| Abstract: According to the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately 1 in 160 (0.6%) children around the world has Autism. Based upon prevalence rates published by a small number of countries around the world, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that the autism prevalence rate for international markets may range from 1% to 2%. Applying the conservative WHO estimate of 1 in 160 to the 2.2 Billion children in the world (per Unicef), there are nearly 14 million children in the world with autism. Adding adolescents and adults to that figure may be as high as 20 to 30 million people in the world living with autism. Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is the globally agreed-upon gold standard for autism intervention. There are less than 40,000 Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBA), who are experts in implementing behavior analysis in applied settings in the world. According to the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB), the international credentialing body that governs practitioners of Applied Behavior Analysis -- BCBAs (including BCBA-D and BCaBA) and RBTs -- less than 10% of BCBAs (et al.) practice outside the U.S. The current reality is that there are less than 4,000 BCBAs available to serve the needs of nearly 18 to 19 million people with autism living outside the United States. Faced with these seemingly insurmountable numbers, it would be very easy for international BCBAs to throw treatment integrity out the window. However, a great majority of international BCBAs are committed to preserving the integrity and efficacy of ABA services. International BCBAs with a dual objective of maintaining treatment integrity while helping the masses are faced with a herculean task, some of which can be tackled with a scalable Global Supervision Framework. During this panel discussion, we will introduce the Global Supervision Framework, the foundation of which relies on a group supervision model designed to maximize existing resources to scale while maintaining treatment integrity. The panel, comprised of BCBAs whose primary practice is located in India; a BCBA who builds sustainable clinical capacity with fifteen pre-existing centres in thirteen different countries as well as two international verified course sequences;; and a faculty member whose primary body of work includes providing support to BCBA practitioners who support individuals with autism across the lifespan. As part of the discussion, we will present results of a research study conducted in partnership with Stepping Stones Center and Bingham University on the positive impacts of systematically incorporating structured journal assignments (i.e. Journal Club) in group supervision settings with behavior technicians / RBTs as a means to increase clinical competency. We will close the discussion by presenting examples of group supervision models with demonstrated efficacy in center-based (in-person) and remote (telehealth) settings. Upon the conclusion of this panel discussion, learners will be able to: (1) Explain the demand for ABA services in international markets; (2) Discuss 3 to 5 key challenges to maintaining treatment integrity when providing ABA services in international markets; (3) Discuss 3 to 5 key barriers to providing effective supervision in international markets; (4) Explain the Global Supervision Framework; (5) Discuss the benefits of incorporating a Journal Club to group supervision; (6) Become familiar with effective group supervision models used in international markets for both in-person supervision and telehealth supervision. |