Iowa ABA – 2025 Annual Report
By Sara Jeglum
The Iowa Association for Behavior Analysis annual member’s meeting was held in-person at the Iowa State Historical Society, Des Moines, IA, on Friday, October 11th, 2024 in conjunction with the 12th annual conference.
There were a number of newly elected board members. Kelly Ocasio was elected president-elect (3-year term), Drew Foster was elected as Treasurer, and two new Members-At-Large were elected (Jenny Davis and Katie Fairchild). Anneka Finn was elected as Student Member. The board conducts open meetings on the second Wednesday of each quarter and invites members to participate in meetings and on committees.
In 2024, Iowa ABA offered 8.5 CEUs to members through conference and workshop opportunities. In the summer of 2024, a three-hour supervision workshop was held for members. Cas Breaux was invited to present (virtually) which included ethics CEUs on the topic of assent-based care. We decided to offer fewer CEUs to host high-tier, prolific speakers such as Cas Breaux.
At our annual conference, 5.5-CEUs were offered and presenters included Dr. Stephanie Hood, Dr. Patricia Wright, Dr. Pat Friman, and Dr. Matthew O’Brien. Monetary support for the conference was provided by local, state, and regional organizations with an interest in behavior analysis. Presentation topics varied and were shared with a total of 100 conference attendees.
The 13th annual conference is currently being planned and is scheduled for October 10th, 2025 at the State Historical Museum of Iowa or at Stoney Creek Hotel, depending on hotel rates (we have reserved/been in communication with both), so the specific location is to be confirmed.
The Legislative Action Committee continues to advocate for increased funding for ABA services through funders such as Hawki insurance. In 2024, the committee worked to eliminate caps on age and dollar amounts, supported mental health worker repayment programs, and advocating for another master’s degree and certification program in Iowa. The bill in Iowa to remove age caps has now passed the House and is going to subcommittee. We are hopeful this bill will pass and help provide needed services to many Autistic Iowans across the lifespan.
The membership and publications committee continues have combined this past year with the goal of working towards finding ways to increase membership of licensed behavior analysts in the state. One of the main efforts was increased social media presence and improved communication to current membership. They have also started a quarterly newsletter this past year to help engage members.
According to the BACB, there are 272 BCBAs, three BCaBAs, and 17 BCBA-Ds currently listed as active in the state of Iowa. Iowa ABA currently has 139 members, which doubles our membership from last year, and 48% of the licensed behavior analysts in the state. We are making tremendous progress in recruiting members this year, and hope to offer more CEU opportunities this coming year.
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