Registered Behavior Technician - Amherst Preschool 2026-2027

Amherst-Pelham Regional School District; Amherst (MA); On-site; USD 25,000 - 39,000; Full time

Job summary

Amherst Public Schools seeks a full-time Registered Behavior Technician (RBT) to join the Early Education & Care Center at Crocker Farm, providing social, emotional, behavior, and readiness support for preschool students. The role emphasizes neurodiversity and personalized, positive approaches to skill development in communication and social interaction.

The RBT collaborates with teachers and staff in a preschool setting, fostering safe learning environments and developmental growth for diverse

Qualifications

• Patience, empathy, and a passion for working with young children.
• Ability to multitask and adapt to a fast-paced environment.
• Experience with diverse populations of students in educational settings.

Responsibilities

• Promote safe and socially acceptable behaviors to support communication, social interaction, and problem-solving skills development.
• Assist with curriculum development and modifications, including augmentative communication devices.
• Support students in developing social skills, emotional regulation, and positive interactions with peers.
• Assist with classroom management, ensuring a respectful and inclusive atmosphere for all students.
• Provide one-on-one and small group support to students, addressing individual needs and learning styles.
• Monitor and document student progress, behavior, and participation, providing feedback to the lead teacher.
• Collaborate with teachers, parents, and other staff members to support student success.

Skills

Patience

Empathy

Multitasking

Flexibility

Experience with children

Communication

Job description

The Amherst Public Schools is seeking a full-time Registered Behavior Technician (RBT) to join the team in the Early Education & Care Center at Crocker Farm. The preschool team is seeking a dedicated and compassionate individual to join the team to provide social, emotional, behavior and readiness support in preschool age students.

This position involves supporting the educational and developmental needs of young children in a preschool setting. The ideal candidate will work closely with teachers to create a positive and engaging learning environment, fostering social, emotional, and cognitive growth among students. This is a Unit C position within the APEA Bargaining union.

This position emphasizes neurodiversity, understanding that brain variations are natural and not deficits to be fixed. The RBT fosters skill development in communication, social interaction, and problem-solving for students in special education in a respectful, positive, and individualized way.

Qualifications include but are not limited to:

• Patience, empathy, and a passion for working with young children
• Effectively work with students who may require behavioral de-escalation techniques and use approved physical supports
• Ability to multitask, be flexible and work within a fast paced environment
• Adapt to changes in daily schedules with flexibility
• Previous experience working with young children in an educational or childcare setting is highly desirable.
• Experience with a diverse population of students within a multicultural school / community

Responsibiliites include but are not limited to:

• Promote safe and socially acceptable behaviors to support communication, social interaction, and problem-solving skills development
• Assist with curriculum development and modifications, including augmentative communication devices
• Support students in developing social skills, emotional regulation, and positive interactions with peers.
• Assist with classroom management, ensuring a respectful and inclusive atmosphere for all students.
• Assist the staff in implementing social skills lessons and activities that promote learning and development.
• Provide one-on-one and small group support to students, addressing their individual needs and learning styles.
• Monitor and document student progress, behavior, and participation, providing feedback to the lead teacher.
• Collaborate with teachers, parents, and other staff members to support student success and address any concerns.
• Participate in professional development opportunities to enhance skills and knowledge related to early childhood education.
• Assist with daily routines, including snack time, outdoor play, and transitions between activities.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build positive relationships and collaborative as part of a team
• Ensure student safety when using adaptive equipment.
• Assist with self-help skills (clothing, feeding, toileting).
• Must be able to meet all requirements of physical management training (Safety Care) and physically able to perform restraints/escorts as needed
• Complete required documentation.
• Perform other duties as assigned by the program administration.

RBT Specific Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Gradually reduce prompts to encourage independent and successful responses.
• Increase the occurrence of appropriate behaviors through positive reinforcement (desired items, attention, or removal of aversive stimuli).
• Collect and document behavior data using A-B-C, frequency, duration, latency, inter-response time, event recording, and interval-based recording methods.
• Adhere to support plans and interventions, seeking appropriate consultation when necessary.
• Collaborate effectively with team members to implement programming with minimal disruption.
• Reinforce previously taught skills in one‑on‑one or small group settings.
• Document academic and behavioral progress accurately and thoroughly.
• Update student program books, document changes, and conduct reinforcement assessments (as directed by supervisor).
• Implement instructional and behavioral programs as designed by the BCBA.
• Conduct data collection at all stages of skill acquisition.
• Organize and maintain student‑specific materials and reinforcers in an orderly manner.
• Assist BCBA in functional assessments and skill based assessments (ABLS, AFLS, VB-MAPP)

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

The physical demands described below are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to use hands to assist students perform tasks, speak to deliver instruction and behavioral directives, and hear. The employee frequently is required to stand, walk, sit, reach with hands and arms; and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee is occasionally required to climb or balance and taste or smell. The employee must regularly lift and/or move up to 10 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus. The employee may also be required to use physical interventions to maintain the safety of students.

Highly qualified candidates who are bilingual/bicultural are encouraged to apply

Required Qualifications

• Registered Behavior Technician (RBT) Certification
• Safety Care Certification (within 90 days of employment)
• High School Diploma and at least 3 years of RBT experience and/or Associate's degree in relevant field