Dr. Michelle Kelly:

The Deputy also mentioned the ABAI. This is a good opportunity to highlight an important point.

The culture of behavioural analysis in Ireland is very different from that in the United States and the ABAI is based in the United States. We have an issue with some of the practices that the ABAI supports so we, as an organisation, have disassociated ourselves from that organisation.

We are trying to push for Irish regulations that suit Irish culture and community. We have very different views on the application of behavioural science here compared with some states in the US. In the US behavioural analysis almost had a monopoly on services because it is the only type of treatment, as they call it, or the only approach that is funded by medical insurance companies in the US but that is not the case here in Ireland. We have always had a very different approach. The application of behavioural science here has not been within the medical model, the same as it has been in the US. We wish to highlight the fact that we are not aligned with the ethos of the Association for Behaviour Analysis International. The other delegation has experience of that or may wish to comment on that issue.