Developing National Occupational Standards for Behavior Analysis

ABSTRACT In order to help promote the future growth of behavior analysis, it is incumbent on behavior analysts around the world to develop country-specific standards. National Occupational Standards (NOS) are concise and readable documents that specify the knowledge an individual requires and the standard of performance that must be achieved when carrying out a specific function in the workplace. NOS are used as benchmarks of good practice across professions internationally. The current paper provides an overview of a model with 20 discrete actionable steps across five phases for developing standards: (i) preparation, (ii) development, (iii) review, (iv) validation, and (v) endorsement. A case example is provided for the development of NOS for Applied Behavior Analysts in the United Arab Emirates in the Middle East.