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Who We Are 
About Us 
The Association of State and Provincial
Psychology Boards is the alliance of state,
provincial, and territorial agencies
responsible for the licensure and certification
of psychologists throughout the United State
and Canada. ASPPB established the Applied

Behavior Analysis Task Force to examine the
How Can A  relationship between Psychology and Applied
Behavior Analysis and provide education
Psychologist Help?  about how psychologists can help.

Many professionals deliver competent ABA Finding an ABA Competent 
services. Psychologists can bring special
training and qualifications to the child and Psychologist  
the family. Psychologists can help you As ASPPB’s primary mandate is to assist
understand how family dynamics or member regulatory boards/Colleges to fulfill
unhealthy ideas could be contributing to their role of public protection, we are unable
difficulties using ABA in everyday situations. to offer provider referrals. We do suggest
Psychologists with competencies in autism that you take the following steps:
are equipped to confirm or make the
diagnosis of autism, or to help differentiate 1. Check to see that the provider you are
autism from other problems. Psychologists considering has a license and no history of
are trained to assess your child on the discipline by going to the ASPPB website and
using the “Look Up A License” feature.
whole, looking at all possible diagnoses to
help get the right kinds of services—even
when ABA isn’t the best option.
2. Check your state, provincial, or national
psychology organizations (APA, CPA) for
A PARENT’S 
 
Credentials to Look for: 
locator services that can help you find a
licensed psychologist with the right area of GUIDE TO 
specialty.
Many psychologists have training and
competence in ABA. In addition, some
3. If you experience difficulty, you may also
contact the state or provincial regulatory
APPLIED 
psychologists voluntarily seek board
certification from:

body through the ASPPB website to find out
how to contact a specific state, provincial or BEHAVIOR 
national association.
 American Board of Cognitive and
Behavioral Psychology (ABCBP)

Contact Us
ANALYSIS 
www.abpp.org
 Behavior Analyst Certification
Board (BACB) www.bacb.org
ASPPB
Phone: 678‐216‐1175
(ABA) 
Web: www.asppb.net
Email: asppb@asppb.org
P.O. Box 3079
Peachtree City, GA 30269

 Behavioral concepts: Psychologists should
What Can I Expect  teach you not just what to do, but why you’re
doing it. ABA interventions in the real‐world
from ABA?  improve parenting or teaching skills by
Our Guidelines will help you find a helping you to better understand what
psychologist who competently provides triggers behaviors and how to use
ABA: consequences to learn new behaviors,
strengthen existing behaviors, or change
Real‐Life problems: Psychologists make interfering behaviors.
sure that the ABA plan focuses on behaviors
and situations that make a difference in the Important changes: Psychologists work
every‐day life of the person being treated. with you to make changes that are big
  ABA focuses on changes that make the enough, and important enough, to be worth
person’s life better off if treatment works. the effort. When the intervention plan is
What is Applied  written, make sure that you’ve been asked
Measurable behaviors: Psychologists make
Behavior Analysis?  it clear, in easy‐to‐understand terms that the
about what’s important, and how much
change is needed to be really helpful. ABA
Parents usually seek Applied Behavior ABA plan focuses on behaviors. ABA interventions are effective when they make a
Analysis (ABA) services if their children are requires that you understand what real difference.
diagnosed on the autism spectrum, have behaviors will change, and how the change is
intellectual/developmental disabilities, or measured. ABA plans also include ways to Durability: Psychologists should explain
chronically behave in ways that limit their make sure that behaviors are measured how the ABA intervention can be used to
emotional, social, and/or academic growth. consistently, or in a reliable way. make changes last, even after the
ABA can help your child do better with intervention is finished. Durability includes
school tasks and language skills by teaching Behavioral analysis: Psychologists use clear not just lasting changes, but ones that show
him or her more appropriate social, motor, ways of showing that the ABA intervention up in different situations.
and verbal behaviors. ABA does this by made a difference (rather than something
helping you closely measure and monitor else). There are two basic ways to analyze Graphics: Psychologists should provide you
behaviors, as well as those events that the effect of an ABA intervention: with graphs that help you understand the
precede and follow them. “withdrawal” and “multiple‐baseline”. These ways the ABA interventions make a
two methods are fairly complex, and can’t be difference. The graphs usually show
Children with autism respond particularly adequately explained in this document—but behaviors going up (or down) when the ABA
well to an ABA approach, as they often need psychologists should be able to explain strategies have been implemented. Be sure
help to stop problematic behaviors such as which one is being used, and what it will the psychologist explains terms like
hurting themselves through banging their look like. “baseline,” “A‐B‐A design,” etc. so that you
heads or picking their skin, destroying can make sense of the graphs.
things, hurting others, flapping their hands, Behavioral “technology:” Psychologists
or running away. A psychologist who is should explain to you exactly what Evidence‐based: Psychologists should
competent with ABA can help your child behavioral techniques will be used in the review with you studies in the past that
with autism reduce those behaviors through ABA intervention. The explanation must be show how the ABA plan is based on scientific
teaching skills like expressive clear enough that, with some guidance, you evidence. You should have confidence that
communication, understanding everyday can do the ABA intervention on your own. science is the basis to believe that the ABA
routines, and coping with transitions and Look for specific details on what is being interventions have a strong likelihood of
change. done to change behaviors. working.