As of Tuesday night, the bill to license Behavior Analysts was passed by both the New York State Senate & Assembly. This bill requires insurers to cover Applied Behavior Anaylsis (ABA) for people with autism. We need your help NOW! We urge you all to call New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo and urge him to sign Bills A6963 and S4862. To contact Governor Andrew Cuomo, please call (518) 474-8390 and ask him to join us in supporting New York families raising kids with autism.
Many advocacy groups, including our friends at Elija and NYSABA, have been working to get the State of New York to recognize the Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) credential. This legislation will enable BCBAs to engage in professional behavior analytic activities independent of other licenses or certifications. Legislative members of NYSABA have met with numerous legislators and drafted recommendations to include a plan for the appropriate oversight and training in behavior analysis as part of the exemption of behavioral intervention practices from the psychology practice act. Currently, the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB) has certified more than 12,000 behavior analysts in over 40 countries, 747 of which practice in New York. The BCBA credential requires a related academic degree, behavior-analytic coursework, supervised experience, passage of a psychometrically sound examination, compliance with disciplinary standards, continuing education, and ongoing supervision.
ABA professionals and supporters just need your continued support and efforts to push for the signing of the bill by Governor Cuomo and make it into a law! Please call Governor Cuomo at (518) 474-8390 and urge him to sign this important legislation.
ABA has been a validated evidence-based therapy for developmentally disabled and delayed children since the 1970s and continues to be the leading form of therapy for children with autism and other developmental disabilities today.