2026 Volume 40 Issue 2 Pages 82-98
Study objective: To examine the current state of applied behavior analysis (ABA)-based service delivery in Japan through an online survey. Survey target recipients: Clinicians providing services based on applied behavior analysis in Japan. Design: Invitations to complete an online survey were distributed to 123 clinicians identified in advance through an internet search. The same invitation was also distributed to 373 organizations providing ABA-based services in Japan, in order to reach additional clinicians working within those organizations who had not been individually identified. Survey items: The survey collected demographic information including job type, job title, target client and age groups, highest level of education, behavior analysis training, membership in academic and professional organizations, certification and licensure, and years of experience. Other questions were asked about clinical practices, including assessments, Individualized Education Plans or Programs, data collection, supervision, adherence to relevant ethical guidelines, and continuing education, and offered an opportunity to reply with open-ended responses to questions regarding challenges in clinical settings. Results: Of the 246 clinicians who responded to the survey, 76.8% directly provided services, 58.1% worked in the area of early intervention, 32.5% had learned behavior analysis through self-study and/or on-the-job training, and 47.2% were not affiliated with any professional organization. Regarding their clinical practice, 12.6% of the respondents reported receiving consistent supervision, 56.1% reported adhering to ethical guidelines relevant to their work area, and 60.6% reported collecting behavioral data. Conclusion: These results highlight challenges in ensuring the quality of applied behavior analysis-based services in Japan. The limited supervision, the lack of widely shared ethical standards, and varying levels of formal behavior analysis training suggest a need for enhanced professional development in order to improve service quality.
