Trends in Geographic Access to Board Certified Behavior Analysts Among Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder, 2018–2021
Open accessAbstract
Research has documented inequities in geographic access to Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs) among children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, research on their accessibility is outdated. Between July 1, 2018 and July 1, 2021 the number of BCBAs in the U.S. increased by 65%, from 27,320 to 45,103. In this study we examined trends in geographic access to BCBAs among children with ASD between 2018 and 2021. The sample included all U.S. counties in 50 states and D.C. (N = 3138). Using GIS software we examined change in county-level access to BCBAs between 2018 and 2021 and mapped ASD/BCBA ratios across all counties in both years. Study results indicate that despite modest improvements (e.g., 266 counties added BCBAs), inequitable access persists.
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Claims the paper makes
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
There is an immense need for services and a limited number of qualified behavior analysts to provide training.
“However, with the immense need for services and the limited number of qualified behavior analysts to provide training (Behavior Analyst Certification Board, 2023;Yingling et al., 2021;Yingling et al., 2022), it is no wonder that the major research trends we observed in the literature were related to improving the efficacy and efficiency of BST for training individuals to implement DTT procedures.”
From Training individuals to implement discrete‐trial teaching procedures using behavioral skills training: A scoping review with implications for practice and research (2024) · cites this paper as Yingling et al., 2022
The Introduction reports substantially increased demand for ABA services, and the Discussion says that the limited number of BCBAs in most counties would require caseloads above recommendations. The paper addresses shortages of providers serving children with ASD, but does not establish a shortage of behavior analysts specifically available to provide training. (LLM, conf=0.87)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
Self-check
Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.
The self-check needs the paper’s full text.
Cites
Wong, C., Odom, S. L., Hume, K. A., Cox, A. W., Fettig, A., Kucharczyk, S., Brock, M. E., Plavnick, J. B., Fleury, V. P., & Schultz, T. R. (2015) · Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders · doi:10.1007/s10803-014-2351-z · Cited by 1,584 · see citing works
Systematic Review of Early Intensive Behavioral Interventions for Children With Autism
Howlin, P., Magiati, I., & Charman, T. (2009) · American Journal on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities · doi:10.1352/2009.114:23-41 · Cited by 572 · see citing works
Geographic Variation in the Supply of Selected Behavioral Health Providers
Andrilla, C. H. A., Patterson, D. G., Garberson, L. A., Coulthard, C., & Larson, E. H. (2018) · American Journal of Preventive Medicine · doi:10.1016/j.amepre.2018.01.004 · Cited by 419 · cited 1× · see citing works
“Study findings are similar to those recorded on geographic access to other health care providers; that is, access is unevenly distributed, greater access is evident in affluent and metropolitan areas, and this inequity persists (Andrilla et al., 2018; Rosenblatt et al., 2010; Shipman et al., 2011).”
Result
Flagged first, then by citations
Research works printed but not linked: 26
- Bekker, J. (2018). Las Vegas families describe waiting game for Autism therapy. Las Vegas Review—Journal.
- Council of Autism Service Providers. (2021). Practice parameters for telehealth-implementation of Applied Behavior Analysis, Second Edition. Retrieved from http://casproviders.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Final-Copy-Practice-Parameters-Telehealth-ABA-AMA-References-12.2.2199.pdf.
- Critchfield TS In dreams begin responsibility: Why and how to measure the quality of graduate training in applied behavior analysis Behavior Analysis in Practice 2015 8 123 133 10.1007/s40617-015-0090-z 27703900 PMC5048285 · DOI
- Daniels AM Mandell DS Explaining differences in age at autism spectrum disorder diagnosis: A critical review Autism 2014 18 5 1 15 10.1177/1362361313480277 PMC4775077 23787411 · DOI · Paper page
- Deochand N Fuqua RW BACB certification trends: State of the states (1999 to 2014) Behavior Analysis in Practice 2016 9 3 243 252 10.1007/s40617-016-0118-z 27622129 PMC4999363 · DOI
- Lovaas OI Behavioral treatment and normal educational and intellectual functioning in young autistic children Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology 1987 55 1 3 10.1037/0022-006X.55.1.3 3571656 · DOI · Paper page
- Lynch SM Race, socioeconomic status, and health in life-course perspective: Introduction to the special issue Research on Aging 2008 30 2 127 136 10.1177/0164027507312086 · DOI
- MacFarlane JR Kanaya T What does it mean to be Autistic? Inter-state variation in special education critieria for Autism services Journal of Child and Family Studies 2009 18 6 662 669 10.1007/s10826-009-9268-8 · DOI
- McBain RK Cantor JH Stein BD Yu H State insurance mandates and the workforce for children with autism Pediatrics 2020 146 4 e20200836 10.1542/peds.2020-0836 32900876 PMC7546088 · DOI
