Dangers of an Unregulated Field

Dear Moms, Dads and Professionals:

As a professional with formal education in principles of behaviour, psychology, philosophy and child-education I can honestly tell you that I learn something new everyday. The day I've said "I've seen it all", is the day I will retire. Until then, every day is a learning experience.

It never ceases to amaze me how many professionals are in the "behaviour and special education community" without the credentials to back-up their expertise. Parents sometimes see the specialist as the expert (at all costs), and forget to ask the important hard hitting questions; how do you know what you know? Who trained you? What formal education to you possess in your area of expertise? If the answer is none or no one you are in BIG trouble. If the answer is "I possess strong interest" you are likewise in BIG trouble.

There are two kinds of misleading professionals out there; there are those with the credentials but not the expertise (i.e. they talk to the talk but don't walk the walk) and then there are those with expertise but not credentials (they walk the walk, but they usually don't talk the talk). If you are paying for a service, you deserve to have someone who can BOTH talk the talk, and walk the walk; if your consultants gets defensive about his or her educational background, or answers the question of expertise with what he or she wishes to do ("I'm may do a Certificate in XYZ, or I'm thinking of becoming an XYZ") you should probably seek support elsewhere.

Please note: I have worked with some incredible mentors and brilliant professors...BUT....No one can know it all and know one can be masters of all fields. The good ones don't claim to be; they work within their framework of knowledge and believe it or not...make meaningful change. If someone is claiming to know it all, they are probably full of it.

Don't take my word for it; hire a non-behvaiourally trained consultant and ask them for a behaviour protocol. If it looks like a short story or an anecdotal account, you are in BIG trouble. Run away. Run far, far away AND ask for your money back. If there is no data as to frequency, if the word baseline does not appear, if the words generalization and fading are not included...SPRINT away. Bottom line is, if you are not formally trained, you need to make way for the people who are.


What fields should I know about that are unregulated and what education am I looking for?

ABA/IBI Therapists-SEEK PROFESSIONALS WITH AT LEAST POST GRADUATE TRAINING IN AUTISM OR A RELATED FIELD INCLUDING BEHAVIOR, PSYCHOLOGY OR SOCIAL WORK.

ABA/IBI Supervisor/Senior Therapist/Program Writer- SEEK PROFESSIONALS WITH AT LEAST MASTERS LEVEL DEGREE IN BEHAVIOUR, ABA, PSYCHOLOGY, EARLY INTERVENTION.

 Behavioural Therapist and Early Interventionist-SEEK PROFESSIONALS WITH AT LEAST MASTERS LEVEL DEGREE IN BEHAVIOUR, ABA, PSYCHOLOGY, EARLY INTERVENTION.

Social Skills Intervention- SEEK PROFESSIONALS WITH AT LEAST POST GRADUATE TRAINING IN AUTISM OR A RELATED FIELD INCLUDING BEHAVIOR, PSYCHOLOGY OR SOCIAL WORK. SUPERVISED BY SOMEONE AT THE MASTERS LEVEL OR BEYOND.

Summer Camp Programs SEEK PROFESSIONALS WITH AT LEAST POST GRADUATE TRAINING IN AUTISM OR A RELATED FIELD INCLUDING BEHAVIOR, PSYCHOLOGY OR SOCIAL WORK. SUPERVISED BY SOMEONE AT THE MASTERS LEVEL OR BEYOND.

Occupational therapy and Sensory Integration- SEEK PROFESSIONALS WITH FORMAL TRAINING IN OCCUPATIONAL  AND PHYSICAL THERAPY; OCCUPATIONAL THERAPISTS AND/OR OT ASSISTANTS ARE TRAINED BY RECOGNIZED COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES.