About the Association for Behavior Analysis International Accreditation Board
The Association for Behavior Analysis International (ABAI) Accreditation Board is the governance body responsible for the accreditation of training programs in behavior analysis at the bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral levels. The Accreditation Board operates as a board of the Association for Behavior Analysis International (ABAI) and carries out its responsibilities in a manner consistent with the ABAI bylaws and articles of incorporation.
The Board is responsible for developing, reviewing, and updating accreditation standards and policies and managing the accreditation process, which includes selecting and training volunteer program reviewers; providing consultative guidance to accredited and applicant programs; managing application processes, site visits, and processes for complaints and appeals; and communicating information about accreditation to students and the public. As an autonomous board of ABAI, the Accreditation Board has sole responsibility for decisions regarding the accreditation of behavior analysis programs and the final authority to approve policies and procedures for the implementation of the standards of accreditation with input from communities of interest, including accredited programs, professional organizations, students, faculty, and the public.
Mission
The mission of the ABAI Accreditation Board is to establish and implement standards for the accreditation of educational programs in behavior analysis. The accreditation process is designed to encourage, support, and recognize exemplary training of behavior scientists and scientist-practitioners in the experimental and theoretical foundations of behavior analysis and in ethical and evidence-based practice, and to promote continuous improvement through voluntary accreditation.
History
ABAI’s accreditation system has an extensive, decades-long history, with the mission above being exemplified over the years. Below we summarize the evolution of ABAI’s accreditation system to where it stands today, stronger than ever.
- 1977: ABAI develops an Education and Evaluation Committee
- 1988: ABAI Executive Council created a task force to work on the possible accreditation of graduate programs in behavior analysis.
- 1991: The task force developed a set of minimum standards for accreditation at both the master’s and doctoral levels.
- 1993: ABAI accredited its first program – the master’s program at the University of North Texas!
- 2009: ABAI developed standards and began accrediting programs at the undergraduate level and revised the requirements for graduate-level training programs.
- 2015: With CHEA recognition in mind, an autonomous Accreditation Board was formally established. Additionally, the accreditation standards (2015) were formalized and approved.
- 2021: The ABAI Accreditation Board is awarded initial recognition by CHEA for a term of 7 years for the following scope of accreditation: The Accreditation Board of the Association for Behavior Analysis International accredits degree programs in behavior analysis at the master's and doctoral levels in institutions of higher learning in the United States of America. See further details on ABAI’s CHEA recognition below.
As of December 2024
CHEA Recognition
The ABAI Accreditation Board is recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). CHEA is a nonprofit, nongovernmental institutional membership organization that “recognizes” accrediting organizations or periodically reviews their effectiveness in assuring and improving quality in higher education. The purpose of CHEA recognition is to provide assurance to the public that accrediting organizations are competent to engage in quality review of institutions and programs based on the standards that CHEA has developed, which are presented in the CHEA Recognition Policy and Procedures.
Click here to learn more about our recognition.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
The ABAI Accreditation Board supports the ABAI Diversity Policy: The Association for Behavior Analysis International encourages diversity, equity, and inclusion in the field of behavior analysis broadly, and within the organization specifically. Diversity refers to differences in race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, country of origin, religious or spiritual beliefs, ability, and socioeconomic class. It is expected that all ABAI members as well as non-members who participate in ABAI events treat one another with respect. The diversity policy was approved by the Executive Council in 2019.
Furthermore, the ABAI Accreditation Board's Accreditation Standard 7-106 states: The program abides by institutional policies with respect to diversity and nondiscrimination of ethnicity, gender, disability, and veteran status. The program must provide copies of institutional policies related to diversity and nondiscrimination, and certify that the program's faculty and students act in accord with these policies.
Board Members
Voting Members
Catia Cividini-Motta (University of South Florida): 2023-2027
Catia Cividini-Motta, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor and the Associate Director of the ABA Program in the Department of Child & Family Services within the College of Behavior & Community Services at the University of South Florida. She received her doctorate in Behavior Analysis from Western New England University and holds a master’s degree in Applied Behavior Analysis from Northeastern University. Her research interests include assessment and treatment of problem behavior, particularly automatically reinforced problem behavior; skill acquisition, focusing on verbal behavior; and the implementation of contextually-fit behavioral assessment and interventions within school settings. Catia serves on the editorial board of two behavior analytic journals, Behavioral Interventions and The Analysis of Verbal Behavior.
