Behavior Analysis Services on the Island of Curaçao: Increasing Dissemination, Capacity Building, and Access to Care

Abstract

Although applied behavior analysis (ABA) is a well-supported evidence-based practice in the United States, other countries have a lack of national practice standards, training programs, and public policy that has made it challenging for practitioners to provide services to individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders and other developmental disabilities. In addition to these barriers, smaller countries, like the island of Curaçao, must also contend with their small size and limited resources. Nonetheless, over the past 6 years a small multidisciplinary team has established an ABA therapy center, identified some funding sources for families who may not have the resources to afford these private pay services, and created a training program for local people interested in a career in behavior analysis. The steps taken, barriers encountered, and successes achieved, provide a guide for others attempting to make an impact when resources are limited. With these achievements, Curaçao joins a small group of other islands that are paving the way for the establishment and regulation of behavior analysis in the Caribbean.