Guidelines for Consumers

Contents:
General Considerations in Choosing a Director of ABA Services
Section I - Qualifications to Direct Behavior Analytic Programs
Section II - Training Necessary to Direct ABA Programs for Individuals with Autism
Section III - Evidence of Qualifications to Direct ABA Programs for Individuals with Autism
Section IV - Additional Considerations

 

Section IV Additional Considerations

  1. Attending or delivering some workshops, taking some courses, or getting brief hands-on experiences does NOT qualify an individual to practice applied behavior analysis effectively and adequately. Unfortunately, there may be some individuals who misrepresent their training, skills, and experiences or inappropriately guarantee certain outcomes. The Behavior Analyst Certification Board has announced that it is in the initial stages of a multi-year effort to consider development of a specialty in autism. Please visit www.BACB.com to obtain updates on this process.

  2. Evidence of attendance and active participation in professional meetings and conferences in behavior analysis (e.g., the annual meeting of the Association for Behavior Analysis) is certainly desirable. Such activities by themselves, however,do not constitute training in behavior analysis, and conference presentations are not equivalent to publications in peer-reviewed professional journals because conference presentations typically are not reviewed carefully by a number of other behavior analysts, and do not have to meet scientific standards. Therefore,it is important for consumers to differentiate presentations at conferences and workshops from research published in peer-reviewed journals.

  3. Board Certified Behavior Analysts and Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analysts are on their honor to follow the BACB’s Guidelines for Responsible Conduct for Behavior Analysts©, which are not enforced by the BACB at this time. BCBAs and BCaBAs must be in compliance with the BACB Professional Disciplinary Standards© which are enforced by the BACB. Consumers are encouraged to become familiar with those Guidelines and Standards, available at www.BACB.com. Consumers who have concerns about the ethical behavior of individuals providing ABA services are strongly encouraged to contact the Behavior Analyst Certification Board in the case of a BCBA or BCaBA who may not be in compliance with the BACB Professional Disciplinary Standards©, and discipline-specific licensing boards in the case of those holding professional licensure (such as psychologists, speech-language pathologists, physicians,social workers).

  4. Because there is an inadequate supply of behavior analysts qualified to work in autism, many providers are overextended. The Autism SIG believes that professionals should ensure that they can effectively manage their caseloads. Although there are no guidelines currently available regarding optimal caseloads,we encourage consumers to ask prospective providers of ABA services about their availability and responsiveness. Important questions include:

    • How much time will a qualified behavior analyst dedicate to the individual with autism?
    • How will this change if programming needs change (e.g., if serious behavior problems emerge)?
    • What is the typical response time to a crisis?
      Is the amount of available time adequate to meet the needs of the individual or individuals?
    • How often will the behavior analyst communicate with the consumer?
    • What form will that communication take (i.e., face-to-face meetings, phone conversations, email)?