Why We All Need to Shape the Profession of Behavior Analysis through Advocacy and How to Get Started
BCBAs must speak up beyond autism work or the field fades.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Evanko et al. (2025) wrote a position paper. They asked BCBAs to speak up for the field.
The paper lists first steps like joining a state ABA committee.
What they found
The authors say ABA will shrink if we stay quiet.
They claim advocacy outside autism keeps the job alive.
How this fits with other research
Ahearn (2025) says the same thing in the same year. Both papers feel like twins.
Coop et al. (2025) narrows the call to policy work. They teach story-telling and medical-necessity talk.
Rogers et al. (2025) show it working. A parent seat on the NYSABA board helped win insurance laws.
Stevenson et al. (2025) move the fight to schools. They want BCBAs to stop kids from being kicked out.
Why it matters
You can’t sit on the sidelines. Pick one lane: state policy, school boards, or insurance appeals. Join that group this month. Bring data and a short client story. Your voice keeps our field—and your job—alive.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Many behavior analysts, like professionals in other health-related fields, are not trained to promote themselves, affect public policy, or disseminate information to individuals outside of their field, including to lawmakers. One of the reasons professionals can be experts in their own professions is because they devote their time to advancing their knowledge in their field; thus, they have limited time to spend becoming proficient in public relations, advocacy, and public policy. However, it is precisely these skills that behavior analysts need to hone and utilize effectively if the profession is to be sustainable. This article gives a brief history of the professionalization of behavior analysis, discusses the pitfalls of sometimes only being recognized as a single-disability industry (i.e. autism), explores the behavior of other professions that serve as models for advocacy, and provides recommendations for advocacy at different levels. The intent is to guide the profession and professionals of applied behavior analysis to a sustainable future based on the experiences of leaders of three U.S. state organizations.
Behavior Analysis in Practice, 2025 · doi:10.1007/s40617-023-00895-w