An Introduction to the Behavior Analyst Certification Board James E. Carr Behavior Analyst Certification Board
Applied Behavior Analysis The use of learning principles and the methods of behavior analysis to change socially important behavior
Areas of Application Autism & developmental disabilities Problems of aging Traffic safety Adult psychotherapy Substance abuse Workplace safety General education Tourette Syndrome Energy conservation Brain injury rehabilitation Child welfare
Benefits of a Professional Credential Fosters quality and consistency across practitioners by providing a standard for content and practice Helps ensure that practitioners use the same terminology, view procedures similarly, and have similar training Helps establish a discipline s professional identity Provides a governmental category descriptor for the profession Helps protect the discipline s reputation Consumer protection!
Florida Behavior Analysis Certification Program (1979-1998)
BACB Background Nonprofit corporation Founded in 1998 to meet professional credentialing needs identified by behavior analysts governments consumers of behavior analysis services
Accreditation The National Commission for Certifying Agencies was created in 1987 to help ensure the health, welfare, and safety of the public through the accreditation of a variety of certification programs/organizations that assess professional competence. Standard Setting
BACB Personnel Chief Executive Officer 12 full-time employees! Psychometrician Attorney Paralegal Chief Operating Officer Senior Program Specialist IT & Project Development Senior Admin. Assistant Operations Assistant Assistant Program Specialist Admin. Assistant Admin. Assistant
BACB Board of Directors Shahla Ala'i-Rosales, PhD, BCBA-D Barbara Byers Iser DeLeon, PhD, BCBA-D Debora Harris, BCaBA Jane Howard, PhD, BCBA-D (president) Eric Larsson, PhD, BCBA-D Suzanne Letso, MA, BCBA Neil Martin, PhD, BCBA-D Stephanie Peterson, PhD, BCBA-D Bridget Taylor, PsyD, BCBA-D
The Credentials
BCBA BCaBA BCBA-D RBT
Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst (BCaBA) Coursework Requirement Eligibility Standards 180 classroom hours in behavior analysis Degree Requirement Experience Requirement Ethics - 15 hours Basic concepts & principles 45 hours Behavioral methodology 15 hours Applied behavior analysis 90 hours Discretionary behavioral content 15 hours A minimum of a bachelor's degree. 1000 hours of Supervised Independent Fieldwork*
Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) Coursework Requirement Eligibility Standards 270 classroom hours in behavior analysis BCBA-D Degree Requirement Experience Requirement Ethics 45 hours Basic concepts & principles 45 hours Behavioral methodology 45 hours Applied behavior analysis 105 hours Discretionary behavioral content - 30 hours A minimum of a master's degree from an accredited university that was (a) conferred in behavior analysis, education, or psychology, or (b) conferred in a degree program in which the candidate completed a BACB approved course sequence. 1500 hours of Supervised Independent Fieldwork*
BACB Certification
The Exam
The Examination Multiple-choice examination BCBA: 150 questions BCaBA: 132 questions Both based on the BACB Task List List of job competencies Certificant survey Subject matter expert review All examination procedures based on Standards for Education and Psychological Testing
BCBA English Modern Spanish Italian (February 2015) Hebrew (February 2015) BCaBA English Modern Spanish Traditional Chinese Italian (February 2015) Hebrew (February 2015) Exam Languages
Pearson VUE computerized testing
Pearson VUE computerized testing February May August November
Maintaining Certification BCBA Annual renewal & attestation Recertification every 2 years 32 hrs of Continuing Education (4 in ethics) BCaBA Annual renewal & attestation Recertification every 2 years 20 hrs of Continuing Education (4 in ethics) At least 1 hr monthly supervision by a BCBA
Data
Cumulative Number of Certificants 16000 14000 14,641 12000 10000 8000 6000 FL BCaBA BCBA 4000 2000 0
