BCBA

A Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) is certified in behavior analysis at the graduate level. BCBAs can work on their own, without a supervisor. They design your child's treatment plan and oversee it. They also supervise the behavior technicians on the team.

A Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst (BCaBA) has a similar credential at the undergraduate level. BCaBAs can only work under a BCBA's supervision. Many US states, but not all, also require a license. Many funders also require this board certification.

Your child's BCBA leads the first assessment and writes the plan. Under their ethics code, they must assess before choosing a treatment and put the plan in writing. The code also tells them to put positive reinforcement first. Day to day, a technician may run many ABA sessions while the BCBA watches some of them. The BCBA also reviews the data and changes the plan when the data calls for it.

• Their certification: When choosing an ABA provider, check your BCBA's status in the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB) Certificant Registry, which also lists reportable disciplinary actions.
• State licensing: Ask whether your state requires a license and whether your BCBA holds one.
• Who works with your child: Ask whether a Registered Behavior Technician (RBT) will run sessions each week and how often the BCBA will observe them.