Abstract
Regulation of a profession is one way of helping to protect the public's interest and safety. The Behavior Analyst Certification Board ([BACB], n.d.-a) has provided certification to behavior analysts worldwide for a couple of decades to improve public confidence and set professional standards for behavior analysis. As the world grows and changes, there is an increasing need to create nation-specific regulatory bodies to meet the unique demands of behavior analysts practicing in their countries. In Australia, the use of behavior analysis and the number of practicing behavior analysts has grown in the last decade. This article describes the efforts of behavior analysts in Australia to first create a national membership body and then establish a national regulatory framework for behavior analysis. The impact of critical factors to the development of an Australian behavior analytic regulation system such as the National Disability Insurance Scheme and the history of allied health regulation in Australia is discussed. Lastly, suggestions are offered for other countries to develop their own regulatory frameworks.
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The datasets generated during and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.
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All authors contributed to the project conception and design. The first draft of the manuscript was written by Alayna Haberlin and all authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
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This article was presented at the annual meetings of the Association for Behaviour Analysis Australia in Sydney, Australia in 2022.
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Michelle Furminger and Alexandra Brown are on the board of directors of the Association for Behaviour Analysis Australia and receive no compensation as members of the board of directors.
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Alayna Haberlin and Claire Connolly receive a part-time salary from the Association for Behaviour Analysis Australia.
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Haberlin, A.T., Furminger, M.A., Brown, A.L. et al. Regulation Down Under. Behav Analysis Practice (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-023-00879-w
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-023-00879-w