Supervised Practice Behaviour Analyst: Appendix H – Entry to Practice Competencies for Applied Behaviour Analysis

Scope of Practice: “The practice of applied behaviour analysis is the assessment of covert and overt behaviour and its functions through direct observation and measurement and the design, implementation, delivery and evaluation of interventions derived from the principles of behaviour in order to produce meaningful improvements.”  (Section 3. (2) Psychology and Applied Behaviour Analysis Act, 2021.)

It is the responsibility of the supervised registrant to work with their supervisor to ensure that the supervision includes training and evaluation, at a minimum, in the areas required for professional practice:  ethics and jurisprudence, awareness of limits of competence, general maturity of professional attitude, interpersonal relationships, assessments, interventions, supervision activities, and record keeping.

The College does not set a limit on the total number of hours a supervisee may spend delivering services in each of the required areas for supervised practice. However, during the year of supervised practice, the supervised registrant is expected to engage in each of the activities, with sufficient client contact to enable their supervisor to evaluate readiness for autonomous practice on the final work appraisal form.

Supervisors are reminded that the most important purpose of professional regulation is to protect the public from incompetent or unethical service providers. Hence, the overall focus of post-degree supervision is to ensure that, by the end of the period under supervision, the supervised registrant is able to provide competent and ethical professional services, autonomously, within their limits of competence.

As part of the public protection mandate, supervised registrant must be able to demonstrate a good knowledge of Ontario jurisprudence and ethics and apply this knowledge appropriately. Supervised registrants are strongly encouraged to complete the Jurisprudence Course and Assessment in Applied Behaviour Analysis (JECAABA) within the first 3 months of supervised practice.

By the conclusion of supervised practice, the supervisee must demonstrate competence in each of the following areas:

Overall awareness/knowledge of Ontario jurisprudence and ethics:

  • Demonstrates a good knowledge of Ontario jurisprudence and applies this knowledge appropriately, seeking consultation when needed;
  • Demonstrates knowledge and skills in an ethical decision-making process;
  • Identifies potential ethical and legal issues and addresses them proactively;
  • Actively seeks consultation when treating complex cases and when working with individuals with unfamiliar symptoms;
  • Demonstrates knowledge and skills in dealing with informed consent and confidentiality in specific situations (i.e., taking into account family registrants, third parties such as insurance companies, and mandatory reporting obligations);
  • Demonstrates an understanding of one’s responsibilities to client, public, profession, and colleagues.
  • Demonstrates adherence to the Standards of Professional Practice, 2024 and the BACB® Code of Ethics for Behavior Analysts.

Awareness of limits of competence:

  • Demonstrates an awareness of when they need to consult with others with regard to client groups, client issues, or client complexity.
  • Demonstrates an understanding of the limits of competence and the importance of referring clients to other professionals when necessary.

General maturity of professional attitude:

  • Demonstrates an awareness of their personal and professional stressors and challenges that may interfere with the effectiveness of their professional work and take appropriate steps in response to these challenges.
  • Demonstrates efficiency in accomplishing tasks without prompting or reminders.
  • Demonstrates excellent time management skills regarding appointments, meetings, and continuity of care during leave.

Interpersonal Relationships:

  • Demonstrates effective communication skills by establishing and maintaining rapport with clients, colleagues, and other stakeholders;
  • Demonstrates the ability to establish and maintain trust and respect in the professional relationship;
  • Demonstrates professional and appropriate interactions with treatment teams, peers, mediators and supervisees;
  • Demonstrates the ability to handle differences openly, tactfully, and effectively;
  • Engages in self-reflection regarding one’s motivation, personal resources, values, personal biases, and other factors that may influence the professional relationship (e.g. boundary issues).
  • Acknowledges and respects differences that exist between self, client, and colleagues in terms of race, ethnicity, culture, and other individual difference variables.

Assessments:

  • Assesses behaviour and its functions using formal or informal observations and measurement and interpretation of results (e.g., stimulus preference assessment, functional behaviour assessment, experimental functional analysis, staff performance assessment).
  • Determines client goals and selects appropriate interventions based on assessment results, supporting environments, risks, constraints, social validity, clinical experience, and supported by currently accepted scientific evidence.
  • Considers other interventions and professional involvement and potential effects on recommendations.
  • Collaborates with colleagues in the best interests of the client and stakeholders.
  • Discusses assessment results, goals, service options and progress with clients/mediators/caregivers.
  • Selects appropriate interventions based on assessment results, supporting environments, risks, constraints, social validity, clinical experience, and supported by currently accepted scientific evidence.

Interventions:

  • Designs, implements, and systematically monitors the effectiveness and acceptability of skill-acquisition and/or behaviour reduction programs.
  • Delivers ABA interventions directly to individuals who present with a range of skills, levels of functioning, and ages.
  • Conducts mediator (e.g., caregivers, direct support professionals) training using ABA procedures.
  • Plans for and identifies unwanted effects of the recommended interventions.
  • Implements a full range of scientifically validated, behaviour analytic procedures (e.g., reinforcement, extinction, incidental teaching, and use of naturalistic teaching methods). 
  • Utilizes ABA procedures through direct, caregiver mediated, and/or group intervention formats.
  • Trains staff and/or caregivers as they deliver behavioural services.
  • Regularly reviews the applicable literature on scientifically validated procedures.
  • Designs and implements procedures targeting generalization of behaviour change.
  • Works collaboratively with professionals from other disciplines in the best interests of the client and relevant parties.
  • Designs appropriate data collection and analysis forms/procedures to make data-based decisions to help monitor or modify intervention procedures.

Supervision Activities:

Supervised practice registrants should gain knowledge and skills during their year of SP in training and overseeing other implementers, under the supervision of their supervisor and in accordance with   Standard 4 of the Standards of Professional Practice, and best practices.

  • Acknowledges the importance of only assigning tasks/responsibilities to support/frontline team registrants that such persons can reasonably be expected to perform competently, ethically, and safely.
  • Acknowledges that a supervisor cannot assign any task that they themselves are not competent to perform.
  • Assigns, together with the supervisor, team registrants to implement behaviour plans and/or trains caregivers to implement behaviour plans.
  • Observes, together with the supervisor, interventions and assessments carried out by team registrants and/or mediators and monitors intervention fidelity.
  • Together with the supervisor, has sufficient direct contact with the client and/or their caregivers to ensure adequate service delivery by team registrants.
  • Confirms, together with the supervisor, that team registrants have and maintain competence to perform the tasks assigned to them, considering numerous factors, including skills, education, and experience.
  • Provides, together with the supervisor, ongoing direction and guidance to team registrants to ensure services are being delivered correctly and effectively.
  • Together with the supervisor, regularly reviews data and documentation produced by team registrants (behaviour plans, assessment outcomes, client progress).
  • Maintains detailed supervision notes of progress, key decisions, and next steps.

Record Keeping:

  • Maintains complete records of all client contacts that include pertinent information.
  • Ensures, together with the supervisor, the security of all records (hard copy and electronic) and maintains current knowledge of risks and associated risk mitigation strategies. 
  • Ensures, together with the supervisor, that all records are secure and accessible to the applicant for the required retention period.
  • Demonstrates knowledge of and follows applicable guidelines (e.g., organizational requirements) for the creation, storage, transportation, and disposal of records and data.