Association for Behavior Analysis International

With the growing demand in the applied behavior analysis (ABA) service industry, there has been a push for master’s level mass education to rapidly increase the number of Board Certified Behavior Analysts. Given that the massification of education may have led to larger class sizes while the number of resources may have remained the same, research is needed to determine the status of and field members’ preference for current quality indicators. This study utilized an information-gathering survey to identify current graduate training components and preferences for these components as reported by masters-level faculty, current master’s students, and masters-level graduates. Results indicate that preference for graduate training components may vary across participant type and with additional masters-level experience. These findings have important implications for continuing to improve ABA graduate training programs, informing faculty decisions, and guiding prospective master’s students. Variables that affect satisfaction with graduate training components will be discussed and the need for further research highlighted.

This study evaluated the research productivity of invited presenters at Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) state-chapter conferences from 2022 to 2023. Research productivity was utilized as a quantitative metric for evaluating speaker expertise. Results showed that 78% of invited speakers had authored one or more publications. While this suggests that many conference presenters have a history of literary achievement, the wide variability in publication highlights a need to consider additional variables beyond publication history in invited speaker selection and further quantifying those variables in accordance with the definition of “substantial expertise” notated in the Approved Continuing Education (ACE) handbook. The findings emphasize the importance of recognizing diverse expertise, such as clinical skills or community involvement, in the selection process for invited and keynote speakers. However, the degree of confidence in these conclusions is somewhat limited by the descriptive nature of this analysis, which lacks deeper examination of causal factors. Future research should investigate additional criteria used in speaker selection and assess their impact on conference outcomes and attendee satisfaction, ensuring a more balanced approach that reflects the broad range of contributions in the ABA field.

As behavior analysis expands, particularly in public schools where many children receive critical services, the need for high-quality, ethical practice is more important than ever. BCBAs in these settings face unique ethical challenges that differ from those in clinical environments, yet current literature offers limited guidance on navigating these complexities. This study explored the ethical dilemmas public school BCBAs encounter and their preparedness for working in this setting. Results highlight the gaps between formal behavior-analytic training and the realities of school-based work. Participants expressed difficulties in collaborating with interdisciplinary teams, working under resource limitations, and managing large caseloads, all of which complicate their ability to maintain high ethical standards and provide effective treatment. The study highlights the urgent need for more specialized training for BCBAs working in schools and calls for the development of practical decision-making models to guide practitioners through the ethical challenges they face. Additionally, it emphasizes the need for further research into the unique barriers public school BCBAs encounter to better support ethical and effective practice in educational environments.

Board certified behavior analysts (BCBAs) can face a variety of barriers to caseload management including time management, lack of resources, and overall profile of clients and intensity of cases (LeBlanc et al., 2019). An acuity scale is a tool that provides an objective measure of a patient's condition and the resources required to maintain their care (Klett et al., 2014) and is commonly used in healthcare fields such as nursing and social work. However, there has yet to be such a scale developed for practicing BCBAs. The BCBA Acuity Scale for Interpreting Caseload Severity (BASICS) is a tool developed to assess the overall intensity of caseload management by analyzing areas such as challenging behavior, communication, medical needs, and parent training needs. This study evaluated BASICS scores, burnout, and psychological flexibility of practicing BCBAs’ across various settings. Practicing BCBAs completed a survey which included the BASICS, the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), a social validity questionnaire, and the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire Version 2 (AAQ-2). The BASICS offers a potential solution for interpreting caseload severity by providing a systematic approach and may be a useful resource for BCBAs to determine, manage, and maintain an ethical caseload within their available resources.