Newsletter
Volume 31| 2008 | Number 2
ABAI Practice Board: Working to Meet the Needs of Practicing Behavior Analysts while Protecting Consumers, and to Assure the Alignment of the Practice of Behavior Analysis with the Science of Behavior
By Dr. Michael Dorsey, Dr. Michael Dougher, Dr. R. Douglas Greer, Dr. Linda J. Hayes, Dr. Travis Thompson, & Dr. Michael Weinberg
Over the past ten years, the field of behavior analysis has experienced extraordinary growth, related in large part to the explosion in the number of children being diagnosed with Pervasive Developmental Disorder/Autism and the recognition of the efficacy of behavior analytic interventions in their treatment (Mental Health: A Report of the Surgeon General, 1999). Coincidentally with this increased level of public recognition, the membership of ABAI has essentially doubled in size, from just over 2,000 in the mid 1990’s to over 5,500 in 2008 and another 13,000 members of ABAI affiliated chapters. Within the past several years, there has been a significant evolution of ABAI from a scientific organization to one that also recognizes and supports the professional practice of Behavior Analysis. ABAI is comprised of members from different educational backgrounds who practice behavior analysis in various domains. As the science and practice of behavior analysis have grown, so have the services that ABAI provides to all of its members, especially practitioners. At the same time, ABAI’s efforts are designed to assure the alignment of the practice of behavior analysis with the science of behavior, which is essential to maintain the integrity of the field.
Doing More for Practice: The ABAI Practice Board
The ABAI Executive Council as well as the ABAI Practice Board recognizes that at this time, and with the critical venture of professionalization of the discipline, there is much more to do. We are able to report on the strides ABAI has taken in honor of its commitment to practice-related matters.
The ABAI Practice Board (PB) was founded to better understand issues related to the practice of behavior analysis, to serve behavior analysts engaged in practice, to protect consumers of behavior analytic services, and to assure an alignment of practical applications of behavior analysis with the systemic foundations of behavior science. We have been working toward the achievement of these outcomes. This year, we have seen the formation of the Association of Professional Behavior Analysts (APBA). The ABAI Executive Council has made, and will continue to make every effort to work cooperatively with this new organization to maintain the cohesiveness of the field. The Council was pleased to collaborate on a statement of mutual support to develop the field in compatible ways.
The efforts of the APBA to support certified behavior analysts’ interests and needs have the potential to be effective for the wider practitioner community. We trust that future opportunities to work together for the benefit of all practitioners of behavior analysis will become available. ABAI and the ABAI PD are committed to the support of the Behavior Analysis Certification Board (BACB) and the needs of certificants.
The ABAI Practice Board was formed in response to the charge from the ABAI Executive Council, “to meet the needs of ABAI members and members of its affiliated chapters providing behavior analytic services to various constituencies consistent with the scientific foundations of behavior analysis.” At the core of this mission is the Board’s responsibility to promote the professional provision of evidence-based, applied behavior analytic services and to protect the public. Members of the Practice Board include Michael Dorsey, Michael Dougher (ABAI Council Representative), R. Douglas Greer, Linda Hayes (Chair), Travis Thompson, and Michael Weinberg.
The ABAI PB is committed to partnering with and seeking both the support and guidance from all of the ABAI affiliate chapters as well as those ABAI special interest groups (SIGS) whose focus relates to the professional practice of behavior analysis. The general mission and goals of the Practice Board include assisting ABAI affiliated chapters and ABAI special interest groups with advocacy, lobbying, and legislation; serving as a resource/clearinghouse on federal legislative issues and action alerts; examining other successful models of practice-oriented advocacy; establishing relationships with other practice advocates; and working with ABAI’s Public Relations Committee to improve the public perception of behavior analysis. An important part of the ABAI PB’s charge is to ensure that applications of behavior analysis in the many fields in which it is taking place are in keeping with the philosophical foundations, interpretive practices and investigative outcomes of the science of behavior.
Current Services Provided by ABAI in Support of Behavior Analytic Practitioners:
- The ABAI Annual Convention offers:
- A significant portion of the [rogram dedicated to the practice of behavior analysis
- The opportunity to learn the connection between science and practice through its translational research track
- Over 100 practice-related workshops
- A preeminent B. F. Skinner Series and highly prominent invited events
- Opportunity to interact with all affiliated chapters and special Interest groups
- The Fifth International ABAI Conference: Oslo, Norway
- The Third Annual Autism Conference: Hyatt Regency Jacksonville
- ABAI offers the opportunity for networking, sharing, and education
- Education conference in September 2008, Evidence-Based Practice, Scientifically Based Instruction, and Educational Effectiveness
- Provides a wealth of information through its Web Site (with about 3,000 pages)
- Distributes three annual newsletters
- A job placement service for behavior analysts
- A Bookstore with nearly 1,000 Titles
- A strong continuing education program for both BACB certificants and psychologists
- ABAI-published journals on practice
- Behavior Analysis in Practice, inaugural issue in Spring 2008
- The Analysis of Verbal Behavior, with a record number of subscriptions
New Initiatives of the PB in Support of Behavior Analytic Practitioners
The ABAI PB will assist state groups (e.g., ABAI affiliated chapters) with advocacy, lobbying, and legislation on both the federal and state levels. The Practice Board will advise, educate and advocate for the professional interests of ABAI members and protect the constituencies served by them with respect to legislative issues that directly affect members’ professional practice. The PB will also review the advantages and disadvantages to practicing behavior analysts of endorsing specific legislation; survey other professional agencies about their policies and procedures for overseeing professional practice; and make public statements regarding practice, as well as work with legislators and PR professionals to pursue legislation that supports ABAI, its members who are behavior analytic practitioners, and serves to protect the public.
