BCBA Certification vs ABA Certification: Board Certified Behaviour Analyst (BCBA®) and Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) credentials are synonymous. Let’s get one thing clear right now.
We get that you probably landed here because you still haven’t made up your mind about it. Understand it! The process of becoming a BCBA® is intricate and could be daunting. Starting your search for BCBA® certification programs might be challenging since good information about it is hard to come by.
Take it easy! We will now explain in simple terms how BCBA® certification relates to ABA and how you may benefit from it now that you have here.
Passing the BCBA Exam Is Necessary to Be Called a Board Certified ABA
Since there are a lot of terminology and acronyms used interchangeably in this industry, it’s necessary to define a few things:
After finishing the program and passing the test, you will be able to display your credentials as a Board Certified Behaviour Analyst, or BCBA®.
The national body that awards that certificate is the Behaviour Analyst Certification Board (BACB).
You may get the precise curriculum you need to qualify for the certification by enrolling in the BCBA® Certification Program, which is also called a Verified Course Sequence (VCS). You may get a certification either as an elective in a master’s degree or after you’ve already earned your master’s degree.
Certified practitioners of Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) are known as Board Certified Behaviour Analysts. They get their credentials confirmed by the Behaviour Analyst Certification Board, which checks their credentials in terms of education, expertise, ethics, and work experience.
In the field of behavioural therapy, being certified as a BCBA® is highly esteemed. The outcome is the same whether you are pursuing BCBA® certification in Connecticut or looking at BCBA® certification programs in California: a globally recognised certification that is also required to earn an ABA license in many jurisdictions. A state license to practise is available to those who have earned the Board Certified Behaviour Analyst (BCBA)® credential, which attests to their professional knowledge and strong ethical foundation.
Consequently, the BCBA® certification programs provide the precise training and education necessary to get board certification, and these programs are the primary mechanism by which state level certification is achieved.
In “Board Certified ABA,” the “Board” refers to the BACB. When it comes to the education needed to enter the profession and the practice requirements needed to maintain certification, they establish the national standards that everyone follows. Meeting the academic and experience standards defined by the BACB is necessary to become an ABA certified professional, regardless of whether you choose to enrol in BCBA certification programs online or follow a more conventional path.
ABA is a Form of Treatment for ASD and Behavioral Disorders
A growing number of patients are experiencing behavioural disorders, which has led to a significant increase in the demand for BCBA® certification. The primary factor contributing to this phenomenon is the substantial rise in the number of diagnoses of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
ABA is the only scientifically-proven method for treating ASD in existence today.
As of 2020, one out of every thirty-six American children was determined to be somewhere on the autism spectrum, according to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which has been monitoring the incidence of ASD in the US since 2000 via the Autism Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network (ADDM).
Compared to diagnosis from earlier generations, that number is much higher. There will be a high demand for services provided by BCBA® certified professionals as a result. Discrete trial training, verbal behaviour interventions, and crucial response training are all tried and true methods that have been used by BCBA® therapists.
The demand for BCBA® certification is primarily driven by autism spectrum disorder (ASD), but the training provided by these programs is applicable to the effective treatment of many other behavioural problems as well. Some examples are:
- Focus and concentration Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
- Conditions related to OCD
- Problems with anxiety
- Disorder characterised by oppositional defiance
- Bipolar Illness
- People who have completed the rigorous online or off-site requirements to become BCBA® certified may help with a wide variety of common difficulties, including addictions, stroke recovery, Alzheimer’s therapy, and many more.
When Considering Career Opportunities and Salary, a Master’s Degree Makes All the Difference
The ultimate objective of anybody seeking BCBA® certification is to get a master’s degree. For starters, you’ll need a master’s degree in behaviour analysis—or a related discipline like psychology or education—if you want to be board-certified.
All program educational criteria for BCBA® certification are met by master’s degrees certified by the Association for Behaviour Analysis International’s (ABAI) or the Association of Professional Behaviour Analysts (APBA).
If you do not attend a program that has been approved by the BACB, you will still need to complete the graduate-level behaviour analysis coursework either on your own or as part of an ABAI-Verified Course Sequence (VCS) in order to meet the course content allocation requirements. This will culminate in a master’s degree. Your institution must verify your progress in each class and submit an attestation to the BACB if you want to earn your credits on your own.
Take note: December 31, 2025, is the last day of the VCS system. Your school will be required to conduct a course-by-course evaluation starting in 2026 to verify that you have fulfilled the academic requirements.
You can achieve the status of a BCaBA®, or Board Certified Assistant Behaviour Analyst, with a bachelor’s degree. Unfortunately, you can only provide behavioural services under the supervision of another BCBA® if you have that level of qualification.
This implies that if you enrol in a legitimate BCBA® certification program, you will get the freedom to choose your own hours and work as you see fit. In addition, they make it possible to work in more types of jobs in Applied Behaviour Analysis.
In May 2023, the median salary for Applied Behaviour Analysts with BCBA® certification was $53,710, with a maximum salary (90th percentile) of $89,920, which is significantly higher than that of BCaBAs®.
A Key Step on the Road to Board Certification in Behaviour Analysis is Having Experienced ABAs Oversee Your Treatment Sessions.
However, earning your BCBA® certification requires much more than a master’s degree alone. Along with it, you should gain the type of real-world experience that will test your theoretical knowledge.
Fieldwork experience with direct patient interaction is a requirement of all BCBA® certification programs, including the online BCBA® certification. However, you’ll need to rack up 1,500 to 2,000 hours of supervised fieldwork to acquire your BCBA® certification.
In charge of overseeing that fieldwork? Professional ABAs are your best bet. According to the BACB guidelines, there are four options for supervisors:
- An experienced, currently-certified BCBA® with a minimum of one year in the field
- Consultation with a competent supervisor is required for a BCBA® who is currently active and has less than one year of experience.
- A psychologist who has earned the Behaviour and Cognitive Psychology certification from the American Board of Professional Psychology
- The official teacher of the Verified Course Sequence
- Everyone on the list of potential supervisors obviously knows a lot about the subject. On the other hand, if you want to learn more about the subject and become a certified BCBA®, it’s best to work with supervisors who have already completed the certification process.
Your classroom instruction will be put into practice when you spend at least 5% of each supervisory session under the watchful eye of an experienced professional who will provide you with insightful criticism on your assessments, diagnoses, and interventions.
Online BCBA® certification programs could make supervision difficult, but you’ll figure it out since it’s a crucial part of the process.
Now more than ever before, you can acquire the supervised, real-world ABA treatment experience you need to achieve your BCBA® certification online, and there are plenty of adjustments and allowances to help you out.
Getting the name of the certification correct is fairly significant since becoming a BCBA® is the largest step you can take in starting a career in applied behaviour analysis. It’s time to get your job going now that we’ve cleared that up!