Behavior Specialist

Morgan Autism Center; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 70,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

Morgan Autism Center in San Jose, CA is seeking a dedicated Behavior Specialist to support students with autism across classrooms and programs. The role focuses on proactive behavioral support, crisis prevention, and coaching staff using evidence-based strategies to promote communication, regulation, and independence.

The specialist will collaborate with Program Directors and a multidisciplinary team to implement Behavior Intervention Plans, collect data, and adjust supports while upholding the

Qualifications

• Minimum 3 years of direct experience working with individuals with autism.
• Experience implementing Behavior Intervention Plans (BIPs) and collecting behavioral data.
• Strong collaboration with teachers, Instructional Aides, and program staff.

Responsibilities

• Provide proactive classroom support and real-time behavioral coaching.
• Respond to behavioral support calls and de-escalate crises while maintaining student dignity.
• Assist with crisis prevention, stabilization, and brief post-crisis debriefs with teams.
• Model and coach staff using an I Do, We Do, You Do framework to promote best practices.

Skills

ABA

PBIS

De-escalation

Behavior assessment

Replacement skills

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Psychology

Job description

Behavior Specialist

About Morgan Autism Center

Morgan Autism Center provides a safe, nurturing, and joyful environment where individuals impacted by autism or other developmental disabilities are accepted and celebrated for who they are. Founded in 1969, the focus is on creating respectful and positive interactions to maximize the potential of each student and client. Morgan Autism Center offers school and adult day programs and is an important resource for families and professional service providers throughout the Bay Area. Our flexible, comprehensive, and highly individualized approach has evolved into a model successfully adopted and implemented in located school districts. The updated Morgan Autism Center Adaptive Skills Trainer Program will serve adults ages 22 – 60 years old with autism and other developmental disabilities in a 1:1, 1:2 and 1:3 ratio.

Our mission is to help children and adults with autism and other developmental disabilities maximize their potential in a dignified, positive, and loving environment. Our innovative model is grounded in strong, trust-based relationships, a unique rotational instructional structure, deeply embedded communication supports, and a consistently positive approach to behavior. We prioritize each student’s comfort, emotional stability, and overall well-being so they feel safe, valued, and ready to learn.

At Morgan Autism Center, we believe behavior is a form of communication. Our approach focuses on understanding the function of behavior, building trusting relationships, and creating supportive environments that promote communication, emotional regulation, independence, and meaningful participation. Students learn best when they feel safe, respected, understood, and connected to the people supporting them.

Staff prioritize prevention over reaction through proactive environmental supports, visual systems, predictable routines, positive reinforcement, skill building, and relationship-based interventions. In keeping with our commitment to a least restrictive, hands-off approach, physical intervention is used only when necessary to protect the immediate safety of the student or others. Every interaction should preserve student dignity while teaching meaningful replacement skills that support greater independence and long-term success.

For more information, please visit www.morgancenter.org

Position Overview

The Behavior Specialist is a student-centered, hands-on position responsible for providing direct behavioral support across classrooms and programs. Working collaboratively with Program Directors, the Behavior Support Team, and classroom staff, this role provides real-time support to students and staff while promoting consistent implementation of Morgan Autism Center’s behavior philosophy and positive behavior support practices.

Primary responsibilities include providing proactive classroom support, responding to behavioral support calls, assisting with crisis prevention and stabilization, modeling effective intervention and de-escalation strategies, and coaching Instructional Aides (IAs) and teaching staff using an “I Do, We Do, You Do” framework. The Behavior Specialist supports teams in implementing Behavior Intervention Plans (BIPs), collecting and reviewing behavioral data, identifying behavioral patterns, and strengthening staff confidence and consistency in the use of proactive and positive behavior strategies.

The Behavior Specialist is expected to model MAC’s prevention-focused, relationship-based, and hands-off approach in daily practice. This includes helping teams strengthen environmental supports, teach replacement skills, promote communication and regulation, and respond to challenging behavior in ways that maintain student dignity and safety. Physical intervention is reserved for situations in which it is necessary to protect the immediate safety of the student or others.

In addition to direct behavioral support and staff coaching, the Behavior Specialist collaborates with classroom teams to plan and prepare behavioral supports and resources. This may include developing visual and instructional materials, preparing intervention resources, organizing behavior systems, reviewing behavioral data, and assisting with other planning and program preparation activities that strengthen classroom implementation and student success.

Reporting Relationships

This position reports directly to a Program Director

Key Responsibilities

Direct Classroom & In-the-Moment Support

• Proactive Classroom Support: Conduct routine classroom observations and check-ins to identify emerging behavioral concerns, strengthen preventative supports, and provide coaching before behaviors escalated to crisis levels.
• Behavior Call Response: Serve as a primary responder for real-time classroom requests for behavioral support, helping staff safely and compassionately de-escalate situations and re-establish a supportive learning environment.
• Crisis Stabilization: Implement company-approved crisis management procedures when necessary to support students experiencing significant behavioral escalation while maintaining student dignity, safety, and bodily autonomy.
• Post-Crisis Support: Conduct brief post-crisis debriefs with classroom teams to review contributing factors, restore supportive environmental structures, identify proactive strategies, and promote consistent staff responses moving forward.

