The British Columbia Association for Behaviour Analysis (BC-ABA) stands in solidarity with the Black community, Indigenous peoples, immigrants, the LGBTQ+ community, women, all people of colour and individuals with minority status against all forms of racism, hatred, bigotry and discrimination. Those affected by systemic racism in our communities deal with prejudice, discrimination, and hatred every day of their lives. Silence is not an option. We must take a stand and speak up.

We value diversity, equality, compassion and inclusion for all. Therefore, we must make efforts to support all of our membership, clients, and community members. We must make efforts to speak against anti-Black, anti-Indigenous, and all forms of systemic racism in our communities, in our province, in our country and in the world. We must make efforts to listen and learn from those who are oppressed by systemic racism.

We acknowledge that a statement is not enough, and it is only a starting point. Our hope is that taking these initial steps will prompt discussion, reflection, education, and taking actions that align with our values. We will be discussing these issues and how we can work to address them at future board meetings.

As a starting point, BC-ABA is committing to the following action steps:

1. Developing website and social media resources that educate on the importance of and promote inclusion and diversity.
2. Creating accessible CEU opportunities focused on inclusion and diversity.
3. Creating a committee focused on inclusion and diversity.

We are also taking this time to reflect on our own privilege and prepare to take effective action. We encourage our membership and those in our community to do the same. Please consider learning about and supporting the following organizations:

• Black Lives Matter Vancouver / Toronto / US
• Black Visions Collective
• Hogan’s Alley Society
• The anti-racist small business pledge

If you are a person of privilege, please take this time to listen and reflect. Below are some resources to start:

• Anti-Racism Resources
• Ally Resource Guide
• Resources for Accountability and Action for Black Lives
• NY Times Anti-Racist reading list
• Anti-Racism Resources Compiled By Behaviour Analysts

We have chosen to include the resources above due to the urgency of the Black Lives Matter movement in current political events, but we want to acknowledge that here in Canada, many minority communities face daily injustices as well. We do not wish to negate their experience or support one cause over another. What is clear is that we have not been doing enough and that we can contribute in more meaningful ways to the current discussions and actions. This is a start, and we are making a commitment to do more as an organization to support Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) and take collective action against racial injustices.

We would like your feedback on how we can do more. Please take a few moments to fill out the following survey and share your thoughts and ideas:

Take the Survey

BC-ABA has submitted a formal response by the British Columbia Association for Behaviour Analysis (BC-ABA) to the MCFD Guidelines for Virtual Care Providers dated April 8th, 2020. You may view the response below or download it as a PDF.

Attn:
Honourable Katrine Conroy
Ministry of Children and Family Development

April 22, 2020

To Whom it May Concern:

This document is a formal response by the British Columbia Association for Behaviour Analysis (BC-ABA) to the MCFD Guidelines for Virtual Care Providers dated April 8th, 2020¹. The MCFD Guidelines for Virtual Care Providers outline regulations for the use of Autism Funding by families and service providers during the COVID-19 pandemic and specify which services may be eligible for virtual care. Virtual care is taken to refer to intervention services provided via distance through telecommunication technology (for the remainder of this document, referred to as ‘telehealth services’).

BC-ABA would like to address two policies in MCFD Guidelines document that are not consistent with current research on telehealth service delivery (MCFD Guidelines for Virtual Care Providers, p. 3):

Q7: What are MCFD’s guidelines for Virtual Care for providers?

A7: Service providers are expected to comply with the standards set by their regulatory colleges related to Virtual Care and all other service practices. To bill Autism Funding Branch the following is required:

• Child/youth must be present for the session
• Child/youth must have already been assessed by the practitioner in a face to face
  meeting

Response to Point 1: Guideline that child/youth must be present for the session

The requirement to have a child present during all direct services is not consistent with current research and best practice in autism service provision, regardless of whether services are delivered in person or via telehealth. While caregiver support at times involves live coaching during interactions with their child, there are a number of situations in which would be harmful and clinically contraindicated to require a child to be present during all service provision, as it may limit the information a caregiver is able to share with a service provider and limit access to crucial services during an already stressful time.

Response to Point 2: Child/youth must have already been assessed by the practitioner in a face to face meeting

Research evidence supports the use of telehealth as an effective service delivery option, without the need for face to face meetings at any point during assessment or intervention (e.g., see systematic review by Fergusen, Craig, & Dounavi, 2019; Lindgren et al., 2016). Furthermore, families living in remote communities, families with new diagnoses, and families in the process of accessing services that have not yet been started would be unable to receive services indefinitely. Including effective telehealth services as an eligible expense for AFU funding would allow families to access much needed services during the COVID-19 crisis and beyond, especially since MCFD has stated they will not be expending funding terms during this time. It is inappropriate and harmful to families to require in person services when research has demonstrated the effectiveness of telehealth services without this component.

Limiting the conditions under which families can access services during a public health crisis will be severely detrimental to children with ASD in our province and their families.

We appreciate your prompt action in remediating these potentially harmful policies.

Sincerely,

The British Columbia Association for Behaviour Analysis

¹ “Common Questions and Answers for Service Providers Supporting Families Accessing Autism Funding” Access from https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/family-and-social-supports/covid-19/qa_autism_funding_apr7_spapprovedcontent.pdf on April 16th, 2020

References

Fergusen, J., Craig, E. A., Dounavi, K. (2019). Telehealth as a Model for Providing Behaviour Analytic Interventions to Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Review. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 49, 582-616. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10803-018-3724-5

Lindgren, S., Wacker, D., Suess, A., Scheitz, K., Pelzel, K., Kopelman, T., Lee, J., Romani, P., Waldon, D. (2016). Telehealth and Autism: Treating Challenging Behavior at Lower Cost, Pediatrics, 137 (2), S167-S175. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4727312/

BC-ABA is planning to offer some free webinars on topics relevant to the membership in 2020 and would like your feedback!

Take the survey

Dear members,

Our newly elected board held its first meeting on April 6 and our priority agenda item focused on the impact the current COVID-19 crisis is having on our members and those clients to whom we provide services. We are compiling a database of resources that we will share soon and are planning to offer free webinars on topics that are important to you. Keep an eye on your inboxes and social media for a survey to gather information on what your priorities are in terms of learning and support.

If you have any questions, concerns or ideas, please contact us at info@bc-aba.org

Application and Instructions

The British Columbia Association for Behaviour Analysis will be offering up to ten bursaries to assist conference attendees with the costs of traveling to the conference from other areas of the province.

The bursary amount for 2020 is $150 cash plus free conference/workshop registration.

Eligibility

Applicants must meet the following requirements to be considered for this bursary:

• Be a current member of BC-ABA
• Reside in one of the following regions of British Columbia:
  • Coastal Region (e.g., Sunshine Coast, Vancouver Island, Gulf Islands)
  • Interior Region (e.g., Thompson, Okanagan, Cariboo, Kootenays)
  • Northern Region (e.g., Terrace, Prince George, Haida Gwaii, Peace region)
    Residents of Greater Vancouver, the Fraser Valley, Squamish, Whistler, and Pemberton will not be considered for this bursary
• Priority will be given to those who have not previously received a conference travel bursary

Selection Criteria

Bursary applications will be considered on a first-come, first-served basis. If you are selected, you will receive a cheque at the conference. You must attend to receive the bursary.

To Apply

Fill out the bursary application form and submit the completed form as well as proof of address electronically to treasurer@bc-aba.org.

The deadline for bursary applications is midnight on January 31, 2020. Hard copies and late applications will not be accepted.