About

In the late 1980s, a small group of behavior analysts comprised of: Judy Agnew, Craig Jensen, Dick Malott, Sam Leigland, Joe Parsons, Michael Peters, David Polson, and Lars Watson, gathered in Victoria, British Columbia to establish the Northwestern Association for Behavior Analysis (NWABA). That organization was focused on representing behavior analysts and organizing occasional regional conferences for behavior analysts from Washington, Oregon, British Columbia, Idaho, and Montana.

After a brief period of inactivity from 2003 to 2008, NWABA became an active participant among the affiliate chapters of the Association for Behavior Analysis International (ABAI). In 2013, the active behavior analysts’ part of NWABA re-wrote the bylaws and elected to rename it the Washington Association for Behavior Analysis (WABA) after applying for this change to the Association for Behavior Analysis International. Other states and provinces (Oregon and British Columbia) had already organized their own chapters and this unveiling meant the rebirth and refocusing of WABA’s mission; the individual non-profit organization decided to focus its scope on Washington State.

Our current mission is to build a cohesive group of individuals in Washington State dedicated to promoting the ethical research, education, and practice of behavior analysis. Indeed, we are devoted to the science of behavior and its application to social issues, and hope to provide better services and advocacy for all those affected in the State.