Inside Behavior Analysis
Volume 3 | 2011 | Number 2 | Online ISSN: 2151-4704
Missouri ABA
By John M. Guercio
The Missouri Association for Behavior Analysis (MOABA) has had a very eventful year to say the least. Autism reform legislation was passed in 2010 that went into effect in January, 2011. The legislation made the reimbursement of applied behavior analysis (ABA) services by a qualified professional a legal mandate. In addition to this law, the definition of a qualified professional was further delineated through the subsequent passing of a licensure bill for practitioners of behavior analysis. The board members of MOABA were extremely active throughout this process as the language for the bill evolved. The state now has a license for our profession that is defined in a manner that ensures the utmost in consumer protection. The specific education and experience guidelines that define what a practicing behavior analyst should be are now in place to allow for the best possible service provision for those seeking ABA services. The deliberations related to this bill are still ongoing as of April, 2011, due to the payment and other issues related to the successful implementation of the law in Missouri. Other occurrences were the most recent MOABA conference and the election of new board members.
The MOABA annual conference was held in November, 2010, and included a turnout of over 115 attendees from all over the state. A number of interesting presentations were held related to the upcoming licensure issues in the state. Crucial practitioner issues and therapeutic approaches were also addressed from leaders in the field such as Drs. Jonathan Tarbox, Jesus Rosales-Ruiz, Gina Green, and Traci Cihon. Both professional and student membership were up this year. These numbers were reflected in the significant participation that we had in the MOABA elections. More than twice the number of members voted this year than in years past. The new board members for the 2011–2013 term are as follows:
- President: John Guercio, Ph.D, BCBA-D, LBA
- Vice-President: Jenny Frisbee, MS, BCBA, LBA
- Treasurer: Todd Streff, MS, BCBA, LBA
- Secretary: Jenie Nowak, MS, CCC, SLP
- Members-at-Large: Tami Galensky-Pentz, MS, BCBA, LBA and Jeanne Marshall, MS, BCBA
- Student Representative: Wendy Wright-Bell
This was the first year that MOABA has instituted a student position on the board. Recent academic activity in the state has seen the rise of two to three new master's program offerings for behavior analysis, where before 2011, there were none. The need for ABA practitioners has well exceeded the number off qualified therapists for a number of years as is the case for many states across the country. These efforts are in an attempt to close that gap and to provide more evidence-based services for individuals with special needs. Our state organization is dedicated to working closely with these sites to make sure that they are able to develop the most comprehensive course sequences that will allow for the production of well-trained behavior analysis research practitioners. To that end, we have been engaged in conversations with faculty members from these programs to provide feedback and to discuss the potential internship and practicum options for some of their students.