I decided to study Psychology after a number of personal experiences that made me want to have a better understanding of the human mind: how things work biologically and what their behavioural application is. London South Bank University was the rst university to o er me a place, and what convinced me was the large amount of quality research published by its students and staff. I found the quality of the teaching to be excellent, which prepared me to undertake a very di cult research project as my dissertation.
 

ONE-OF-A-KIND RESEARCH PROJECT


My final year dissertation was titled Applied Behaviour Analysis, Risperi- done and Combined Treatment for Autism Spectrum Disorders. It took over 600 hours to complete, most of the time being spent collecting data. It is the rst formal study on treatment methods in Autism run with a Romanian population, and it is also the first study in the world to look directly at a combination of Applied Behaviour Analysis (a behavioural form of therapy) and Risperidone (a neuroleptic drug). My project has already received international recognition, even before publication. I have presented it at an international conference in Galway, Ireland, and it will be presented by my supervi- sor at an international Behaviour Analysis conference in Kyoto, Japan. In Galway, I was the only presenter who had not yet graduated a with a Masters’ degree.

The risk I took by undertaking a di cult project has paid o , as I received appreciation from researchers who I consistently quoted in my research. The main strengths of my project are its novelty and applicabil- ity. It strongly supports behavioural methods as solid treatment options for early intervention in Autism Spec- trum Disorders. The ethics committee of my university has evaluated my project multiple times, to make sure all international ethical stan- dards are kept, approval also being obtained from the ethics committee of the hospital from where I collected my data. I am very proud of my very first piece of serious research, and I am looking forward to more projects!
 

IT DOESN’T END HERE
 

I have applied to study Applied Behaviour Analysis as a Masters’ Degree at the University of Kent. This degree o ers me the possibility to become a Board Certi ed Behav- iour Analyst (BCBA) and the course content allows me to have enough research credits to also pursue a career in research, as well as a career in behavioural therapy private prac- tice. My dream is to be a renowned researcher and to make a positive change in the way Intellectual Disabilities are treated, by developing existing methods and by researching new ones. 



Read the entire WORLD Magazine Summer 2015 edition here.