Total Number Certified Per Year 2500 BCBA 2000 1500 1000 500 0
Cumulative Number of Non-US Certificants 1200 1000 1,075 800 600 BCaBA BCBA 400 200 0 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
Current Non-US Certificants Australia 28 Indonesia 2 Romania 5 Austria 1 Ireland 69 Russia 1 Bahamas 1 Israel 87 Saudi Arabia 8 Bahrain 4 Italy 24 Singapore 4 Bermuda 2 Jamaica 2 South Korea 13 Botswana 1 Japan 8 Spain 6 Brazil 2 Kenya 1 Sri Lanka 1 Canada 504 Kuwait 1 Sweden 7 Cayman Islands 1 Lebanon 2 Switzerland 4 China 27 Mexico 1 Taiwan 11 Colombia 3 New Zealand 21 Thailand 1 Costa Rica 2 Nigeria 1 The Netherlands 4 Cyprus 3 Norway 1 Uganda 1 France 17 Pakistan 1 UK: England 97 Germany 10 Peru 1 UK: N Ireland 18 Greece 3 Phillippines 2 UK: Scotland 5 Hungary 1 Poland 4 UK: Wales 15 Iceland 4 Portugal 1 United Arab Emirates 14 India 13 Qatar 3 Viet Nam 1
Data :: Italy Credential # of Certificants BCaBA 0 BCBA 21 BCBA-D 3 Total 24
Approved Course Sequences Pre-approved sequences of required coursework in behavior analysis 89% of applicants qualify with ACS coursework
Cumulative Institutions with ACSs 250 241 200 150 100 50 0
Cumulative Course Sequences 450 400 418 350 300 250 200 150 BCaBA BCBA 100 50 0
Cumulative Non-US Course Sequences 90 80 84 70 60 50 40 30 BCaBA BCBA 20 10 0
Current Non-US Universities with ACSs Canada 8 Norway 1 China 3 Poland 1 Croatia 1 Portugal 1 Finland 1 Romania 1 France 2 Russia 3 Greece 1 Saudia Arabia 1 Hong Kong 1 South Korea 4 Iceland 1 Spain 2 India 1 Sweden 1 Ireland 5 Taiwan 2 Israel 3 UK England 1 Italy 1 UK Northern Ireland 2 New Zealand 2 UK Wales 4 Nigeria 1 TOTAL 55
BACB Approved Course Sequences In Italy University BCBA BCaBA IESCUM: Istituto Europeo per lo Studio del Comportamento Umano IRFID: Istituto per la Ricerca, la Formazione e l'informazione sulle Disabilità University of Parma
Ethics & Discipline
Ethics Code and Disciplinary Standards BACB ETHICS BACB Guidelines for Responsible Conduct of Behavior Analysts BACB Professional Disciplinary and Ethical Standards * Documents available at :: www.bacb.com
Key Grounds for Disciplinary Action Gross or repeated negligence, incompetence, misconduct, or malpractice in professional work Limitation, sanction, revocation or suspension by a health care organization, professional organization, or other private or governmental body, relating to behavior analysis practice, public health or safety or behavior analysis certification Any criminal conviction directly relating to behavior analysis practice and/or public health and safety Failure to adequately supervise or be supervised in accordance with the BACB Standards for Supervision
Making a Complaint 1 2 3 4 Detect potential misconduct Make personal contact with certificant and/or agency File complaint with the BACB BACB Review Committee considers complaint
BACB Review Committee Current or former member of Board of Directors (chair) Attorney Additional members as needed BACB certified member I BACB certified member II Additional members as needed (e.g., in-region certificant)
BACB Disciplinary Actions Certification Suspended Revoked Mandated continuing education Eligibility to become Certified Suspended Revoked All disciplinary actions publicly available at :: www.bacb.com
Practice Guidelines
Contents
A New Credential
Tiered Service Systems BEHAVIOR TECHNICIAN A BEHAVIOR TECHNICIAN B
Registered Behavior Technician (RBT) Standards To apply for the RBT credential, the applicant must: Be at least 18 years of age Possess a minimum of a high school diploma or equivalent Successfully complete a background check at application - Verified by supervisor Complete a 40-hr training based on the RBT Task List - 37 task areas - Conducted by a BCBA/BCaBA Pass the RBT Competency Assessment - Administered by a BCBA/BCaBA
Additional RBT Requirements Ongoing supervision by a BCBA/BCaBA for 5% of the hours spent providing ABA services per month at least 2 contacts per month RBTs must complete annual renewal procedures that include successful passage of the RBT Competency Assessment Registration will begin mid-2014
www.bacb.com
Thank you.