Until Behavior Analysts are licensed by the State of California, our profession will not be secure. Insurance companies will continue to deny coverage for our services; families of children with developmental disabilities will doubt the legitimacy of our profession; and our right to practice will be vulnerable to legal attacks.
The Solution is Simple: We Must Get Organized
We must get prepared to assert ourselves in the state capital. As long as we remain unorganized, events in Sacramento and in the courts will continue to threaten our profession.
Our first and most important priority must be to pass a law licensing Behavior Analysts in California. This will increase our professional legitimacy in the eyes of the public. It will open the possibility of getting insurance companies to cover behavior analysis. Most importantly, passing licensure requirements will be the next important step toward helping make sure that every person who needs it gets the high quality behavior analytic therapy he or she needs to succeed in life.
Our Opportunity is Now
That's why CalABA has launched the largest grassroots organizing campaign in the history of our organization. The Campaign to Protect our Practice is for every behavior analyst dedicated to improving the lives of individuals with developmental delays in California. It is also for every family and individual who needs help providing the best opportunities to their special needs loved ones. Passing this legislation will require more than just a good idea. We need to mobilize the entire autism community to pressure our legislators to make this a priority.
This bill would prohibit a person from holding himself or herself out to be a certified applied behavior analyst or a certified assistant applied behavior analyst unless licensed by the Board of Behavioral Sciences. The bill would require the board to issue a license to a person who meets certain educational requirements and passes an examination administered by, and is certified by, the Behavior Analyst Certification Board, a nonprofit corporation, or another similar entity approved by the board. The bill would describe the services that may be provided by a certified applied behavior analyst and a certified assistant applied behavior analyst, subject to specified supervision. The bill would authorize the board to regulate these licensees and to enforce these provisions.
