DEI is not Optional: The Ethical and Practical Implications of the BACB's Recent CEU Policy Change

Written by Vanessa Bethea-Miller, M.A., BCBA, LBS

In a recent update, the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB) announced the removal of the dedicated Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) CEU category from its 2027 continuing education requirements. While content related to cultural and contextual responsiveness has been rolled under ethics CEUs, this revision signals a significant shift—one that has left many professionals deeply concerned about the future direction of the field.

This decision is not merely administrative or possibly financial. It reflects a broader tension not only in behavior analysis but in the world. Within behavior analysis, this tension is between tradition and evolution, between technical precision and social responsibility. And at its core, it prompts us to ask: What does DEI truly mean in applied behavior analysis? And what happens when it’s no longer a requirement?

Understanding DEI Beyond Buzzwords

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion are often misunderstood as superficial or politically motivated initiatives. In reality, they are foundational to ethical, effective, and socially valid behavior-analytic practice.

• Diversity refers to the presence of differences—including race, ethnicity, gender identity, socioeconomic status, ability, and language—among our clients, colleagues, and communities.

• Equity ensures fair access, treatment, and opportunity for all, recognizing that not everyone starts from the same place.

• Inclusion means creating environments where all individuals feel seen, valued, and empowered to participate fully.

  
  

These concepts are not separate from behavior analysis—they are embedded in our ethical code. The BACB’s Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts (2022) explicitly outlines the importance of cultural responsiveness and humility (Code 1.07), ongoing education (Code 1.10), and non-discrimination (Code 1.05). Removing a dedicated DEI CEU requirement risks diluting these commitments into optional considerations rather than professional imperatives.

Common Misconceptions About DEI

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives are essential for fostering inclusive and effective workplaces. However, several misconceptions can hinder their success. Addressing these misunderstandings is crucial for meaningful progress.

1. DEI Means Black

   While race and gender are critical components, DEI encompasses a broad spectrum of differences, including age, sexual orientation, disability, socioeconomic status, and more. A comprehensive DEI approach recognizes and values all aspects of human diversity.

   
   

   Additionally, many individuals believe that DEI efforts serve solely to support Black and Brown individuals. In reality, diverse and inclusive environments enhance creativity, decision-making, and problem-solving for all employees, leading to improved organizational performance. Evidence suggests that Black and Brown individuals are least likely to benefit from DEI initiatives in the workplace.

   
   

   In behavior analysis, DEI is not just about addressing disparities for minority groups—it’s about improving treatment effectiveness and building socially valid practices for all clients. Culturally responsive behavior analytic services benefit everyone by enhancing communication, trust, and generalization across diverse contexts.

   
   

2. Diversity and Inclusion Are Synonymous

   Diversity in ABA refers to the range of backgrounds in our clients, staff, and systems. Inclusion means actively designing environments that support participation and respect for those differences. Having a diverse workforce or client base is not enough if the systems within do not allow for full participation or culturally informed practice.

3. DEI Is a One-Time Initiative

   Adding a one-hour CEU or checking off a training requirement doesn’t equate to meaningful DEI integration. DEI in behavior analysis must be ongoing—reflected in assessment tools, treatment planning, supervision, and dissemination. Ethical behavior analysts engage in continual self-reflection, seek feedback, and revise their practices with intention.

   
   

4. DEI Is a Political Agenda

   Framing DEI as political dismisses the science and ethics behind inclusive behavior analysis. The BACB’s code requires cultural responsiveness, nondiscrimination, and social significance. Meeting these standards is not political—it’s professional and ethical. DEI is about creating equitable systems that serve all individuals with dignity and respect.

DEI is a cornerstone of ethical and effective applied behavior analysis. Dispelling these misconceptions allows us to center humanity in our science and ensure ABA evolves with cultural humility. When we understand DEI as integral—not optional—we build a stronger, more equitable future for our field and the communities we serve.

Why DEI Education Matters in Practice

Empirical research has shown that cultural humility, responsiveness, and equity-based training improve both client outcomes and provider effectiveness. For instance:

• Fong, Catagnus, Brodhead, Quigley, & Field (2016) emphasized the role of cultural awareness in delivering socially significant interventions and called for behavior analysts to receive explicit training in cultural competence.

• Wright (2019) argued for behavior analysts to engage in “cultural humility”—a process of ongoing self-reflection, learning, and training that directly impacts treatment efficacy and ethical service delivery to populations served.

• Conners, Johnson, Duarte, Murriky, & Marks (2019) emphasized an urgent need for integrating DEI more thoroughly through training and fieldwork for behavior analysts

The Risk of Reframing Without Requirement

By integrating DEI into ethics without maintaining a minimum required focus, the new requirement risks reducing it to a passing mention rather than a meaningful mandate. This move may inadvertently communicate that DEI is no longer essential—or worse, that it was merely a temporary response to public pressure reinforcing the concept of performative behaviors amongst individuals within the field.

As behavior analysts, we are taught to look at environmental contingencies. When there is no contingency (i.e., requirement) to engage in DEI learning, it becomes easier for individuals and organizations to deprioritize it. The result? A potential regression in culturally informed care and a missed opportunity to lead with integrity, especially in Today's times.

What We Can Do Moving Forward

The removal of the DEI CEU requirement is not the end—it is a call to action. I encourage professionals to:

• Continue DEI learning independently through CEUs, hands-on training, reading, peer discussion, and ongoing self-reflection.

• Continue to advocate for institutional change by contacting the BACB, joining collective efforts, and proposing solutions.

• Engage in scholarly inquiry into the role of culture, bias, and equity in behavior analysis

• Center community voices—especially those of marginalized groups

Removing the DEI CEU requirement may appear to streamline ethics, but it also sends a message about whose knowledge is prioritized and whose lived experiences are validated.

In a field committed to measurable change, we must ask: what data are we ignoring when we fail to center DEI?

Let this moment be one of redirection, not regression. Let us remember that equity is not a distraction from science—it is the application of science to a world that desperately needs it.

Further Reading

• Conners, B.M., & Capell, S.T. (Eds.). (2020). Multiculturalism and Diversity in Applied Behavior Analysis: Bridging Theory and Application (1st ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429263873

• Conners, B.M., & Capell, S.T. (Eds.). (2024). Multiculturalism and Diversity in Applied Behavior Analysis: Bridging Theory and Application (2nd ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003402077

  
  

References

• Behavior Analyst Certification Board (2022). Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts. www.bacb.com

• Conners, B., Johnson, A., Duarte, J., Murriky, R., & Marks, K. (2019). Future Directions of Training and Fieldwork in Diversity Issues in Applied Behavior Analysis. Behavior analysis in practice, 12(4), 767–776.

• Fong, E. H., Catagnus, R. M., Brodhead, M. T., Quigley, S. P., & Field, S. (2016). Developing the cultural awareness skills of behavior analysts. Behavior Analysis in Practice, 9(1), 84–94.

• Wright, P. A. (2019). Cultural humility in behavior analysis. Behavior Analysis in Practice, 12(4), 805–809.