Kate McKenna, MEd, MSEd, MS, BCBA
Association for Science in Autism Treatment
| Author’s Note: I would like to thank Dr. Erick Dubuque, Director of the Autism Commission on Quality (ACQ), for his helpful suggestions and support in the development of this article. |
Individuals on the autism spectrum are entitled to effective, evidenced-based services. The Council of Autism Service Providers (CASP), a non-profit trade association founded in 2015, is a collection of organizations that provide those services across varied settings and funding sources. CASP acts as an advocate for the autism community by “providing information, delivering education, and promoting standards that enhance quality.” It supports its members by advocating and providing guidance that promotes safe and effective care through evidence-based practices based on peer-reviewed research and data-based decisions. CASP member organizations share a deep commitment to making administrative, management, and staffing decisions that ensure that clients receive effective science-based treatment.
To build on its goals of uniform quality care, in 2022, CASP established the Autism Commission of Quality (ACQ), a nonprofit accreditation program for organizations offering applied behavior analysis (ABA) services to individuals affected by autism. ACQ’s mission is to continuously improve the impact of applied behavior analysis services for the autism community through education and accreditation of provider organizations. Although ACQ is a subsidiary of CASP, membership in CASP is not a requirement for organizations interested in applying for accreditation. Additionally, ACQ’s essential accreditation activities (e.g., standards development, accreditation determinations, committee appointments, accreditation policies) are decided by independent committees comprised of diverse representatives with experience in receiving, delivering, supporting, and funding ABA services and autism. Specifically, the ACQ Standards Committee is responsible for determining standards, accreditation policies, and committee appointments. Whereas, the ACQ Accreditation Committee is empowered to make accreditation determinations and provide interpretative guidance of the standards to the review committee to ensure a fair process to applicants. ACQ Committee member experience varies across geographic locations, the sizes of the organizations they represent, the settings where services are delivered and received, and the funding sources received. Detailed information about committee demographics is available here.
ACQ accreditation is currently available to any U.S.-based organization that has been providing ABA as a healthcare service to individuals on the autism spectrum for at least a year. The accreditation process is outlined on the ACQ website.
Version 1.0 of ACQ’s ABA Accreditation Program Standards and Guide contains 50 standards organized across nine sections and three parts, as shown in the table below:
| Part I: Administration |
| Section 1: Business Operations |
| Standard 1.01 – Guiding Principles |
| Standard 1.02 – Business Authorization and Jurisdictions |
| Standard 1.03 – Governance and Management |
| Standard 1.04 – Scope of Services |
| Standard 1.05 – Policies and Procedures |
| Standard 1.06 – Organizational Capacity |
| Standard 1.07 – Written Agreements |
| Standard 1.08 – Delegation of Duties |
| Standard 1.09 – Insurance Coverage |
| Standard 1.10 – Marketing Practices |
| Standard 1.11 – Testimonials |
| Section 2: Human Resources |
| Standard 2.01 – Human Resource Management |
| Standard 2.02 – Recruitment and Hiring |
| Standard 2.03 -Training |
| Section 3: Financial Operations |
| Standard 3.01 – Financial and Fiduciary Management |
| Standard 3.02 – Fee Schedule |
| Standard 3.03 – Fee Disclosure |
| Standard 3.04 – Patient Payments |
| Standard 3.05 – Service Authorizations |
| Section 4: Risk Management |
| Standard 4.01 – Compliance Program |
| Standard 4.02 – Privacy and Security |
| Standard 4.03 – Health and Safety |
| Standard 4.04 – Disaster, Crisis, and Emergency Management |
| Part II: Clinical |
| Section 5: Clinical Personnel |
| Standard 5.01 – Provider Credentialing |
| Standard 5.02 – Clinical Leader |
| Standard 5.03 – Behavior Analysts |
| Standard 5.04 – Assistant Behavior Analysts |
| Standard 5.05 – Behavior Technicians |
| Standard 5.06 – Clinical Supervision and Direction |
| Section 6: Clinical Operations |
| Standard 6.01 – Access to Care |
| Standard 6.02 – Medical Necessity |
| Standard 6.03- Caseload Management |
| Standard 6.04 – Patient Intake |
| Standard 6.05 – Clinical Assessment |
| Standard 6.06 – Treatment Planning |
| Standard 6.07 – Service Settings |
| Standard 6.08 – Active Treatment |
| Standard 6.09 – Coordination of Care |
| Standard 6.10 – Treatment Utilization |
| Standard 6.11 – Telehealth |
| Standard 6.12 – Clinical Documentation |
| Section 7: Patient Protections |
| Standard 7.01 – Patient Rights and Responsibilities |
| Standard 7.02 – Patient Handbook |
| Standard 7.03 – Patient Consent |
| Standard 7.04 – Restraint and Seclusion Procedures |
| Part III: Quality |
| Section 8: Quality Assurance |
| Standard 8.01 – Patient and Caregiver Satisfaction |
| Standard 8.02 – Quality Management |
| Standard 8.03 – Clinical Outcomes |
| Section 9: Ethics |
| Standard 9.01 – Organizational Code of Ethics |
| Standard 9.02 – Complaints and Grievances |
Each standard includes a guidance section that provides additional information designed to help organizations prepare for accreditation. Some standards also include a recommended practices section that outlines optional actions that are advisable but are not currently evaluated when an organization applies for accreditation. A complimentary copy of the Program Standards and Guide is available on the ACQ website.
Organizations interested in applying for ACQ accreditation should start by requesting and reviewing a complimentary copy of the ABA Accreditation Program Standards and Guide in the context of their own operations. If the organization determines that ACQ is a good fit, their representative can request a meeting with an ACQ representative using the contact page on the ACQ website. During these information sessions, the ACQ representative will review the application process, provide an application fee quote, and answer any questions.
Reference Cited:
Autism Commission on Quality [ACQ] (2022, June 16). Applied Behavior Analysis Accreditation Program Standards and Guide (v 1.0). https://autismcommission.org/standards/
Reference for this article:
McKenna, K. (2024) Resource Review: The Autism Commission on Quality Applied Behavior Analysis Accreditation Program Standards & Guide. Science in Autism Treatment, 21(12).
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