A History of Innovation
Insurance coverage for autism care has been available throughout the United States for close to a decade, and in some states, far longer. The Behavior Analyst Certification Board began certifying BCBAs in the late 90s, creating a general standard for how autism care is approached.
These turning points have resulted in countless families receiving help that would not have been available to them otherwise. For that, we as an ABA community should be forever grateful for the work and personal sacrifice that went into making this a reality.
Having been in this field for nearly twenty years, I have witnessed some extraordinary innovations that have moved our industry forward. But lately, I have found myself asking: are we still somehow stuck in the past?
Clinical RecommendationsWhile no two clients - or analysts - are the same, developing consistency in diagnosis and maintenance of care can only stand to benefit the ABA community. Since the industry lacks tools to develop agreement and consistency, are there any two BCBAs that can honestly agree on the most appropriate recommendations for a client receiving care?
Report Development for ABA Data Collection
Due to the complex and regulated nature of ABA data collection, many BCBAs are mired in reporting for hours on end, and not necessarily getting paid for the extra work. When will the ABA community move to ease the process of report writing, and make it easier to accomplish within billable hours? How is it that progress reports can be over 75 pages long and yet contain only a few relevant things?
Training Future BCBAs
Behavior analyst training varies widely from state to state. When will there be a unified system in place to create well-trained BCBAs? When will we build consensus around standards of care, to create a consistent clinical product at the national level?
Roughly half of all BCBAs have had their credentials for less than three years. Does this speak to a critical lack of support for experienced analysts? Since data collection is such a crucial part of the job, more attention should be given to streamlining the process, making it simpler and more impactful for behavior analysts.
“Jack of All Trades” Model for BCBAs
A BCBA can work in conjunction with schools, learning development centers, hospitals, and independent practices. Why are training models not covering all types of service?
Why are there so many missed opportunities to provide caregivers guidance on treatment and clinical outcomes?
Improving ABA Therapy Assessments
It takes time for a client and a BCBA to form a connection and acclimate to a new system of care. This process is compounded by the outdated, ineffective, and inaccurate assessments that follow a diagnosis. Why are there so many poor assessments and inaccurate programming at the onset of care?
Transforming Care Through Technology
It is time we begin to look toward the next transformative innovation in our field, as a way to provide more consistent, ethical, and individually appropriate care.
While consistent care remains the top priority, innovation will also usher in a new era of reduced training time and costs. Equipping new BCBAs with a simplified reporting process and streamlined program builder will empower teams to trust their recommendations.
Mobile-First Solutions for ABA Data Collection
At Raven Health we want to be part of the process of innovating a care with best-in-class tools that are easy to use, intuitively designed, and simple to train with.
The Raven Health app is an intuitive ABA data collection software system that is designed to help BCBAs boost productivity and streamline their workflow.
Our mobile-first platform puts the focus on user experience and thoughtful design. Built to work online and offline, in the field and at the office, Raven represents the future of coordinated care in ABA therapy. No more downtime from legacy systems designed before the app age.
At Raven, we aim to fortify autism care with accurate, real-time data collection and analytics that introduce consistency into the field and reinforce the BCBA’s expertise. Request a demo to learn more and see Raven’s platform in action. We’d love to partner with you.
