Arizona: State faces shortage of ABA therapists "amid rising autism diagnoses"
- The end of childhood
- May 1
- 1 min read
April 29, 2025, KGUN9, Tucson: Arizona faces growing shortage of behavioral analysts amid rising autism diagnoses
Need for Board Certified Behavior Analysts grew by 58% between 2023 and 2024
TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — April marks Autism Awareness and Acceptance Month, and while public understanding of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has grown, so has a critical shortage in trained professionals equipped to help.
Across Arizona, autism care centers are experiencing a rising demand for Board Certified Behavioral Analysts (BCBAs)—a need that jumped by 58% between 2023 and 2024, according to the Behavioral Analyst Certification Board.
At Centria’s Life Skills Autism Academy on Tucson’s west side, staff members are feeling the impact firsthand.
“Right now, we only have about 1,600 certified behavioral analysts in the entire state,” said Inez Osorio Soto, Director of Clinical Services for Centria Southwest. “That breaks down to around 800 clients per BCBA. It’s very clear we don’t have enough people to serve everyone affected.” . . .
The shortage of BCBAs can be traced back to changes in diagnostic criteria and greater awareness of autism. Since 2010, broader definitions and a more inclusive understanding of the spectrum have led to a steady increase in diagnoses.
“We’re catching up—or trying to catch up—to the number of diagnoses that exist now,” Soto added. . . .
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