State of Current Training for Severe Problem Behavior: A Survey

Ensuring that Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs) receive sufficient training in various forms of practice is an area of clinical importance that necessitates additional attention. Given that there is relatively limited information available on the extent to which BCBAs receive ongoing training and support, Reed and Henley (Behavior Analysis in Practice, 8, 16-26, 2015) conducted a study to evaluate the various types of training offered to BCBAs and aspiring certificants. As such, the purpose of the current investigation was to extend the findings of Reed and Henley by surveying BCBA respondents who practice (a) primarily in the home setting and (b) with clients who engage in severe problem behavior. The results are discussed with respect to 3 socially significant findings. First, 43% of respondents had been assigned their first severe case without initial or ongoing support. Second, only 35.2% of respondents received training on functional analyses more than 1 time. Finally, 5 respondents (4%) answered that the majority of their work was with clients 19 years old or older.