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Preparing for Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) Regulation

The College has launched a dedicated ABA Portal on its website in which is posted regular updates on the progress toward the Regulation of Applied Behaviour Analysis as well as answers to the most frequently asked questions.  

Council Appointments

Congratulations to Dr. Kendra Thomson and Mr. Conrad Leung, who have been appointed to the College Council as non-voting members representing the profession of Applied Behaviour Analysis. These appointments began with the June 17, 2022 Council meeting and will continue until proclamation of the Psychology and Applied Behaviour Analysis Act, 2021.  We want to extend our appreciation to the large number of very qualified Behaviour Analysts who expressed their interest in participating on Council and hope there will be opportunities in the future to take advantage of their talents and interest.

Registration Self-Screening Tool Being Developed

The ABA Working Group is preparing registration regulations and policies to facilitate the registration of Behaviour Analysts and is striving to meet the principles of transparency, objectivity, impartiality, and fairness.  Its work has focused recently on developing a tool to enable professionals in the field of Applied Behaviour Analysis to determine if they should register with the College, or if they do not need to register.  Once completed, the tool will be readily available on the College website, in the ABA portal, and will serve as a screening resource to help those in the field make this decision.  The tool is being designed to assist in this decision-making, but it will not be a determinant of whether an individual meets the registration requirements. 

The activities that comprise the scope of practice of Applied Behaviour Analysis are not controlled acts, within the definition in the Regulated Health Professions Act, 1991 and, therefore are in the public domain.  Once the Act is proclaimed however, only those individuals registered with the College as Behaviour Analysts will be allowed to use the title “Behaviour Analyst” or refer to any earned certification they may have that would lead the public to believe that they are a registered or qualified to practise Behaviour Analysis in Ontario.  Unauthorized use of the title would be considered as holding oneself out as a person who is qualified to practice as a Behaviour Analyst and would be a violation of the Psychology and Applied Behaviour Analysis Act, 2021.  

Transitional Registration

Sometimes called “grandparenting”, transitional registration will be a time-limited opportunity for experienced Behaviour Analysts to register with the College without having to meet all entry-level registration requirements.  Behaviour Analysts, who are in practice prior to the proclamation of the Psychology and Applied Behaviour Analysis Act, 2021, will be able to register with the College if they provide evidence of current practice and competence as a Behaviour Analyst to practice the profession safely.  Details of what will constitute acceptable evidence will become available in the coming months so that experienced practitioners may prepare to register.

Next Steps

The College’s ABA Working Group continues to meet bi-monthly in preparation for regulation of the profession of Applied Behaviour Analysis.  The Group expects to bring its recommendations to Council in the coming months.  Once approved by Council, the recommendations, in the form of draft regulations, will be circulated to members of the College, to the ABA profession, other stakeholders, and the public for comment.  Following this consultation, the College Council will consider the feedback received and approve the regulations for submission to the government to be approved before the Psychology and Applied Behaviour Analysis Act, 2021, and its associated regulations, can come into force. 

Contact

As the College approaches regulation of the profession of Applied Behaviour Analysis, it welcomes feedback and questions from the public and behaviour analysts.  You can contact the College at:  cpo@cpo.on.ca.   

Paula Garshowitz, OD, Project Lead – ABA Regulation
Rick Morris, Ph.D., C. Psych., Registrar & Executive Director