ABA Australia
ABA Australia serves as a national voice for behaviour analysts by representing the profession in matters relating to professional standards, workforce recognition, and ethical practice.
We engage with government, regulators, and sector stakeholders to promote a clear and accurate understanding of behaviour analysis and the role of qualified behaviour analysts in Australia.
Our advocacy supports professional self-regulation, public protection, and the ongoing development of behaviour analysis as a recognised profession across health, disability, education, and community settings.
Advocacy
Professional recognition of behaviour analysts within Australian service systems
High standards of practice through professional self-regulation and ethical guidance
Public protection by promoting competent, accountable behaviour analytic practice
ABA Australia is continuing its national advocacy for the formal recognition of Certified Behaviour Analysts (CBAs) and Certified Behaviour Analysts – Undergraduates (CBA-Us) within the NDIS.
Our goal is clear: appropriately qualified behaviour analysts should be recognised in a way that reflects their education and training, professional standards, ethical obligations and scope of practice.
ABA Australia has been engaging with government and NDIS regulators on professional recognition for several years.
In June 2025, formal discussions with the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission identified a potential pathway for recognition of behaviour analysts within the NDIS qualification framework.
Later that year, following the release of updated NDIS qualification guidance that did not include CBAs or CBA-Us, ABA Australia launched a national call for recognition. More than 800 people supported the joint statement, including practitioners, participants, families, carers, other professionals and community supporters.
During 2026, this work expanded into sustained policy and government engagement. ABA Australia:
ABA Australia has now engaged directly with the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission, the NDIA and the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing about recognition.
Importantly, the NDIS Commission has acknowledged in writing that behaviour analysts delivering ABA services provide a range of interventions that fall within NDIS registration group 0128.
This is meaningful progress, but it is not yet formal profession-level recognition.
Our current work with Alpha is focused on clarifying responsibilities across the relevant parts of government and progressing three connected priorities:
Behaviour analysts have provided services to NDIS participants since the Scheme's early years. However, the profession is not currently explicitly identified within relevant NDIS qualification and professional association guidance.
This can result in inconsistent interpretations across the NDIS, creating unnecessary uncertainty for participants, families and providers.
Formal recognition would provide greater clarity about who behaviour analysts are, the qualifications required to practise, the professional standards they must meet, and the regulatory framework under which certified practitioners are accountable.
It would also help distinguish the professional discipline of behaviour analysis from the role of a Behaviour Support Practitioner within the NDIS. The roles can overlap, but they are not interchangeable.
Alongside our NDIS advocacy, ABA Australia is in the final stages of preparing its application for full membership of the National Alliance of Self-Regulating Health Professions (NASRHP).
This has involved substantial work to strengthen our certification and regulatory framework, including education and training standards, certification requirements, ethical and disciplinary processes, continuing professional development and public accountability.
We expect to submit our application shortly. Full NASRHP membership would be an important milestone for behaviour analysis as a self-regulating profession in Australia and strengthen our broader recognition work.
ABA Australia and Alpha Consulting will continue engaging with the relevant government agencies and building support across the disability, health, research and professional sectors.
Formal recognition has not yet been achieved, but the position has moved considerably since the national call for recognition in 2025. We now have evidence and submissions on the formal record, an established government relations strategy, direct engagement with the relevant agencies, and written acknowledgement from the NDIS Commission about the work behaviour analysts already perform within the NDIS.
We will continue to update members as significant milestones are reached.
Thank you to the more than 800 people who supported our national call for recognition. Your support helped move this work from a collective call for change into sustained engagement with government and the NDIS.
Submissions and consultation
We contribute behaviour analytic expertise to national reviews and consultations that shape policy, evidence standards, and access to supports.
This work is guided by member consultation, professional standards, and emerging best practice in professional self-regulation.
