The following is a tribute to Dr. Gerald Shook, CEO of the BACB, who passed away on November 11, 2011. I am so pleased to say that this tribute and others were shared with Jerry. I can only hope he felt the magnitude of our respect and admiration.
I am humbled by the opportunity to write about a man who had such a positive impact on the fields of behavior analysis and autism intervention. I first met Jerry about five years ago It was the night before a New Jersey Association for Behavior Analysis (NJABA) conference at which he was speaking. A few Board members, he and I were chatting over dinner. We discussed the viability of the credential and the response of the autism and behavior analytic communities. Of course, many viewed the credential as a welcome advancement in the field and that was the easy part of the discussion. As the conversation turned to people who were hesitant to value the credential, Jerry articulated the reasons why the credential was needed for consumers and professionals alike. He spoke of consumer education, minimum standards, and a common language to discuss just what a behavior analyst does. As a psychologist, behavior analyst, and long-time advocate for families of individuals with autism, his answers resounded with me. ABA services were too important to too many. I thought we must do more as a field to deliver high-quality intervention and credentialing was a critical component in the evolution of ABA services.
Since that dinner, I had the pleasure of speaking with Jerry on many occasions regarding advocacy for the credential in New Jersey and across the country. His advice was always sound and informed from multiple angles. You could always count on him for a reasoned explanation of the BACB’s initiatives and future plans. When NJABA asked the BACB for advice on pursuing licensure a number of years ago, he explained the advantages and risks in doing so. He also offered alternative ways to promote the credential to build a critical mass of consumers, professionals, and state government officials who were familiar with the credential. When NJABA requested an extension of the expedited application process for seasoned doctoral-level behavior analysts, he and the BACB Board responded in kind. This olive branch went a long way with these clinicians and helped unite New Jersey’s ABA community. Whenever I needed advice, he was there.
We can probably all agree on a simple idea: the quality of autism intervention is a direct function of the competence of the person delivering the services. When parents of children and adults with autism ask me to recommend someone to work with their child, I educate them about ABA, the BACB credentials, and the importance of ethical conduct, relationship building, and accountability. Prior to the prominence of the BACB credentials, this was a much more nebulous conversation. Jerry’s efforts directly resulted in improved consumer education and their access to many professionals who meet and exceed the BACB’s minimum qualifications.
In summary, one would like to think that others could have easily filled this role, in other words, that the current state of credentialing in our field has not been solely in his hands. While many talented and passionate people were there supporting him, one has to wonder if the BACB and the credentials’ impact on autism intervention would have been so successful had Jerry not taken the lead. What can you say about a man whose name is synonymous with the credentialing of behavior analysts? He was a pioneer, a visionary, and a compassionate advocate for the often vulnerable populations behavior analysts serve. Behavior analysis is evolving into a more mature practice and countless individuals are benefiting because of him. I speak for myself, and I believe many others, when I say from the bottom of my heart, “Thank you, Jerry.”
Suzanne Buchanan, Psy.D., BCBA-D
Clinical Director, Autism New Jersey
Government Affairs Chair, NJABA