Ruth DeBar (Caldwell University): 2023-2025
Dr. Ruth M. DeBar, BCBA-D, LBA (NY) is a Professor in the Department of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) at Caldwell University and serves as a Clinical Supervisor for the Center for Autism and ABA at Caldwell University. She earned her master's degree from Northeastern University via The New England Center for Children and completed her doctorate degree in ABA at The Ohio State University. Ruth has been active in the field of ABA and has worked with individuals with autism spectrum and related disorders for over 20 years. She has published research in journals like Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis and in Behavior Analysis in Practice and presents at state, national, and international conferences on various topics relevant to serving individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders. Ruth currently serves on editorial boards for Behavioral Interventions and Behavior Analysis in Practice. Her current research interests include functional behavior assessment, preference, choice, social validity and use of video-based instruction to teach a range of adaptive skills including social, safety, vocational, and leisure skills.
Eric Jacobs (Southern Illinois University): 2024-2026
Eric A. Jacobs, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor in Southern Illinois University’s School of Psychological and Behavioral Sciences, where he is affiliated with the Behavior Analysis and Therapy and Brain and Cognitive Sciences programs. Dr. Jacobs completed graduate training at the University of Florida and completed a post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Vermont. Dr. Jacobs has served as the president of the Southeastern Association for Behavior Analysis and Division 25 (Behavior Analysis) of the American Psychological Association. His research interests include human and nonhuman operant behavior, quantitative analyses of choice and decision-making (e.g., delay discounting, "self-control", & "impulsivity"), behavioral economics, and behavioral ecology.
Linda Fulton (Private Consultant, Laboratory Animal Medicine): 2024-2026
Linda K. Fulton, MS, DVM, is currently a Private Consultant in the field of Laboratory Animal Medicine. She has served as Assistant Director, Laboratory Animal Facilities, at the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMCF) in Jackson, Mississippi. While there she was an Assistant Professor in the Biomaterials Department. Prior to her position at UMMC, she held the positions of on-site veterinarian at St. Kitts Biomedical Research Foundation, Clemson University’s Associate Veterinarian, and faculty member in the Clemson’s Department of Animal and Veterinary Sciences. She served as the President of the Southeastern Branch of the American Association of Laboratory Animal Science and 13 years as a member for the AAALAC, International Council on Accreditation, serving as President in 2023. She is currently an ad hoc and Emeritus member for AAALAC, International. She received her doctorate in veterinary medicine from Mississippi State University. Her interests in laboratory animal medicine focus on refinement of techniques for animal housing and handling and the experiences of commission fatigue in laboratory animal care staff.
Cynthia Pietras (Western Michigan University): 2023-2025
Dr. Cynthia Pietras is an Associate Professor of Psychology at Western Michigan University. She received her graduate degrees in the Experimental Analysis of Behavior at the University of Florida and completed her postdoctoral training in Human Psychopharmacology at the University of Texas Health Science Center-Houston. She has served on the editorial board multiple behavior-analysis journals and is past Associate Editor for The Analysis of Verbal Behavior and Behavior Analysis: Research and Practice. She has served as a member of the ABAI Science Board, president of the Mid-American Association for Behavior Analysis, and as program chair of the WMU Behavior Analysis graduate program. Her research focuses on basic behavior processes, including choice, punishment, avoidance, and social behavior, and more recently on climate-change relevant decision making. She has conceptual interests in verbal behavior and radical behaviorism.
Raymond Pitts (University of North Carolina Wilmington): 2023-2027
Raymond C. Pitts is a Professor of Psychology at the University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW). He received his Ph.D. in Psychology from the University of Florida in 1989, with a specialty in the Experimental Analysis of Behavior. After completing a post-doctoral fellowship in the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology at the Wake Forest Medical School, he took a job as a Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill. In 1996, he moved to the Department of Psychology at the UNCW, and has been there ever since. He has mentored several graduate and undergraduate students within the Behavior Analysis program at UNCW. He has served on several Editorial Boards, and as an Associate Editor for the Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior. His research interests include basic experimental analyses of choice/preference and behavioral mechanisms of drug action. His work has been supported by grants from the NIH (NIDA), and has been published in journals such as Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, Behavioural Processes, Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Psychopharmacology, Behavioural Pharmaocology, Behavioral Neuroscience, and Clinical and Experimental Psychopharmacology. He served as the Experimental Representative for the Executive Council of Division 25 of APA, served as the Experimental Representative on the Executive Council of the Association for Behavior Analysis International, and is a Fellow of ABAI and of APA Division 25.