- Exploring and pursuing credentialing possibilities that benefit and protect the interests of the field, behavior analytic practitioners, and the public. The Board seeks to increase the value of certification and other credentials that might assist members to further protect practice and those served.
- Expanding and improving continuing education opportunities, including establishing and maintaining criteria, processes, and a management system for approval of ABAI CE providers and for other (e.g., psychology, especial education, etc.) CE program management and oversight.
- Investigation of the state of practice, practitioner needs of behavior analysts, service recipients’ needs, and evaluation of outcomes provided by behavior analysts with different credentials as well as by non-behavior analysts. Results of such information gathering activity will be acted upon as warranted and deemed appropriate by the Practice Board, with Council approval, accordingly.
Identifying the Needs of Our Members
ABAI recognizes that it has a commitment not only to members who are BACB-certified, but also to those from varied educational backgrounds and professional disciplines whose practices are not suited to BACB certification. In order to best serve our members, the ABAI Executive Council and the ABAI Practice Board are in the process of distributing a survey to the membership that will assess specific needs. We look forward to the distribution of this survey, and the input from the full ABAI membership. It is vitally important that we hear directly from the membership as to how the ABAI PB can best serve its many and different needs.
Public Relations
ABAI’s Public Relations (PR) Committee operates under the leadership of Janet Twyman, Chair, with members Eric Dubuque, Patrick Friman, Timothy Hackenberg, and Hank Schlinger, all of whom work in conjunction with ABAI’s public relations firm to achieve the mission, “to develop materials and resources for the general public and the media to promote an accurate and positive view of behavior analysis.” The Task Force has been developing a media contact list and determining/inviting topic area experts; developing a “self-nomination” form for ABAI members to recommend topic area experts for potential inclusion on the media contact list; developing PR presence on the ABAI Web site; increasing PR awareness among ABAI members, other professionals, and the public; and increasing PR efforts in science and scholarly domains.
Event Opportunities
A very substantial component of the ABAI annual convention, approximately 50%, has been dedicated to matters of practice—notably many in autism, but also in other practitioner-related areas. As well, this year in Chicago, the annual convention program offered a few hundred events on applied behavior analysis and service delivery. ABAI’s next annual convention will be held in Phoenix from May 22-26, 2009 at the Phoenix Convention Center. The 2009 convention will again provide a wide and rich variety of applied presentations.
In addition, ABAI’s international conferences offer strong programs with respect to practice-related issues. The next international conference will be held on September 7-9, 2009 in Oslo, Norway.
Further, ABAI has developed outstanding specialized events, created specifically for practitioner audiences. This year, ABAI was able to offer a well-received conference on evidence-based practice in education in Reston, Virginia, which addressed many of the most pressing issues facing practitioners in educational settings. In 2009, the 3rd ABAI Autism Conference will take place in Jacksonville, Florida, on February 6-8. More information will be posted on the ABAI Web site shortly.
Organizational Support
One of ABAI’s newer efforts in support of practitioners and the organizations that employ them has been the creation of a membership category specifically tailored to meet their needs, namely that of organizational member. Organizational membership serves those who hire professional behavior analysts by providing marketing and networking opportunities and linking qualified professionals with practitioner organizations.
Services for Members
ABAI’s extensive Web site includes information for practitioners, educators, and researchers, among others, as well as electronic newsletters, ABAI journal abstract search capability, and the ability to purchase educational DVD’s of past invited speakers at ABAI conventions, among much else. A directory of members is available to ABAI members through their Web portal. In all, the ABAI Web site boasts over 3,000 pages dedicated to serving its membership.
A very new resource for practitioners is the journal Behavior Analysis in Practice. The inaugural issue came out in May, and subscriptions for 2008 are still available (2009 subscriptions are currently being accepted). This peer-reviewed journal provides science-based information on best practice in behavior analysis.
Science to Practice Continuum
The efficacy of practical applications of behavior analysis depends on the congruence between these applications and the science of behavior from which they were derived. It is thereby essential for ABAI’s Practice and Science Boards to work together closely. The Practice and Science Boards have compatible goals of working with other organizations to promote and provide education to the public about the science of behavior and the scientific basis of its applications.
In Sum
Many other services are forthcoming, and we seek your support for their development. In the interim, we encourage you to respond to the survey that we are distributing.