Association for Behavior Analysis International Accreditation Board

Accreditation Actions

The ABAI Accreditation Board informs the public of the reason(s) for the accreditation actions. Details of the accreditation eligibility, application process, accreditation process, and board decisions are located in the Accreditation Handbook. 

Actions by the ABAI Accreditation Board

According to the Accreditation Handbook, Title III. Actions by the ABAI Accreditation Board, the ABAI Accreditation Board may make any of the following decisions with respect to programs already accredited or seeking initial accreditation or re-accreditation.

Board Decisions:

• Grant Accreditation or Re-accreditation: The ABAI Accreditation Board normally will grant accreditation for a period of five (5) years, but may grant accreditation for three (3) or seven (7) years in exceptional cases. Accreditation is granted if the program meets the required standards, as represented by a level of operational integrity, financial sustainability, and effectiveness that offers a measure of confidence compatible with the length of the grant awarded.
• Provisional Accreditation: The ABAI Accreditation Board, in its discretion, may grant provisional accreditation to initial applicants for periods of three (3) years.
• Defer: The ABAI Accreditation Board may defer a decision on initial or re-accreditation pending receipt of (a) further evidence or clarification of unclear points or (b) evidence that the program has made specific improvements within a given timeframe, normally one (1) year. If accredited, the program’s previous grant of accreditation is automatically extended during the deferral period.
• Deny Accreditation: A new grant of accreditation may be denied if the program fails to meet one or more of the standards, policies, or procedures of the ABAI Accreditation Board.
• Withdraw Accreditation: 
• Board withdrawal: The board may withdraw current grant of accreditation from a program at any time prior to the official expiration data if the ABAI Accreditation Board finds that the program has not demonstrated its compliance with the ABAI Accreditation Board's standards, policies, and procedures. 
• Voluntary withdrawal: The program has chosen to voluntarily withdraw its accreditation application, or the program has allowed its accreditation status to expire. The program is accredited through the posted expiration date. 

Recent Accreditation Board Decisions

Programs will be listed below for at least 1 year from the Board's decision. See the complete list of ABAI-Accredited Programs. 

Reconsideration and Appeals

• Reconsideration: A program may request reconsideration of a decision to deny or withdraw accreditation by submitting its request in writing to the Accreditation Administrator within thirty (30) days of the notice of decision. The program remains accredited throughout the reconsideration process. A denial of reconsideration is appealable in accordance with Title IV, Chapter 2 of the Accreditation Handbook.
• Appeal: A program may appeal the final decision to deny or withdraw accreditation. A program may appeal the action of the ABAI Accreditation Board by submitting within ten (10) calendar days of the date of the decision letter a written notice of the intent to appeal. The program remains accredited throughout the appeals process.

Appeals Panel Decisions:

• Affirm: The appeals panel will affirm the decision of the ABAI Accreditation Board when it finds that the ABAI Accreditation Board's action was supported by the record before the ABAI Accreditation Board at the time of the decision and that its decision was not clearly erroneous. 
• Remand: The appeals panel will remand a decision to the ABAI Accreditation Board when it finds that the ABAI Accreditation Board failed to consider the material fact before it in reaching its decision and that the ABAI Accreditation Board considered the material fact, it may have decided differently. A remand is a direction that the ABAI Accreditation Board reconsider its action in light of all relevant facts, including the specific material fact that is the basis for the remand.
• Amend: The appeals panel will amend a decision of the ABAI Accreditation Board when it finds that the ABAI Accreditation Board's decision was not supported by the facts before it at the time of the decision or that the ABAI Accreditation Board's decision was clearly erroneous. A decision to amend an adverse action will set forth the specific grounds for the decision and will direct the ABAI Accreditation Board to modify its decision in accordance with the specific direction of the appeals panel. 
• Reverse: The appeals panel will reverse a decision of the ABAI Accreditation Board when it finds that the ABAI Accreditation Board's decision was not supported by the facts before it at the time of the decision or that the ABAI Accreditation Board's decision was clearly erroneous. A decision to reverse an action of the ABAI Accreditation Board will state the specific basis for the decision to reverse. A decision to reverse a withdrawal of accreditation will direct the ABAI Accreditation Board to set aside its decision to withdraw and to reinstate the accreditation of the program as it was before the withdrawal decision. A decision to reverse an action to deny accreditation directs the ABAI Accreditation Board to awarded a specific grant of accreditation for a term determined by the appeals panel. 

Voluntary Withdrawal of Accreditation

Programs listed below have chosen to forgo submission of a re-accreditation application. These programs voluntarily allowed their accreditation status to expire independent of a board decision. The program remains accredited through the expiration date.