Benjamin Witts, Coordinator of the Board (St. Cloud State University): 2022-2026
Benjamin Witts earned his BA (psychology) at Winona State University, his MA (clinical psychology) at Mankato State University, and his PhD (behavior analysis) at the University of Nevada, Reno. Currently, he is an associate professor at St. Cloud State University where he serves as program coordinator for the undergraduate and masters programs in ABA. His scholarly interests center on translational research as it applies to infant-caregiver interactions during intense crying episodes, and is involved in interprofessional research to pursue this work. He is most passionate about his teaching and his students’ success, and his work has been recognized with a Minnesota State Colleges and Universities award for Outstanding Educator and an ABAI Outstanding Mentor award. Most of his academic work is focused on engineering efficient low-cost accessible educational materials that fit the needs of modern students.
Non-Voting Members
Mark Reilly, Council Liaison (Central Michigan University): 2023–2026
Dr. Reilly received his B.S. degree in Psychology from the University of Florida, his M.S. degree in Behavior Analysis from the University of North Texas and his Ph.D. in Experimental Psychology from West Virginia University in 1996. He was a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of Michigan Substance Abuse Research Center and an Assistant Professor of Research at Arizona State University. He is currently Professor of Psychology and the Undergraduate Director at Central Michigan University. Dr. Reilly’s professional service includes over 12 years as a member on Central Michigan University’s Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee, a member on the American Psychological Association’s Committee on Animal Research and Ethics. He has been serving on the Board of Directors for the Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care since 2017. Dr. Reilly was President of Division 25 (Behavior Analysis) of the American Psychological Association in 2015. He has had numerous editorial appointments including the Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, the Psychological Record and the Mexican Journal of Behavior Analysis. He is currently on the Board of Editors for Behavior Analysis: Research and Practice. Dr. Reilly has over 30 years of laboratory research experience and has published over 40 peer-reviewed articles and presented more than 80 papers in national and international meetings. His research focuses primarily on delayed reinforcement and how behavior-consequence relations impact operant behavior broadly. His research incorporates a quantitative, comparative approach to understanding topics such as impulsive choice, stimulus control and environmental enrichment. Dr. Reilly has been a member of the Association for Behavior Analysis International since 1992.
Jessica E. Van Stratton, ABAI Executive Director/Council Liason: 2024–2026
Jessica E. Van Stratton earned a BA in Psychology at Allegheny College, a MA in Special Education/Applied Behavior Analysis from The Ohio State University, and a PhD in Disability Disciplines with a concentration in Applied Behavior Analysis at Utah State University. Jessica holds a BCBA-D credential and is a Licensed Behavior Analyst in the state of Michigan. She is currently the Executive Director for the Association for Behavior Analysis International (ABAI). Prior to her role with ABAI, Jessica served as full time in higher education teaching graduate and undergraduate courses in behavior analysis and education, mentoring students at the undergraduate and graduate levels in research and supervised fieldwork experiences in a variety of settings including school and community mental health Jessica’s research has spanned areas of focus in educational settings with a primary focus on evidence-based strategies to promote proactive social skills for students with exceptional needs and to enhance teacher-delivered instruction which has included the impact of self-monitoring and self-management strategies for students on a variety of social skills related to success in school, community, and work settings. Additionally, she examined the utility of such self-management applications for teachers and other school staff on the delivery of evidence-based teacher strategies. Jessica has been recognized for her service in the field with university awards along with her commitment to supporting students as a two-time ABAI Outstanding Mentor award recipient.
Staff - Accreditation Administrator
Alyssa McElroy, ABAI Director of Education
Alyssa McElroy is a doctoral-level behavior analyst, holds a BCBA certification, and is a Licensed Behavior Analyst in Michigan. She is currently the Director of Education at the Association for Behavior Analysis International (ABAI) and supports the ABAI Accreditation Board, Tiered Model of Education, and Verified Course Sequence Systems. She earned her Ph.D. in behavior analysis from Western Michigan University under the advisement of Dr. Jessica Van Stratton. She has experience in higher education administration, teaching and supervising undergraduate and graduate courses, and instructional design. Previously, she worked with autistic children, adolescents, and adults in clinical and educational settings and provided behavior analytic supervision. Her interests include precision teaching, instructional/curriculum design, education and technology, behavioral systems analysis, and educational equity. She is dedicated to promoting high-quality educational programs for all learners.