Staff Modeling, Coaching & Training

• Hands-On Modeling: Demonstrate positive behavior support and instructional strategies directly with students (“I Do”) so staff can observe effective implementation of routines, prompting, reinforcement, redirection, engagement, and other individualized supports.
• Collaborative Coaching: Work alongside Instructional Aides and teaching staff (“We Do”), providing real-time, constructive, and supportive coaching to strengthen staff confidence and consistency.
• General Strategy Training: Provide supplemental training and refresher sessions on MAC’s behavior philosophy and core behavioral practices, including prevention, positive reinforcement, redirection, re-engagement, communication supports, and strategies for avoiding unnecessary power struggles and escalation.
• BIP Implementation Guidance: Support staff in understanding and consistently implementing individual student Behavior Intervention Plans (BIPs), behavioral support plans, and related behavioral resources.
• BIP Collaboration: Support the implementation, review, and revision of behavioral supports and Behavior Intervention Plans in collaboration with Program Directors, teachers, behavior professionals, OTs, SLPs, and other members of the interdisciplinary team.

Data Collection & Environmental Monitoring

• Data Collection & Fidelity: Train and support staff in accurately collecting behavioral data while minimizing disruption to instruction and student engagement.
• Data Review: Review behavioral data to identify patterns, monitor student response to interventions, and collaborate with the appropriate team members to inform adjustments to behavioral supports and strategies.
• Environmental Monitoring: Observe classroom environments to identify potential stressors, triggers, or barriers to student success and recommend proactive visual, environmental, instructional, or structural modifications to reduce escalation and increase student participation.

Team Collaboration & Behavioral Planning

• Participate in regular strategic meetings with Program Directors to review focus students, behavioral priorities, emerging concerns, and needed supports.

• Meet with classroom teams to debrief significant behavioral episodes, problem-solve acute or ongoing behavioral challenges, and align on proactive strategies.

• Collaborate with teachers, Instructional Aides, behavior professionals, OTs, SLPs, and other team members to promote consistent behavioral support across staff and environments.

• Assist with the development and preparation of visual supports, behavioral resources, data systems, intervention materials, and other tools needed for successful classroom implementation.

Required Qualifications and Experience Requirements:

• Experience: Minimum of 3 years of direct experience working with individuals with severe autism, developmental disabilities, and/or complex behavioral support needs in a special education, clinical, or related setting.
• Behavioral Knowledge: Demonstrated working knowledge of evidence-based and best practices for autism and behavioral support, including ABA, PBIS, behavior as communication, function-based intervention, positive reinforcement, proactive supports, replacement skill development, and de-escalation strategies.
• Behavior Support: Experience implementing Behavior Intervention Plans (BIPs), collecting and interpreting behavioral data, and supporting individuals with high-intensity behaviors such as aggression, self-injury, elopement, property destruction, and significant behavioral dysregulation.
• Staff Coaching & Collaboration: Ability to model effective behavioral strategies, provide clear in-the-moment coaching and feedback, and collaborate effectively with teachers, Instructional Aides, behavior professionals, related service providers, and program leadership.
• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, Applied Behavior Analysis, Special Education, Human Services, or a closely related field is highly preferred.
• Certification: Registered Behavior Technician (RBT) or Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst (BCaBA) certification is a strong plus but not required when equivalent education and field experience are demonstrated.
• Crisis Management: Ability to remain calm and professional during challenging behavioral situations and obtain and maintain current certification in company-approved crisis intervention methods (e.g. CPI or Handle with Care).
• Health & Safety Clearance: Must successfully pass required criminal background/fingerprint clearances (DOJ/FBI), provide valid TB clearance, and maintain current CPR/First Aid certifications.

Essential Qualities & Skills

Alignment with MAC’s Philosophy

• Positivity & Patience: Consistently communicates using positive, respectful, and supportive language. Avoids unnecessary power struggles, negative or punitive language, and interactions that may elevate student distress. Uses redirection, reinforcement, environmental supports, and relationship-based strategies whenever possible.

• Relationship-Driven: Demonstrates a strong commitment to establishing trusting, non-contingent relationships with students to promote emotional safety, engagement, and readiness to learn.

• Student Dignity & Autonomy: Supports students in ways that respect individual communication, assent, autonomy, sensory needs, personal dignity, and opportunities for independence.

Professional Composure & Behavioral Support Resilience

• Resilience & Stamina: Demonstrates the emotional resilience and physical stamina necessary to safely support students with complex behavioral needs and return to effective, compassionate support following challenging situations.
• Composure Under Pressure: Remains calm, structured, and emotionally steady when responding to high-stress situations, including aggression, self-injury, elopement, or significant behavioral escalation.
• Supportive