The Need for Greater Training in Consultation for Behavior Analysts

Behavior analysts can be found in a variety of settings including homes, schools, hospitals, workplaces, residential group homes, nursing homes, and universities (Association for Professional Behavior Analysts [APBA], 2019). As the field expands, behavior analysts find themselves performing a variety of tasks outside of traditional service delivery. A role of significant importance is that of the consultant. This article examines the status of training for behavior analysts. Our work finds that relatively few (11% of board certified behavior analyst programs and 3% of board certified associate behavior analyst programs) verified course sequences (VCSs) in behavior analysis include courses devoted specifically to consultation. Compared to other allied professions, there appears to be a disconnect between training and practice, especially when considering that behavior analysts are increasingly engaged in indirect service delivery through consultees. Finally, we discuss the benefits of consultation and why further devotion to and consistent requirements for training in consultation are needed. Several models of consultation appropriate for training behavior analysts are suggested, as well as information regarding how we might examine the effectiveness of consultation training.