State standards for autism pros NorwayMom, Yes that is the certification board for ABA therapists and consultants - however, if you look at the task list for the contents of the certification exam, there is no demonstration of competence at understanding child development or working with families affected by children with special needs. Any individual person who is certified in ABA may have significantly varying training or awareness of these factors. I observed a child recently who had stalled in his ABA program (after 2+ years) and the first thing I noticed was he is not using his eyes to track visually. This was not picked up on or brought to the parents' attention because no one working with him knew about the neurodevelopmental foundations needed to support learning. My point is that I think each state needs to have regulations for individuals working with people with autism and other developmental disabilities. Being certified in ABA is not enough. It's like saying every person who is a PhD in math or science is qualified to teach the subject to preschoolers. Having no knowledge or understanding of neurodevelopment when working with a neurodevelopmental disorder doesn't make sense. Nor does having no awareness of the role of the parent-child relationship in promoting cognitive development, when autism significantly alters the ability of parent and child to communicate with each other in a dynamic feedback system. Autism consultants who focus on educating parents and promoting the parent-child interaction are few and far between, even though research is showing this is the most effective 'treatment'  for providing children with autism the opportunity of becoming 'typical'. April Is this the kind of thing you're thinking of? http://www.bacb.com/consum_frame.html In NY, there are none.  Of course, you can always ask for the resume of any pro who is working with your child and ask them to explain their autism experience.Other than educators and licensed therapists, is anyone aware of what (if any) standards are required for professionals who provide therapy or supervise therapy programs for children with ASDs? I know that some states do have requirements for ABA consultants, but honestly in nowhere in the board certification requirements for ABA is there a requirement for a) knowledge of typical and atypical child development and b) training regarding the effect of autism on the family system or how to promote parent competence (which IMO is very important given that children learn to think first through the parent-child relationship prior to working on academic skills). I am curious on whether there is any attempt to organize a standard for the need of autism therapists/consultants to have a good understanding of development in order to best meet the needs of children and families affected by ASD. I think it is an integral component of effective programming regardless of the methodology being applied. April
	Copyright Autism-PDD.net