ABAI is soliciting commentary on the latest working draft of the model
language for licensing ABA practitioners. You can access it through
your www.abainternationa l.org portal login.

This issue should be of some interest to the Clinical SIG for several
reasons:

1. Attractive alternative to licensure in psychology? Many Clinical
SIG members have (or will have) a license to practice psychology. A
different licensing option may be a point of interest. The scope of
practice for the license involves: "The practice of applied behavior
analysis is defined as the application of the principles, methods, and
procedures derived from the experimental analysis of behavior and
applied behavior analysis (including principles of operant and
respondent learning) to assess and improve socially important human
behaviors." Thus, the scope of the license aims to cover everything
from depression & anxiety to Autism and DD so long as an underlying
philosophy of BA guides your practice. Clinical Behavior Analysts
dissatisfied with the APA dominated licensure machine may find this a
favorable alternative. 2. Ghettoization of BA? A separate licensure
system more fully separates BA from the rest of psychology. This may
have negative long-term consequences. 3. Creative Alternatives?
Since many Clinical SIG members have already run into licensure issues
during their training, we are in a unique position to present the
Practice Board with problems and potential solutions that have not fully
explored. For example, there are accreditation systems in place (ABPS,
APCS, BACB) that might be utilized without attempting to get new BA
legislation passed in all 50 states. 4. Translating basic science
into practice? Since the BCBA certification began ABAI and affiliated
chapter conventions have become stranger places. CE requirements push
practitioners to a narrow selection of applied presentations (mostly
autism). Fewer people in the applied arena attend presentations given
by basic researchers who typically do not have BCBAs (and thus cannot
directly offer BCBA CE's). This can undermine the basic
research/applied research/clinical practice feedback loops that have
given our field its strength. Licensure (as distinct from BCBA
accreditation) is likely to require CE's and Clinical SIG
members' feedback on that process (while not part of the Licensing
Act) is also important.

ABAI leadership requests members to access the following link to provide
commentary on the ABAI Model Licensing Act: Working Draft:
http://www.abainter national. org/fs/fs. aspx?surveyid= 8a48b7e636e4dd38 529b\
d111c26ab56& fspid=9146 .

The link will be open for commentary until April 15, 2009. The Practice
Board will provide a synopsis of member input when we process the
information.

I encourage Clinical SIG members to take the time to read the act and
provide feedback.

Thank you,

Tom Waltz

Clinical SIG Chair