James E. Carr Behavior Analyst Certification Board

An Introduction to the 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

Adult psychotherapy

Traffic

safety

Substance

abuse

Workplace

safety

General

education

Child welfare

Brain injury rehabilitation

Tourette Syndrome

Energy

conservation

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

Senior Program Specialist

Assistant Program Specialist

IT & Project Development

Senior Admin. Assistant

Admin. Assistant

Admin. Assistant

Operations Assistant

Psychometrician Attorney

Paralegal

Chief Operating Officer

12 full-time

employees!

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

Eligibility Standards

Coursework Requirement 180 classroom hours in behavior analysis

• Ethics - 15 hours

• Basic concepts & principles – 45 hours

• Behavioral methodology – 15 hours

• Applied behavior analysis – 90 hours

• Discretionary behavioral content – 15 hours

Degree Requirement

A minimum of a bachelor's degree.

Experience Requirement 1000 hours of Supervised Independent Fieldwork*

Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst (BCaBA)

Eligibility Standards

Coursework Requirement 270 classroom hours in behavior analysis

• Ethics – 45 hours

• Basic concepts & principles – 45 hours

• Behavioral methodology – 45 hours

• Applied behavior analysis – 105 hours

• Discretionary behavioral content - 30 hours

Degree Requirement

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.

Experience Requirement 1500 hours of Supervised Independent

Fieldwork*

Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA)

BCBA-D

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”

Exam Languages

BCBA

• English

• Modern Spanish

• Italian (February 2015)

• Hebrew (February 2015)

BCaBA

• English

• Modern Spanish

• Traditional Chinese

• Italian (February 2015)

• Hebrew (February 2015)

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

0

2000

4000

6000

8000

10000

12000

14000

16000

FL

BCaBA

BCBA

Cumulative Number of Certificants

14,641

Total Number Certified Per Year

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

BCBA

Cumulative Number of Non-US Certificants

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

BCaBA

BCBA

1,075

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

Current Non-US Certificants

Credential # of Certificants

BCaBA 0

BCBA 21

BCBA-D 3

Total 24

Data :: Italy

Approved Course Sequences

Pre-approved sequences of

required coursework in

behavior analysis

89% of applicants qualify

with ACS coursework

Cumulative Institutions with ACSs

241

0

50

100

150

200

250

Cumulative Course Sequences

418

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

450

BCaBA

BCBA

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

BCaBA

BCBA

Cumulative Non-US Course Sequences

84

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

Current Non-US Universities with ACSs

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 Guidelines for

Responsible Conduct of

Behavior Analysts

BACB Professional Disciplinary

and Ethical Standards

* Documents available at :: www.BACB.com

BACB

ETHICS

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

Detect potential misconduct

Make personal contact with certificant and/or agency

File complaint with the BACB

BACB Review Committee considers complaint

1

2

3

4

Current or former

member of Board of

Directors (chair)

Additional members

as needed (e.g.,

in-region certificant)

Additional

members as

needed

Attorney

BACB

certified

member I

BACB

certified

member II

BACB Review

Committee

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 B BEHAVIOR TECHNICIAN A

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.