Geographic Access to Registered Behavior Technicians among Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Abstract

Research has documented inequities in geographic access to board certified behavior analysts (BCBAs) among children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Unexplored is geographic access to registered behavior technicians (RBTs), the frontline ABA providers BCBAs supervise. In this study we examined county-level geographic access to RBTs in the United States, including change in their geographic distribution over time, the current distribution of RBTs related to the distribution of BCBAs, and the current distribution of RBTs as a function of children with ASD. The sample included all U.S. counties in all 50 states and the District of Columbia (N = 3,138). County-level ASD/RBT ratios indicate that the number of children with ASD far exceed RBTs, and the geographic accessibility of RBTs appears to be superior to that of BCBAs.

Clinical Outcomes of a Hybrid Model Approach to Applied Behavioral Analysis Treatment

“…Initiating and validating a hybrid model for ABA treatment delivery to ASD patients can prove to be advantageous for both treatment providers and patients. First, it can be logistically challenging to locate ABA providers due to shortages of certified individuals that have the specialized training required to deliver ABA treatment [ 30 ]; there can also be challenges finding ABA providers in the vicinity of a patient’s home, making it difficult for parents and caregivers to attend treatment sessions with the frequency needed to improve goals [ 4 ]. In our hybrid model, we reduced these challenges by improving scheduling and providing more readily available customer service to the patients’ caregivers to enhance effective treatment delivery.…”

“…As facilitating access to care may increase an individual’s likelihood of pursuing treatment, and thus improve patient outcomes [ 31 , 32 ], it is possible that these changes contributed to the goal-level improvements that were observed. We additionally had the BCBAs monitor treatment remotely, which may have minimized logistical barriers associated with BCBA shortages [ 30 ]. Improved outcomes may also be due to the RBTs electronically capturing and reporting session notes.…”

“…The preliminary analysis of the parent-led treatment sessions indicates an improvement in goal performance. It should be noted that regardless of whether the treatment was delivered by an RBT or was delivered via parent-led ABA treatment sessions, progress was monitored virtually by a BCBA, per BACB guidelines [ 4 , 30 ]. Future work will involve analysis of the patient data to determine if the hybrid model leads to better outcomes when ABA treatment is delivered by an RBT, or when ABA treatment is delivered via parent-led sessions.…”

Family-Centric Applied Behavior Analysis Promotes Sustained Treatment Utilization and Attainment of Patient Goals

“…Because of the significant time commitment required from qualified professionals (i.e., BCBAs and BTs) to implement ABA treatment and growing ASD prevalence, there is an overwhelming demand for ABA services, which has resulted in families in need of ABA services struggling to find providers and/or facing long delays on treatment waitlists [24][25][26][27]. Additional factors also impact families' ability to seek care, including cost, geographic limitations, and scheduling constraints [28][29][30].…”

The Effects of Artificial Intelligence on Implementors’ Fidelity of Instructional Strategies During Handwashing Acquisition in Children with Autism

“…Whenever programs are implemented with low rates of fidelity, it can lead to staff frustration and burnout (Fixesen et al, 2005). This may contribute to the critical shortage of qualified professionals who can administer behavioral programs to children with developmental disabilities (Yingling et al, 2022). Therefore, it is vital that efficient systems of providing effective and sustainable training are identified or developed (Neely et al, 2016).…”