BCAT Becomes Only Autism-Specific NCCA Credential
WASHINGTON, DC (PRWEB) November 19, 2015 -- The National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA)accredited the Behavioral Intervention Certification Council’s Board Certified Autism Technician (BCAT) for a five-year period during its recent meeting.
The BCAT is the first NCCA-accredited autism-specific credential for behavior technicians who work directly with individuals affected by autism spectrum disorder (ASD), implementing treatment plans using the principles of applied behavior analysis (ABA). Currently, just over 600 individuals across the United States and internationally are certified to use the BCAT designation. That number is expected to grow rapidly as a result of the new accreditation by NCCA.
“NCCA accreditation of the BCAT credential is a critical next-step in the field of evidence-based autism treatment,” said Lauren Rivera Whitlock, BICC’s executive director. “The BCAT designation affords individuals with autism and their families peace of mind, knowing they are accessing the highest standard of autism treatment. Furthermore, it ensures that funding agencies are using their resources effectively. We are grateful to the NCCA for elevating field standards through its rigorous accreditation process. This will make a prodigious impact on the lives of individuals in the autism community around the world.”
Founded in 2013, the Behavioral Intervention Certification Council (BICC) is a nonprofit professional certification organization acting in the public interest by establishing and enforcing education, examination, experience, and ethics requirements for behavior technicians. BICC is an independent and autonomous governing body for the BCAT certification program. Certification as a BCAT demonstrates autism-specific competency and a commitment to consumer safety by individuals who treat the deficits and behaviors associated with ASD using the principles of ABA under the supervision of a Board Certified Behavior Analyst, licensed psychologist, or other licensed professional acting within the scope of his or her license.
Accreditation provides impartial, third-party validation that the BCAT has met recognized national and international credentialing industry standards for development, implementation, and maintenance of certification programs. BICC received NCCA accreditation of its BCAT after submitting an application demonstrating the program’s compliance with the NCCA’s Standards for the Accreditation of Certification Programs. NCCA is the accrediting body of the Institute for Credentialing Excellence (ICE), formerly the National Organization for Competency Assurance. Since 1977, the NCCA has been accrediting certifying programs based on the highest quality standards in professional certification to ensure the programs adhere to modern standards of practice in the certification industry.
About Applied Behavior Analysis: ABA is empirically proven to be the most effective method for treating individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder and is recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the US Surgeon General. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), estimates that one in every 45 children in the United States is diagnosed with ASD.
About the Behavioral Intervention Certification Council (BICC): BICC was established to promote the highest standards of treatment for individuals with autism spectrum disorder through the development, implementation, coordination, and evaluation of all aspects of the certification and certification renewal processes. The twofold purpose of BICC is to recognize individuals who are qualified to treat the deficits and behaviors associated with autism spectrum disorder using the principles and procedures of applied behavior analysis and to enhance public protection. To learn more about BICC, please visit http://www.behavioralcertification.com/Home/About.
About the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) and the Institute for Credentialing Excellence (ICE): There are more than 270 NCCA-accredited programs that certify individuals in a wide range of professions and occupations including nurses, financial professionals, respiratory therapists, counselors, emergency technicians, crane operators and more. Of ICE’s more than 330 organizational members, over 120 of them have accredited programs. ICE’s mission is to advance credentialing through education, standards, research, and advocacy to ensure competence across professions and occupations. NCCA was founded as a commission whose mission is to help ensure the health, welfare, and safety of the public through the accreditation of a variety of certification programs that assess professional competence. NCCA uses a peer review process to: establish accreditation standards; evaluate compliance with these standards; recognize programs which demonstrate compliance; and serve as a resource on quality certification. ICE and NCCA are located at 2025 M Street, N.W., Suite 800, Washington, DC 20036-3309; telephone 202/367-1165; facsimile 202/367-2165; website http://www.credentialingexcellence.org
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Lauren Rivera Whitlock, Behavioral Intervention Certification Council, http://www.behavioralcertification.com/Home/About, +1 8182084588, [email protected]
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