The Long and Winding Road to Professional Regulation in Ontario Canada

Abstract

This article describes the long and winding road to regulation of behavior analysts in Ontario, Canada over the past 25 years. It is written from the perspective of some of the many volunteers of the professional association (Ontario Association for Behaviour Analysis) who have contributed to this goal. The information has been corroborated by historical records and publicly available information. The need for public protection and oversight of behavior analysis was noted in our field more than 50 years ago and continues to be relevant. With changes to international certification and concerns raised by some constituents about ABA practices, many jurisdictions continue to seek support for regulatory oversight. The goal of this article is to inspire behavior analysts in other jurisdictions to advocate for protection of the public and for recognition and oversight of the profession through policy reform. To this end, we have documented our collective efforts and experiences and suggested strategies that worked in our context that may generalize to other jurisdictions. In the end, efforts to promote ethical, effective, and socially valid ABA services will advance our field and enhance the benefits for those we support.