The Behavioral Intervention Certification Council (BICC) recognizes the inequities in autism care and lack of diversity in the broader ABA community.

JERSEYVILLE, IL, USA, August 19, 2020 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Behavioral Intervention Certification Council (BICC) recognizes the biases and inequities in autism care and lack of diversity in the broader Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) community. BICC is dedicated to focusing on these issues in support of broader efforts across the nation to address social and racial disparities in the U.S. At BICC, change starts with us. Change means recognizing that standing up for what is right and just begins with our certification process, exam development, our board governance, and the certificants who hold our credentials. Everything we do must be rooted in this truth: racism and discrimination should have no place within the practice of ABA.

For too long, communities of color have encountered delays in screening, diagnosis, and treatment with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), causing missed opportunities for treatment and care. Children of color are far too often labeled as having inherent behavior problems, rather than being accurately diagnosed as having a developmental disorder, such as ASD. The color of a child’s skin should not create additional barriers to quality autism services and supports. Public health officials and police should also be appropriately trained, so they do not discriminate or use unnecessary force against minorities with developmental and intellectual disorders.
At BICC, we will not only be listening and learning, but we are also committed to taking action and promoting better inclusion in the ABA community. Initial steps BICC is taking include:
● Evaluating the BCAT and BCAP exams with a lens toward equity. We will ensure our subject matter expert (SME) panels are diverse and task them with focusing on any exam items that may elicit racial biases.
● Additionally, we will be working to include SME panelists with training in implicit biases, historical trauma, and/or systemic racism.
● Promoting cultural awareness by encouraging BICC certificants to acquire continuing education credits in cultural competency to satisfy their ethics credit requirements.
● Continuing the removal of barriers to certification and testing to ensure equitable access.
● Encouraging our peers in the certification industry and partners and colleagues in the field of ABA to join us in our efforts to increase diversity and inclusivity in the ABA community and eliminate barriers to care for minority communities.
● Encouraging the recruitment of more persons of color into the field of ABA, especially Black professionals.

BICC commits to speaking up when we see and hear bias, whether it is online, in our work, or in our everyday lives. We need to be introspective and look at how our individual worldviews have been formed and how they have shaped the biases in the ABA work that we do. At BICC, we know there is much work to do and we welcome recommendations on actions that we can take to make the field of ABA more equitable.

BICC is the certification body for the only autism-specific, behavior analytic National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) accredited certifications: the Board Certified Autism Technician (BCAT) and Board Certified Autism Professional (BCAP). Founded in 2013, BICC’s mission is to enhance public protection by developing and administering a certification program consistent with the needs of behavior analysts to recognize individuals who are qualified to treat the deficits and behaviors associated with autism spectrum disorder using the principles and procedures of ABA.

BICC Leadership
Behavioral Intervention Certification Council
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