How to Become an Applied Behavior Analyst in Florida

Florida remains just one of 12 states in the U.S. with no state licensing requirements for behavior analysts. Instead, the state defers credentialing for applied behavior analysis (ABA) professionals to the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB), which offers the nationally recognized BCBA® (Board Certified Behavior Analyst®) certification.

At one time, the Florida Behavior Analysis Certification Program, which was part of the Florida Department of Children and Families/APD, certified Florida’s behavior analysts. However, in October 2003, the Florida Behavior Analysis Certification Program shut down. Individuals certified under this program are permitted to continue using the Florida Certified Behavior Analyst® (FL-CBA®) designation, although the designation is only recognized within the state. FL-CBAs® whose certification has expired must reapply under current BCBA requirements.

Holding the widely respected BCBA® designation allows you to demonstrate to your colleagues, clients, and employers that you have met national standards for the profession and have demonstrated your skills and competency through national examination.

Earning a Master’s Degree and Qualifying for the BCBA® Credential in Florida

Without a state licensing board in place for applied behavior analysts in Florida, the nationally recognized Board-Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA®) certification offered through the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB) has become the standard qualification for those entering the field.

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Education Requirements

The first step in the credentialing process is to earn a master’s or doctorate degree in behavior analysis or in a similar field such as education or psychology.

To ensure your program meets the BACB’s curriculum standards, select from online or campus-based programs accredited by the Association for Professional Behavior Analysts (APBA) or accredited or recognized by the Association for Behavior Analysis International (ABAI).

You may also meet requirements for BCBA® certification by earning a master’s degree or above and complete 315 hours of graduate coursework in behavior analysis that includes:

  • BACB Ethics Code and Code-Enforcement System; Professionalism: 45 hours
  • Philosophical Underpinnings; Concepts and Principles: 90 hours
  • Measurement, Data Display and Interpretation; Experimental Design: 45 hours
  • Behavior Assessment: 45 hours
  • Behavior-Change Procedures; Selecting and Implementing Interventions: 60 hours
  • Personnel Supervision and Management: 60 hours

If you are applying based on coursework, you must provide proof that you have met the above coursework requirements through a course-by-course review (your department chair, dean, or BCBA®-certified VCS Coordinator must review your course materials and complete a Non-Verified Course Content Attestation) or by completing an ABAI Verified Course Sequence – VCS). Note: The VCS system is ending on December 31, 2025. Beginning in 2026, verification must occur through the student’s university to demonstrate that the coursework standards have been met.

Experience Requirements

Along with the completion of a qualifying graduate degree, you must complete a period of supervised fieldwork totaling between 1,500 and 2,000 hours within a five-year period. Your fieldwork may fall into one of two categories, with each category requiring a different degree of supervision from a qualified BCBA®, a licensed, registered psychologist certified in behavioral and cognitive psychology, or an ABAI-verified instructor:

  • Supervised Independent Fieldwork: 2,000 hours (5% of which must be supervised)
  • Concentrated Supervised Fieldwork: 1,500 hours (10% of which must be supervised)

You can begin accruing supervised fieldwork hours as soon as you begin taking your qualifying graduate-level behavior-analytic coursework and have secured a qualified supervisor. Your program director will help you secure a qualified supervisor and site where you can earn the required hours. If you earn your degree through an ABAI-accredited/recognized program or APBA-accredited program, you’ll likely complete most or all of the required hours as part of your practicum.

Just some of the Florida ABA providers where you may be able to complete your fieldwork include:

  • ABC Interventions, St. Petersburg
  • Applied Behavior Innovations, Jupiter
  • Behavior Dynamics, Miami Lakes
  • Behavior Builders, LLC, Jacksonville
  • Behavior Consulting of Tampa Bay, Tampa
  • Breaking Barriers, Ft. Lauderdale
  • Creative Behavior Solutions, Miami
  • Development and Behavior Therapy, Boca Raton
  • Florida Autism Center, Tallahassee, Doral, Palm Coast
  • Heal the World Behavioral Services, Miami

Exam Requirements

You must apply to the BACB to qualify to take the BCBA® exam, the last step required to earn certification.

