea University who extended the invitation, Dmytro Say, is eager for his department to benefit from her expertise. “He estimates that Ukraine is 40 years behind the United States in providing support for children with behavioral issues,” Docter notes. “We know that many countries continue to struggle with how to provide optimal support for children with these challenges, which can be among the biggest barriers to learning.”
At SOE, Docter prepares students to become Board Certified Behavior Analysts — practitioners who provide behavior management services to students, families and schools. She welcomes the opportunity to teach applied behavior analysis — the science behind improving socially significant behaviors in order to enhance the quality of life — in Ukraine.
“My goal is to represent the material in a way that is easy to understand and apply in everyday settings,” Docter says. “It will be exciting to learn about a new culture and share knowledge in a way that can improve the lives of children.”
