Roles of the Behavior Analyst
The title and/or role of a Behavior Analyst may be very unfamiliar outside of the field of Behavior Analysis, and many are unaware of what it means to practice in the field of Applied Behavior Analysis.
According to the BACB (Behavior Analyst Certification Board), practitioners of Behavior Analysis provide analytical services that are consistent with the dimensions of Applied Behavior Analysis, and are qualified to provided services to clients with a variety of needs.
The BACB was designed to protect consumers of behavior analysis by establishing professional standards and offers credentials at four levels.
What is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst?
A Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) is a professional who has obtained a masters or doctoral degree in Behavior Analysis, Special Education, Psychology or other related fields, and has studied and accrued experience hours in the field of Applied Behavior Analysis.
Board Certified Behavior Analysts are experts in the field of Behavior Analysis and have been exclusively trained in creating, implementing, evaluating and supervising a variety of ABA programs and interventions, and specialize in behavior management and developing behavioral analytic interventions.
BCBAs provide behavior analytic services and supervise the program implementation and/or work of BCaBAs (Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst) and RBTs (Registered Behavior Technicians).
What is a Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst?
A Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst (BCaBA) is a professional who has obtained an undergraduate degree in Behavior Analysis, Special Education, Psychology or other related fields, and has taken coursework in and/or studied the Science of Applied Behavior Analysis.
BCaBAs practice under the supervision of a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) and have accrued experience hours. They assist with designing and implementing programs and interventions, and also oversee programs and interventions implemented by RBTs (Registered Behavior Technicians). BCaBAs are often furthering their education to obtain the BCBA credential.
Registered Behavior Technician/Behavior Therapist
Registered Behavior Technicians (RBTs) or Behavior Therapists are paraprofessionals who receive close, direct supervision from BCBAs or BCaBAs. RBTs are distinguished from behavior therapists in that they have received basic training in the Science of Applied Behavior Analysis, and implement programs and interventions of which they have been directly trained in.
RBTs must participate in an intensive 40 hour training, pass a hands-on competency assessment, and pass a written exam. The primary responsibility of RBTs is to directly implement behavior-analytic services, under the supervision of a BCBA or BCaBA.
