Rebecca Shammas
Needham Heights,MA
Summary
Behavioral professional with over 13 years of experience in special education as both a severe special education teacher as well as a Board Certified Behavior Analyst. Currently holding a Massachusetts professional teaching license in severe special education, a BCBA certification, and a Licensed Applied Behavior Analyst certification. Known for strong team collaboration and achieving impactful results. With a drive to continue to grow in the special education field by working towards a Massachusetts Special Education Administrator license. Reliable and adaptive with the main focus of bettering students' lives through meaningful interventions.
Overview
13
13
years of professional experience
Work History
BCBA Specialist
Somerville Public Schools
Somerville, MA
10.2023 - Current
- Developed and implemented individualized behavior intervention plans for students with diverse needs.
- Attended IEP meetings with related service providers, parents, and outside service providers.
- Conducted formal and informal assessments to determine function of challenging behaviors.
- Presented findings of assessments to IEP meeting attendees.
- Used results of assessments to create well thought out function based behavior interventions.
- Collaborated with educators, service providers and parents to promote positive behavioral changes in the school setting.
- An active member of Winter Hill Community Innovation School's Internal Leadership Team for the past two years.
- Created trainings for program-based paraprofessionals as a Common Planning Time leader.
Board Certified Behavior Analyst
GOLDEN STEPS ABA
Boston, MA
06.2023 - 10.2023
- Managed a caseload of clients ages 3-6 around the Roxbury/Dorchester area.
- Supervised and trained 5 behavior therapists/Registered Behavior Therapists.
- Created programming geared towards increasing adaptive behaviors.
- Created parent training for clients’ parents.
- Administered evaluations including VB MAPP, Socially Savvy, and ABLLS-R.
- Conducted functional behavior assessments on clients’ challenging behaviors.
- Created Behavior Intervention Plans targeting clients’ challenging behaviors.
- Worked collaboratively with daycare providers, after school programs, and school service providers.
Special Education Teacher
KEYSTONE EDUCATIONAL COLLABORATIVE
Fitchburg, MA
07.2020 - 08.2023
- Functioned as a behavioral specialist for 2 classrooms while pursing a CAGS in Applied Behavior Analysis.
- Lead teacher of ABA-based classrooms for students with severe disabilities (primarily ASD) between the ages of 14-22.
- Worked collaboratively with related service providers, educational surrogates, DCF/group home employees and families.
- Supervised and trained 2 to 3 paraprofessionals on ABA related topics.
- Wrote all IEPs and related documents for students within the classroom.
- Attended IEP meetings with related service providers, sending district liaisons, parents, educational surrogates, DCF/group home employees and administrators.
- Administered academic evaluations to evaluate eligibility for special education services.
- Presented findings of evaluations to IEP meeting attendees.
- Created curriculum utilizing ABA principles.
- Created and managed behavior management programming.
MILFORD HIGH SCHOOL
Milford, MA
08.2018 - 06.2020
- Managed a caseload of 15+ students with mild/moderate disabilities between the ages of 14-18.
- Co-taught in five 10th grade English classrooms.
- Modified assessments, assignments, notes and projects in all co-taught classes, allowing students on IEPs to access grade-level curriculum.
- Wrote IEPs and related documents for students on caseload.
- Attended IEP meetings with parents of student as well as other members of student’s team.
- Conducted academic testing to determine eligibility for special education services.
Senior Classroom Teacher
NEW ENGLAND CENTER FOR CHILDREN
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
08.2016 - 08.2018
- Supervised five other teachers within the classroom.
- Trained and acted as a shift manager ensuring safety of both staff and students during the school day.
- Managed two case students’ Individualized Education Plan (objectives both in English and Arabic).
- Collected data for and wrote IEPs for case students.
- Modified and implemented behavioral and academic programming for students in multiple settings.
NEW ENGLAND CENTER FOR CHILDREN
Southborough, MA
08.2013 - 08.2016
Education
Applied Behavior Analysis CAGS Program -
Assumption University
Worcester, MA08-2022
Master of Science in Special Education Severe Disability - SEI Endorsed
Simmons University
Boston, MA05-2017
B.S in Psychology - Special Education and Communication Disorders, Concentration in Special Education-Severe Disabilities and Professional Practices
Bridgewater State University
Bridgewater, MASkills
- Crisis management techniques
- Behavioral skills training
- Prompting and fading procedures
- Incidental teaching strategies
- Reinforcement systems design
- Discrete trial training
- Data collection and analysis
Timeline
BCBA Specialist
Somerville Public Schools
10.2023 - Current
Board Certified Behavior Analyst
GOLDEN STEPS ABA
06.2023 - 10.2023
Special Education Teacher
KEYSTONE EDUCATIONAL COLLABORATIVE
07.2020 - 08.2023
MILFORD HIGH SCHOOL
08.2018 - 06.2020
Senior Classroom Teacher
NEW ENGLAND CENTER FOR CHILDREN
08.2016 - 08.2018
NEW ENGLAND CENTER FOR CHILDREN
08.2013 - 08.2016
Master of Science in Special Education Severe Disability - SEI Endorsed
Simmons University
B.S in Psychology - Special Education and Communication Disorders, Concentration in Special Education-Severe Disabilities and Professional Practices
Bridgewater State University
Applied Behavior Analysis CAGS Program -
Assumption University
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
- Gamma Phi Beta Sorority, Epsilon Eta chapter
- Children’s Physical Developmental Clinic (Bridgewater State University), Therapist
- Milford Youth Center Community Camp, Camp Counselor