Toward the development of subspecialty competencies: A case example in behavioral gerontology belongs in serious BCBA study because it shapes whether behavior-analytic decisions stay useful once they leave a clean training example and enter transition planning, adult service routines, vocational programming, and long-term support decisions. In Toward the development of subspecialty competencies: A case example in behavioral gerontology, for this course, the practical stakes show up in skills that remain meaningful when school supports disappear and adult expectations change, not in abstract discussion alone.
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Join Free →The Ethical Code for Behavior Analysts states that "behavior analysts practice only within their identified scope of competence." Brodhead (2018) defined scope of competence as "activities that the individual practitioner can perform at a certain criterion level". While much work has gone into identifying the core competencies of broad practice in behavior analysis and further work has identified practice guidelines for autism (CASP, 2020), subspecialties in behavior analysis often lack clear guidance. LeBlanc et al. (2012) noted that when expanding a consumer base for the 21st century, a behavior analyst should seek supervision and training, as "knowledge about population specific needs and characteristics might lead a behavior analyst to examine or program person-environment interactions differently". This talk aims to begin a discussion on identifying competencies within subspecialties that can help behavior analysts not only identify their current scope of competence, but also to seek out specific training to document the expansion of their scope of competence. It will use behavioral gerontology as a case example, identifying the pitfalls of inadequate training, the development of standards to determine what training and how much is needed, and the necessary link between those standards and the subspecialty empirical corpus.
| Certification Body | Credits | Type |
|---|---|---|
| BACB® | 1 | General |
Dr. Jonathan Baker is an Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Psychology at Western Michigan University. Prior to joining WMU, he was a faculty member in the behavior analysis and therapy program in the Rehabilitation Institute at Southern Illinois University as well as the coordinator of the SIU gerontology certificate program. He received a certificate in gerontology from the University of Kansas, a masters in applied behavior science from the University of Kansas, and a Ph.D. from Western Michigan University. Dr. Baker served as a member (2014-2019) and Vice President (2020) of the Board of Directors for the Behavior Analyst Certification Board and serves on the editorial board for The Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis and The Analysis of Verbal Behavior. He is an Associate Editor at Behavior Analysis: Research and Practice. He has served as a guest reviewer for the American Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias and The Gerontologist. Dr. Baker is the former president of the Mid-American Association of Behavior Analysis and former chair of the Behavioral Gerontology Special Interest Group with ABAI. Dr. Baker was the principle investigator for the Behavioral Residential In-home Care and Supports (BRICS) project evaluation for the Illinois Department of Aging and was a co-principle investigator for Behavior Analysis and Intervention in Nursing Homes, funded by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. Dr. Baker’s main research interest is behavioral gerontology, including the assessment/treatment of behavioral excesses and developing programs that remediate behavioral deficits in older adults with neurocognitive disorder, as well as treatment adoption. His interests also extend to adults and older adults with developmental disabilities and staff training.
Dig into the research behind this topic — plain-English summaries written for BCBAs.
279 research articles with practitioner takeaways
258 research articles with practitioner takeaways
239 research articles with practitioner takeaways
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All behavior-analytic intervention is individualized. The information on this page is for educational purposes and does not constitute clinical advice. Treatment decisions should be informed by the best available published research, individualized assessment, and obtained with the informed consent of the client or their legal guardian. Behavior analysts are responsible for practicing within the boundaries of their competence and adhering to the BACB Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts.