International Behavior Analysis Organization (IBAO)

What International Behavior Analysis Organization (IBAO) does

The International Behavior Analysis Organization (IBAO) is a private credentialing body founded in 2019 and headquartered in Marietta, Georgia. It issues the International Behavior Analyst (IBA) and International Behavior Therapist (IBT) certifications, along with a portfolio of micro-credentials, professional handbooks, and annual conferences, targeted at Applied Behavior Analysis practitioners outside North America. Founders Dr. Michael M. Mueller and Dr. Ajamu Nkosi established the organization to address barriers non-North-American professionals face in obtaining Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB) credentials, including language limitations, restricted access to approved training course sequences, and geographic constraints.

IBAO operates an online certification and credentialing platform with Credly-issued digital badges and a 28-language public website. Supporting products include the IBAO Academy for micro-credential courses spanning at least ten specialty areas (Autism Spectrum Disorder, Adult Populations, School Settings, Intellectual Disabilities, Developmental Disabilities, Pediatric Feeding, Mental Health, Organizational Behavior Management, Psycho Pharmacology, and Sexual Behavior Analysis), plus annual conferences. Exam delivery, candidate registration, and document distribution are handled through the same digital infrastructure. The platform approach supports light-touch operations with a lean team of 1-10 employees.

IBAO generates revenue primarily through one-time certification fees (IBA Addition at $99, IBA Registration at $299, IBT Addition at $69, and IBT Registration at $120, with the registration tiers including the cost of the examination). Recurring revenue comes from IBAO Academy micro-credentials, an approved CEU/content provider network of 100+ providers, and conferences. Customer reach spans at least 60 countries across five continents, with regional registration intermediated by exclusive partners (ABACS in Russia and a Chinese affiliate covering China/Hong Kong/Taiwan/Macao) and payments localized through OnePay in Vietnam. The directory lists 4,978+ certified professionals, distributed across long-tail individual practitioners and behavioral-health, school, and clinic-based consumers.

Name

International Behavior Analysis Organization (IBAO)

Legal name

International Behavior Analysis Organization, Inc.

Website

https://theibao.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The International Behavior Analysis Organization (IBAO) certifies Applied Behavior Analysis practitioners outside North America through IBA and IBT credentials, micro-credential courses, and conferences, serving 4,978+ professionals across 60+ countries via an online, 28-language credentialing platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Credentialing Services

NAICS

Exam Preparation and Tutoring (611691)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

ABA Staff Training & RBT/Paraprofessional Support Services (EDAKAHAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

ABA Supervision, Clinical Oversight & BCBA Consulting (EDAKAHAH), ABA Program Management, Compliance & Outcomes Measurement (Documentation, Audits) (EDAKAHAM)

Keywords

• Behavior analyst certification
• Professional credentialing services
• Applied behavior analysis
• Continuing education courses
• Digital credential verification

Headquarters

HQ city

Marietta

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. IBA Addition Certification: Certification addition fee for professionals already certified in behavior analysis who want IBA designation. Includes verification of existing certification.
2. IBA Registration: Full candidate registration for IBA certification including exam cost. Candidates complete all requirements including educational, experiential, practice, and supervision tasks.
3. IBT Addition Certification: Certification addition fee for professionals already certified who want IBT designation. Lower tier certification requiring 40-hour training and 300 hours supervised practice.
4. IBT Registration: Full candidate registration for IBT certification including exam cost. Requires completion of 40-hour training, 300 hours supervised practice, and supervision-related tasks.
5. IBAO Academy Micro-Credentials: Continuing education and specialized training courses for behavior analysts covering various populations, settings, and practice areas.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

International Behavior Analysis Organization (IBAO) develops and administers internationally recognized professional certification programs for Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) practitioners, including the International Behavior Analyst (IBA) credential for senior practitioners and the International Behavior Therapist (IBT) credential for front-line therapists. Supporting offerings include IBAO Micro-Credential continuing-education courses across specialty populations and settings, annual professional conferences, and a multilingual document library governing practice standards outside North America.

