The Autism Commission on Quality (ACQ)—a non-profit accreditation body for organizations providing applied behavior analysis (ABA) as a healthcare service—has issued Version 1.2 of its Applied Behavior Analysis Accreditation Program Standards and Guide, effective October 15, 2026. The revised guide clarifies that accurate worker classification falls within organizations’ existing obligation to comply with applicable laws and regulations.
ACQ’s standards already require regulatory compliance in human resource management under Standard 2.01 and in business and clinical operations under Standard 4.01. This includes compliance with applicable requirements governing the classification of workers as employees or independent contractors.
To eliminate ambiguity, Version 1.2 removes the separate worker classification statement from the recommended practices accompanying Standard 2.01. Its placement there could have suggested that compliance with applicable worker classification requirements was optional. The revision clarifies the existing compliance obligation.
“According to our standards, organizations have always had an ongoing responsibility to comply with the laws and regulations that apply to their workforce,” said Rachael Coburn, executive director of ACQ. “This revision provides further clarity and education around this expectation.”
The worker classification clarification does not establish a new legal obligation. Accredited and applicant organizations remain responsible for accurate classification under applicable law and should review the revised guide alongside their existing compliance practices.
Version 1.2 also includes minor revisions to the overview section to reflect previously adopted policy additions and changes.
Click here to access the updated ACQ ABA Standards.