- McBain RK Kareddy V Cantor JH Stein BD Yu H Systematic review: United States workforce for Autism-related child healthcare services Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry 2019 10.1016/j.jaac.2019.04.027 PMC6883168 31150751 · DOI · Paper page
- Ninci J Čolić M Hogan A Taylor G Bristol R Burris J Maintaining effective supervision systems for trainees pursuing a Behavior Analyst Certification Board Certification during the COVID-19 Pandemic Behavior Analysis in Practice 2021 10.1007/s40617-021-00565-9 33995855 PMC8112215 · DOI
- Pathman DE Konrad TR Growth and changes in the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) Workforce with the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act The Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine 2012 25 5 723 733 10.3122/jabfm.2012.05.110261 22956708 · DOI
- Phillips J Edwards-Johnson J Wendling A US federal policies should better support the primary care physician workforce Family Medicine 2018 50 1 7 9 10.22454/FamMed.2018.784272 29346692 · DOI
- Reichow, B., Barton, E., Boyd, B., & Hume, K. (2014). Early intensive behavioral intervention (EIBI) for young children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD): A systematic review. Campbell Systematic Reviews. Retrieved from http://www.campbellcollaboration.org/lib/project/338/. 23076956
- Roth M DiGennaro-Reed F A meta-analysis of behavioral interventions for adolescents and adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders Journal of Behavioral Education 2014 23 258 286 10.1007/s10864-013-9189-x · DOI
- Saporito S Chavers J Nixon L McQuiddy M Frome here to there: Methods of allocating data between census geography and socially meaningful areas Social Science Research 2007 36 3 897 920 10.1016/j.ssresearch.2006.05.004 · DOI
- Shipman SA Lan J Chang C-H Goodman DC Geographic maldistribution of primary care for children Pediatrics 2011 127 1 19 27 10.1542/peds.2010-0150 21172992 PMC3010089 · DOI
- Silbaugh BC El Fattal R Exploring quality in the applied behavior analysis service delivery industry Behavior Analysis in Practice 2021 10.1007/s40617-021-00627-y 34405040 PMC8359641 · DOI
- Tomlinson SRL Gore N McGill P Training individuals to implement Applied Behavior Analytic procedures via telehealth: A systematic review of the literature Journal of Behavioral Education 2018 27 2 172 222 10.1007/s10864-018-9292-0 · DOI
- Wilson R Understanding and enhancing the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s ZIP Code Crosswalk Files Cityscape: A Journal of Policy Development and Research 2018 20 2 277 294
- Yingling ME Bell BA Underutilization of early intensive behavioral intervention among 3-year-old children with Autism Spectrum Disorder Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders 2019 10.1007/s10803-019-04005-0 31016676 · DOI
- Yingling ME Bell BA Hock RM Treatment utilization trajectories among children with autism spectrum disorder: Differences by race-ethnicity and neighborhood Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders 2019 49 5 2173 2183 10.1007/s10803-019-03896-3 30701434 · DOI
- Yingling ME Hock RM Cohen A McCaslin E Parent perceived challenges to treatment utilization in a publicly funded early intensive behavioral intervention program for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder International Journal of Developmental Disabilities 2017 10.1080/20473869.2017.1324352 34141315 PMC8115542 · DOI
- Yingling ME Ruther MH Dubuque EM Bell BA Impact of county sociodemographic factors and state policy on geographic access to behavior analysts among children with autism spectrum disorder Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research 2021 10.1007/s10488-021-01120-y 33620610 PMC7900801 · DOI
- Yingling ME Ruther MH Dubuque EM Mandell DS County-level variation in geographic access to Board Certified Behavior Analysts among children with Autism Spectrum Disorder in the United States Autism 2021 25 6 1734 1745 10.1177/13623613211002051 33740869 · DOI · Paper page
- Zhang Y Cummings J Supply of certified applied behavior analysts in the United States: Implications for service delivery for children with autism Autism 2020 71 4 385 388 10.1176/appi.ps.201900058 31822240 · DOI
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Briggs, A. M., Zohr, S. J., & Harvey, O. B. (2024) · Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis · doi:10.1002/jaba.1024 · Cited by 30 · see citing works
- Authors
- Yingling, M. E., Ruther, M. H., & Dubuque, E. M.
- Affiliations
- University of Louisville (US)
- Corresponding author
- Yingling, Marissa E.
- Venue
- Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders
- Published
- 2022-01-05
- Volume
- 52
- Issue
- 12
- Pages
- 5483-5490
- ISSN
- 0162-3257 (ISSN-L)
- 1573-3432
- PMC
- PMC8727480
- OpenAlex
- W4206183804
- Cited by
- 35
- References
- 3
- Citations by year
- 2026: 5 · 2025: 11 · 2024: 8 · 2023: 9 · 2022: 2
- FWCI
- 3.87
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Autism Spectrum Disorder Research
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Behavioral and Psychological Studies
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Child Nutrition and Feeding Issues
- Keywords
- autism spectrum disorder, board certified behavior analysts, geographic access to care, healthcare workers, behavioral health workforce, health disparities, behavioral interventions, employment trends
- MeSH terms
- Autism Spectrum Disorder, Certification, Child, Humans
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review
