Article archive / November 1, 2012
Originally published: . Volume 4, No. 3. Source pages: 1, 4.
The “Behavior Analysts Licensure and Regulation Study Commission will meet on Friday, November 2, 2012, to continue efforts in outlining the state’s approach to regulation for applied behavior analysts, and preparing for the final and perhaps most difficult of their decisions.
The Times spoke with Vice Chair of the Commission, Ms. Catherine Morrell, who explained that on November 2nd the group would watch four presentations, from four different sets of members. These presentations are to prepare the group for a future decision as to where the behavior analysts will fall in the state regulatory structure, Morrell said.
Ms. Kelly Parker, Executive Director for the state psychology board, will be one of the presenters on Friday, explained Morrell.
Also, Dr. Lacey Seymour, a psychologist and Applied Behavior Analyst who represents the Louisiana Psychological Association, will be presenting.
Dr. Grant Gautreaux, President of Louisiana Behavior Analysis Association (LaBAA), and professor at Nichols State University, will also present.
And Chair Ms. Ashley Munn and Vice Chair Ms. Morrell will also be presenting to the larger group, explained Morrell.
The meeting is open to the public and will be begin at 9 am, at the Claiborne Department of Education Building on the Capitol grounds in Baton Rouge.
Following these four presentations the committee will take time off to think over the variety of facts and concepts, Ms. Morrell explained. Then at the December meeting the group will take a vote about placement of the regulatory authority.
Various other states have placed regulation of applied behavior analysts under a separate, independent board, such as in Kentucky, Missouri, and Oklahoma. This is according to the national credentialing organization, Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB).
In Arizona and Nevada behavior analysts fall under the state psychology boards. In Pennsylvania and Virginia behavior analysts fall under the state medical boards. And in Rhode Island the analysts fall under the Department of Health, and in Wisconsin, they fall under the Wisconsin Department of Regulation and Licensing.
Florida has state level regulation provided by the national body, the BACB. West Virginia also uses the BACB, as oversight, according to BACB.
Also, according to the BACB, 33 states have some insurance regulations for applied behavior analysts but only ten states are listed with some type of state- level regulation at this time.
Morrell stated that the group has recently made a good deal of progress. “Our last meeting was five hours long,” she said. “We moved forward quite a bit.”
During the last meeting members agreed on many of the details of the regulation, Morrell explained to the Times. “We’ve gone over different components of the licensing laws, qualifications and requirements for licensure. We talked about the assistants and also about the line technicians,” she said.
“We discussed issues such as reciprocity and exemptions,” she explained. “We voted for all the different details for all the issues for licensure. We have made lots of progress.” The group members have worked hard, and that seems to be paying off at this point, she said.
The Study Commission was initially formed by a Senate Resolution authored by Senator J.P. Morrell. Senator Morrell emerged as a leading opponent of the psychology board’s efforts to develop regulations for Behavior Analysts under the state LSBEP (Louisiana State Board of Examiners of Psychologists).
Applied behavior analysis is perhaps the most effective treatment for autism. Over recent years the Center for Disease Control and Prevention has reported a clear rise in prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorders. In a 2009 estimate, the CDC suggested that one in 110 children have the disorder.
Authors in International Handbook of Autism and Pervasive Development Disorders, edited by Dr. Johnny Matson, Distinguished Research Master and Director of Clinical Training at LSU, concluded that the current prevalence of ASD is one in 143. And they said, studies of prevalence indicate a distinct trend of increase, but warn that whether this increase is “the sign of a true ASD epidemic or not is subject to debate.”
Public awareness is high and across the nation and legislators have passed laws to provide services to help children. In the 2012 legislative session, Louisiana lawmakers passed Act 208, a bill that amended the current law raising the age from 17 to 21, for coverage of autism spectrum disorders in Louisiana. They eliminated the lifetime maximum. Also, Act 132 set up a mechanism whereby people could check off a box on their individual tax return and donate their refund to a foundation for “Center of Excellence for Autism Spectrum Disorder.”
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