The Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB) has recently enacted a policy change that threatens to invalidate countless hours of clinical experience already earned by aspiring BCBAs. This retroactive application undermines the dedication, effort, and financial investment of students across the country.

This policy means:

• Clinical hours we’ve already completed may no longer count, even though they were approved under the standards in place at the time.
• Anyone applying after January 2027 will face major career delays due to stricter fieldwork requirements, slowing the path to becoming a BCBA.
• Programs are seeing students drop out because they can no longer meet the requirements under this sudden change.
  
  • 37% of my class is/was considering leaving the field. 
• Instead of expanding opportunities, this policy severely narrows what students are even allowed to learn about, leaving us underprepared for real-world practice. 
• This update was published quietly, without prior notice or transition period. Many experienced supervisors—who have been consistently upholding long-standing interpretations of BACB guidance—were not informed, leaving both supervisors and trainees blindsided.
• Unlike most professional fields, where changes apply only to new incoming students, this decision unfairly penalizes those of us already deep into our training.
  • For example: When I was completing my undergraduate degree, the program updated its academic requirements. The college did not require me to delay graduation or retroactively meet the new catalog requirements. I was allowed to complete my degree under the standards that were in place when I began.

For me personally, this creates an enormous setback. The countless hours I’ve worked under supervision—hours that reflect my growth, my commitment, and my readiness to serve future clients—could simply vanish. To be specific, I am predicted to lose about 50% of the hours I have already, because they do not directly relate to a client that I am working with. Majority of those hours were spent researching information that I would never get experience with in a clinical setting. I am being penalized for trying to expand my learning to outside my everyday workplace.

I am not alone. Hundreds, if not thousands, of students will face similar setbacks, delays, or the devastating choice to abandon their career paths altogether.

The consequences are enormous:

• The BACB risks losing a generation of future BCBAs at a time when the field urgently needs qualified professionals.
• Students will be left in limbo, with invalidated hours, rising costs, and no clear pathway forward.
• Clients and communities will suffer from the shortage of well-trained practitioners.

The BACB Ethics Code emphasizes truthfulness, transparency, and fairness in professional practice (Sections 1.01, 1.02, 1.06). One of their core principles is Integrity saying that "Analysts must behave in an honest and trustworthy manner". By applying new clarifications retroactively, the BACB risks UNDERMINING these values—trainees logged hours in good faith under published requirements, and supervisors verified them accordingly. We respectfully urge the BACB to reaffirm its commitment to ethical practice by honoring previously accrued hours, ensuring transparent communication about future changes, and providing an appeals process for those affected.

If the BACB expects students and professionals to adhere to the highest ethical standards, they too must uphold them. Anything less undermines trust in the credentialing system itself.

We respectfully call on the BACB to:

• Publicly confirm that fieldwork hours logged and supervisor-approved prior to 08/25/2025 will continue to count, even if they do not align with newly clarified definitions.
• Establish a transition and Appeals Framework so that trainees whose hours are rejected under the new rules can provide supervisor documentation for validation.
• Enhance transparency and supervisor training by publishing clear, detailed guidance for all current and future supervisors to ensure fair and consistent application of standards.

Doing so would uphold fairness, protect students’ investments, and safeguard the integrity of our field.

👉 Please sign and share this petition. Together, we can urge the BACB to respect our hard work, restore fairness, and protect the future of behavior analysis.