Changes to the ACE Instructor Requirements

The BACB is changing ACE Coordinator and Instructor requirements in 2026. Even to be an instructor/presenter, you will now need to be either:

an active BCBA, OR
have a doctorate in behaviour analysis, OR
have a doctorate plus extra requirements (publications, supervision, coursework, etc.).

Why this is a problem:

Too restrictive and ultimately a disservice to our field.
Many highly qualified clinicians who meet BACB education/training standards won’t be eligible.
Forces people to pay for multiple board memberships just to be allowed to present CEUs.
Excludes excellent trainers with advanced degrees and extensive applied experience.

Other professions don’t work this way:

Doctors, psychologists, speech pathologists, OTs, nurses, etc. do not require CEU instructors to hold a US credential.
Could you imagine physicians outside the US being limited only to CE from US doctors? It would disrupt continuing education and research worldwide.
What matters is expertise and provider accountability, not whether the presenter is credentialed by the same board.

Risks of this change:

Reduces international dissemination of behaviour analysis.
Limits opportunities for US clinicians to learn from colleagues in different cultural/service contexts.
Narrows the diversity of voices and expertise in CEU offerings.

A better path forward:

Recognise equivalent qualifications and demonstrated expertise, not just BCBA status.
Maintain high standards while allowing for inclusion, cultural competence, and international collaboration.

8 comments