Montana § 37-17-402 - Definitions

§ 37-17-402. Definitions

Definitions. For the purposes of this part, the following definitions apply: (1) "Assistant behavior analyst" means an individual licensed under 37-17-403 who has a qualifying bachelor's degree and has passed the board-certified assistant behavior analyst examination of the behavior analyst certification board. (2) "Behavior analyst" means an applied behavior analyst who is licensed under 37-17-403 and has passed the board-certified behavior analyst examination of the behavior analyst certification board. (3) "Behavior analyst certification board" means the nonprofit corporation whose credentialing programs for behavior analysts are accredited by the national commission for certifying agencies. (4) "Board" means the board of psychologists provided for in 2-15-1741 . (5) (a) "Practice of applied behavior analysis" means the design, implementation, and evaluation of instructional and environmental modifications to produce socially significant improvements in human behavior. The practice of applied behavior analysis includes the empirical identification of functional relations between behavior and environmental factors, known as functional assessment and analysis. Applied behavior analysis links the scientific study of behavior with the direct observation and measurement of behavior and the environment plus the application of skills to help people develop new behaviors, increase or decrease existing behaviors, or adjust behaviors under specific environmental conditions. (b) The term does not include psychological evaluation, diagnosis of a mental or physical disorder, neuropsychology, long-term counseling as a treatment modality, or psychotherapy, including cognitive therapy, sex therapy, psychoanalysis, or hypnotherapy.