Nayiri Barton is a Registered Behavior Technician (RBT) with Patterson Behavior Services. In this role, she works directly with children to teach new skills and reduce challenging behaviors.
Nayiri is currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in neuroscience with minors in human anatomy and psychological brain sciences at George Washington University. She has previous experience as a research assistant, hospital volunteer, and tutor. She has also conducted independent neuroscience research and published in academic journals. For her Girl Scouts Gold Award project, Nayiri founded Divergent Discovery, a nonprofit that connects neurodivergent and neurotypical children through collaborative crafts and physical activities.
How did you find ABA? Was there anything in particular that drew you to the field?
I have family members on the autism spectrum, so I’ve always been drawn to working with neurodivergent individuals. I knew I wanted a role where I could support children’s growth while building meaningful relationships with them. I first learned more about applied behavior analysis through research and work conducted by BCBAs, and I was really drawn to how individualized and evidence-based the approach is. From there, becoming an RBT felt like a natural fit for me.
Your job is to teach children new skills, but often the children teach us things as well. What is something you have learned from a child?
Through my time working with my clients, I’ve picked up an impressive collection of fun facts about rare and exotic animals, vastly improved my LEGO-building skills, and learned the fine art of playing with slime! Most importantly, they remind me every day to approach learning with enthusiasm, creativity, and a fresh perspective.
What do you think is your main strength on the job?
I think that my biggest strength on the job is coming up with creative variations in play. I really enjoy building on naturalistic learning opportunities and finding ways to make skill-building feel fun and engaging!
If we did a preference assessment for you, which reinforcers would we find?
Sushi, music, and reading would definitely be my reinforcers!
Can you share a favorite book, article, or video about ABA?
My favorite book pertaining to ABA is Science and Human Behavior by B.F. Skinner. Skinner truly pioneered the science of operant conditioning. This book was one of the first literature pieces I read within ABA/Psychology, it’s truly timeless!
Have you ever created a behavior intervention plan for yourself? How did it go?
I have actually created a behavior intervention plan for myself! I was having a hard time managing all of my tasks and responsibilities during the beginning of my freshman year of undergraduate studies. I decided to create a “visual schedule” for myself each week using Google Calendar. This significantly improved my productivity and organization, and I still utilize it today!
What is your favorite part of your job?
My favorite part of my job is naturalistic play. I love trying new activities with the clients I work with and seeing them thrive and learn new things! Seeing a client of mine happy makes my whole week 🙂
There are some misunderstandings about what ABA is and how therapy works. What is something you wish everyone understood?
Within ABA, I wish more people understood that autism is not black and white. There is no single set of characteristics that defines every child with ASD, and being on the spectrum does not mean that every individual experiences autism in the same way. Each child has their own strengths, challenges, interests, communication styles, and ways of interacting with the world. Autism is incredibly nuanced, and I think viewing it as a simple linear scale can overlook each person’s individuality. I wish more people understood the importance of getting to know the child in front of them rather than making assumptions based solely on their diagnosis.
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