More and more providers are offering the services of applied behaviour analysis (ABA) without having obtained the necessary training and experience. As noted elsewhere on our web page, Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBA's) have:

• A minimum of a masters degree from an accredited university
• Specific graduate course work in applied behaviour analysis
• Mentored and/or supervised clinical training
• passed the BACB’s certification exam.

At present, there is no Canadian certification body, although the Ontario Association for Behaviour Analysis (ONTABA) is embarking on its own certification process. Consumers can see a list of the Board Certified Behavior Analysts and Board Certified Behavior Analysts by visiting the BACB’s registry list and choosing “Canada” as the country.

In addition to certification from the BACB, the Association for Behavior Analysis also offers specific recommendations.

Nicholas Watkins, our Clinical Director, is a Board Certified Behaviour Analyst with the Behavior Analyst Certification Board and is a member of the Association for Behavior Analysis.

 

The Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB®) states,

“The Board Certified Behavior Analyst is an independent practitioner who also may work as an employee or independent contractor for an organization. The BCBA conducts descriptive and systematic (e.g., analogue) behavioral assessments, including functional analyses, and provides behavior analytic interpretations of the results. The BCBA designs and supervises behavior analytic interventions. The BCBA is able to effectively develop and implement appropriate assessment and intervention methods for use in unfamiliar situations and for a range of cases. The BCBA seeks the consultation of more experienced practitioners when necessary. The BCBA teaches others to carry out ethical and effective behavior analytic interventions based on published research and designs and delivers instruction in behavior analysis. It is strongly recommended that the BCBA supervise the work of Board Certified Associate Behavior Analysts and others who implement behavior analytic interventions.”

For more information, visit the BACB at www.bacb.com.

The Association for Behavior Analysis' Task Force on the Right to Effective Behavioral Treatment says...

"We propose that individuals who are recipients of treatment designed to change their behavior have the right to: (1) a therapeutic environment,
(2) services whose overriding goal is personal welfare,
(3) treatment by a competent behavior analyst,
(4) programs that teach functional skills, (5) behavioral assessment and ongoing evaluation, and
(6) the most effective treatment procedures available."

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