Higher education, behaviour analysis, and autism: time for coalescence

Abstract

This special issue represents the cumulation of discussions at the 2 nd International Summit on Higher Education, Autism, and Behavior Analysis that was held in Stockholm, Sweden, January 2018. This summit followed the 1 st International Summit that was held in Texas, USA, September 2009. At that time, the rapidly rising prevalence rates of autism worldwide and the urgency of consumer protection meant that the summit focused on developing suitable Higher Education programs for behaviour analysts. The proceedings of the 1 st Summit were published in a special issue of the European Journal of Behavior Analysis (Ala'i-Rosales et al., 2010). Since then, the discipline has grown exponentially. We now have 306 Higher Education institutes that deliver verified course sequences (VCS) in Behaviour Analysis worldwide. However, most of these courses are located in the USA (n = 217), with only 34 of these courses located in Europe, and the quality of community-based support for families affected by autism remains a major concern (Keenan & Dillenburger, 2018; Roll-Pettersson et al., 2016). The purpose of the 2 nd Summit was to discuss future directions, requirements, opportunities, and challenges for Higher Education in the field of Behaviour Analysis, specifically with regards to autism intervention. Globalisation and disciplinary identity At the end of December 2019, the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB) notified the international community about changes to their certification procedures to come into force by the end of 2022. Up until then, behaviour analysts worldwide could become Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBA), based on their training and experience, regardless of their place of residence. After this date, only residents of the USA/Canada will be able to sit the BCBA exam. The reason for this decision was anchored in requirements for recognition by the professional body in the USA/Canada. For obvious legal reasons, professional bodies can only approve a profession within their own country boundaries and jurisdiction. Of course, this is true also for European countries. While the BCBA was not professionally recognised in any European government, it had served as

A View on the Development and Current Situation of Behavior Analysis in Europe

“…Organizers of symposia or meetings other than EABG and EABA have contacted EJOBA to ask for possible publication of special issues or sections. Special sections have been published based on meetings in Sarasota, Florida, and from two International Summits on Higher Education, Autism, and Behavior Analysis, the first in Texas in (Ala'i-Rosales et al, 2010) and the second in Stockholm in 2019 (Roll-Pettersson, Dillenburger, et al, 2020a). The symposia in Sarasota were organized by Iver Iversen and Per Holth to honor Murray Sidman.…”