A History of the Professional Credentialing of Applied Behavior Analysts.
ABA credentialing has hardened from loose classes into state law, and the next job is to use that license for wider policy work.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Laposa et al. (2017) traced how ABA credentialing grew from small 1970s meetings to today’s BACB certificates and state licenses.
They used old documents, meeting notes, and policy papers to map each big step.
What they found
The field moved in clear waves: first university courses, then the BACB exam in 1998, then state license laws.
Each step added tighter rules, but the same exam stayed at the center.
How this fits with other research
Luke et al. (2018) extends the story by showing the BACB code works for OBM, not just autism—proof the rules travel.
Layden (2023) picks up after the credential is earned, showing school BCBAs still need peer networks to stay sharp.
Napolitano et al. (2025) looks forward, urging credentialed BCBAs to now fight for laws and funding—treating the license as a launch pad, not the finish line.
Why it matters
You can see where we came from and where we’re headed. Use the timeline to explain to employers why the credential exists. Push for state networks and policy roles so the next wave—public health and school reform—has behavior analysts at the table.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
The need for a credible professional credential became apparent early in the history of applied behavior analysis. The first efforts to develop a system that identified behavior-analytic practitioners having a specified level of expertise in the profession began in the early 1970s. Over the years, a number of credentialing initiatives were developed in an effort to meet the profession's growing needs for a means of establishing a meaningful professional identity. This article reviews the evolution of these initiatives, culminating with the Behavior Analyst Certification Board and the more recent movement toward state licensure.
The Behavior analyst, 2017 · doi:10.1037/h0046688