Product overview

International Behavior Analysis Organization (IBAO) provides a certification ecosystem for applied behavior analysis professionals internationally. The organization offers two primary certification programs: the International Behavior Analyst® (IBA®) for senior practitioners who lead teams and conduct assessments, and the International Behavior Therapist® (IBT®) for front-line therapists who deliver direct services. Supporting these core certifications, IBAO provides specialized Micro-Credentials covering specific populations (Autism Spectrum Disorder, Developmental Disabilities, Adult Populations), settings (School Settings), and practice areas (Organizational Behavior Management, Psycho Pharmacology, Sexual Behavior Analysis). The organization also facilitates professional development through conferences and provides documentation including handbooks and ethical guidelines.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• International Behavior Analyst® (IBA®) Certification
• International Behavior Therapist® (IBT®) Certification
• IBAO Micro-Credentials (IBAO Academy Courses)
• IBAO® Conferences

Quantifiable outcome

• 4,978+ certified professionals globally
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Institute for Credentialing ExcellencecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIBAO is a member of the Institute for Credentialing Excellence, demonstrating their commitment to excellence in certification programs and support of the credentialing community.
• ABACS (Russia)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorExclusive IBAO partner in Russia for IBA and IBT candidate registration. Contact: https://reestrpap.ru, [email protected]. Users in Russian Federation must register through this exclusive partner.
• Chinese Affiliate (ibao-aba.cn)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorExclusive IBAO partner for China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Macao regions. Users in these areas must register through the Chinese affiliate website at ibao-aba.cn.
• CredlycoreTechnology or IntegrationDigital badge platform for issuing and verifying IBA and IBT certifications. Certified professionals receive Credly badges that can be displayed and verified online.
• CEU Providers NetworkmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGlobal network of 100+ approved CEU (Continuing Education Unit) providers who offer training and education for IBAO certified professionals. Providers span multiple countries and languages.
• Approved Content ProvidersmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEducational institutions and organizations approved to provide content for IBA and IBT certification programs, including universities and training organizations globally.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• Prometric: Global test delivery and credentialing services company operating testing centers worldwide. Relevant peer as the standardized assessment infrastructure that underpins professional certification, including for behavior analysis and healthcare credentials.
• PSI Services: Major assessment and testing services provider that delivers certification exams for many credentialing bodies. Comparable as the underlying exam-delivery and psychometrics infrastructure that ABA certifications rely on, paralleling IBAO's relationship with Credly for digital badging.

Broad incumbents

• Association for Behavior Analysis International (ABAI): The primary global scientific and professional association for behavior analysis, hosting conferences and accrediting academic programs. Adjacent peer as the field's umbrella membership body that influences curriculum and credentialing standards relevant to IBAO's certification requirements.
• International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards (IBCCES): Credentialing body issuing the Certified Autism Specialist and related designations across multiple professions. Operates in the same behavior/disability-adjacent credentialing space but serves a broader portfolio beyond ABA practitioners.
• Center for Credentialing & Education (CCE): Credentialing organization under the National Board for Certified Counselors umbrella, offering certifications across behavioral health professions. Comparable as an established credentialing infrastructure provider, though focused on counseling rather than ABA specifically.

Emerging players

• Behavior University: Online training provider for BACB-aligned coursework and continuing education for ABA practitioners. Comparable as an online ABA training and certification-prep platform serving the same international candidate base IBAO targets.

Direct peers

• Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB): The dominant ABA credentialing body whose North America-centric requirements IBAO was explicitly founded to circumvent internationally. BACB issues the BCBA, BCaBA, and RBT certifications that IBAO's IBA and IBT parallel for non-North-American practitioners.
• Qualified Applied Behavior Analysis Credentialing Board (QABA): Alternative ABA credentialing organization issuing the Qualified Behavior Analyst (QBA) and Assistant Behavior Analyst (QaBA) certifications. Targets practitioners seeking credentials outside the BACB pathway, overlapping directly with IBAO's value proposition.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/theibao

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about International Behavior Analysis Organization (IBAO)