BCBA Questions Answered
BCBA is an acronym for Board Certified Behavior Analyst.
Anyone working with your child should be a BCBA or be overseen by a BCBA, such as an BCaBA or Registered Behavior Technician, (RBT).
ABA is a well recognized therapy in the autism community; however, Behavior Analysts are equipped to help with other disabilities as well as behavioral issues. A Functional Behavior Assessment is conducted by a BCBA for behavioral issues and a treatment plan is developed based on the findings. Family members, teachers, caregivers, and siblings involved in the person’s life take part in the analysis and intervention when appropriate. This process is typically one that can be brief, but life changing for the individual and those they love.
BCBA Education & Training
In order to be a BCBA, a Masters degree in a certain field is required to begin the classes which require a "B" to pass. 1500 hours of supervised and unsupervised work directly related to Applied Behavior Analysis is required while being supervised by a BCBA. When completed, the BCBA exam is taken.The pass rate is less than 60%. In order to maintain certification, recertification is required every two years along with 32 hours of Continuing Education Units.
What to Expect From a BCBA
- Your behavior analyst will observe your child's behavior in a variety of environments to develop an accurate picture of his current learning strengths and needs.
- Your behavior analyst will select procedures to address your child's various learning goals and then design techniques to determine the effects of these procedures on your child's behaviors.
- Your behavior analyst will train family members so that your child will use his or her new skills across the many people and places in his life.
- Your behavior analyst can perform ABLLS testing or Vineland-3 to determine what skills your child has and the skills they can start working on. This is an intensive test and will take about a week to complete.
Print 