Association for Behavior Analysis International

Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is a relatively novel field of practice internationally. This presentation outlines the evolution of ABA service delivery in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) across the past two decades presented by the first Certified Behavior Analyst registered by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB) in the UAE. Unique challenges and solutions are demonstrated in relation to three key areas: service delivery, certification and supervision, and systemic change. Introducing Behavior Analysis to a region characterized by multicultural diversity and establishing a clinical/ educational ABA practice has come with a unique set of challenges, including limited access to resources, overcoming professional isolation, navigating ethical dilemmas, and addressing the diverse origins and cultural complexities of clients and staff. Various strategies for overcoming these challenges will be presented with an emphasis on the importance of ethical conduct by Behaviorists implementing in multicultural settings. The Competent Learner Model (CLM), an implementation system encompassing a tiered model of education and staff coaching with best practice ABA provides a valuable resource for service providers globally. Shaping individual actions to foster behavior-analytic organizational systems is of paramount importance. This offers insights into interventions, family support, training, and competence building across the field of ABA.

The target audience for this presentation include but are not limited to: • Behavior analysts within their first 5 years of practice, including practitioners, supervisors, etc., who are currently enrolled in or recently completed graduate-level work. • BCBAs and BCBA-Ds who have completed graduate-level work, are licensed or certified individuals • Educators or Behaviorists wishing to implement best practice in multicultural settings or internationally.