The BCBA exam includes 175 scored questions and 104 tasks that are divided into the following domains:

  • Behaviorism and Philosophical Foundations: 5%
  • Concepts and Principles: 14%
  • Measurement, Data Display, and Interpretation: 12%
  • Experimental Design: 7%
  • Ethical and Professional Issues: 13%
  • Behavior Assessment: 13%
  • Behavior-Change Procedures: 14%
  • Selecting and Implementing Interventions: 11%
  • Personnel Supervision and Management: 11%

The BCBA® exam is administered by Pearson VUE. You can take the exam at one of the Pearson VUE testing sites throughout the U.S. In Florida, there are Pearson VUE testing sites located in:

  • Lakeland
  • Orlando
  • Tampa
  • Port Charlotte
  • Pensacola
  • Tallahassee
  • Jacksonville
  • Gainesville
  • Pembroke Pines
  • Doral
  • Plantation
  • Fort Myers
  • Deerfield Beach
  • St. Petersburg

Click here for detailed step-by-step instructions on the BCBA® credentialing process.

Florida’s Efforts to Improve the Lives of Individuals with Autism and Other Developmental Disorders

Florida has made significant, meaningful strides in recent years for children and adults with autism and other developmental disorders, which has resulted in an increase in the availability of ABA services. Autism Speaks, which maintains a directory of ABA service providers throughout the U.S., lists 322 providers in Florida alone.

One of the biggest game changers for ABA services in Florida occurred in 2008, when Governor Charlie Crist established the Task Force on Autism Spectrum Disorders. The goal of the task force was to establish a unified agenda so the state could better address the needs of individuals with autism.

Today, the task force consists of 18-22 members that includes parents, representatives of state and local government agencies, healthcare providers, and advocates for the autistic.

Florida is also home to no less than seven regional Centers for Autism and Related Disabilities (CARD) sites, which are housed at state universities. CARD sites provide information, training, and resources for individuals with autism and other developmental disorders. They also support state agencies when developing training for early childcare providers and educators of children with developmental disabilities.

Some of the state agencies collaborating with CARD include:

  • Florida Early Steps
  • Florida Department of Education
  • Florida Network on Disabilities
  • Florida Inclusion Network
  • Florida Independent Living Council
  • Whole Child Florida

In recent years, new legislation has expanded ABA services in Florida. In 2016, Governor Rick Scott signed House Bill 221, which requires HMOs and other insurance policies to cover ABA services for the treatment of Down Syndrome. Previously, Florida statutes covered ABA services only for the treatment of autism. This change significantly expands the law to help many other Florida citizens qualify for ABA services.

In April 2022, Bill CS/HB 255 allows behavior technicians working under the direction of BCBAs and mental health professionals who are employed by an enrolled Medicaid provider to provide ABA services in the classroom setting.

And beginning in February 2025, ABA services will be reimbursed by the Florida Statewide Medicaid Managed Care (SMMC) program.

ABA Providers Making a Difference in Florida

Applied behavioral analysts in Florida are leading the charge and improving the lives of individuals with autism and other developmental disabilities. These professionals work in schools, hospitals, colleges/universities, non-profit agencies, and mental health practices, among others.

Just a sampling of some of the ABA providers in Florida making a difference include:

Square One Behavioral Services Inc., Palm Beach County

Square One Behavioral Services offers ABA services in the home, school, and community. BCBAs conduct behavioral assessments and create customized interventions. Their services extend to the school setting, where they offer services that help children enhance their social skills and classroom interactions.

Parent training is also a part of the services provided at Square One Behavioral Services. Comprehensive parent training includes demonstrating effective behavior management techniques and offering valuables skills and resources.

Angels Therapy Center, Miami

Angels Therapy Center provides a wide array of individualized ABA programs and services designed to support children with autism and their families. This ABA-based center specializes in providing intervention for children with autism using the verbal behavior branch of ABA through age-appropriate play.

The applied behavior analysts of the Angels Therapy Center work with children in areas such as:

  • Social skills
  • Communication
  • Life skills
  • Academics
  • Visual and performing arts

Alpine Academy, Orlando

The Alpine Academy provides opportunities for students with autism, ADHD, specific learning disabilities, and other behavioral or emotional needs.

The behavior analysts of the Alpine Academy work alongside educators to provide individualized instruction and careful monitoring of their progress. They implement ABA therapies and techniques to improve academic skills, as well as communication, social, self-care, and self-management skills to help students lead successful, productive lives.

The Language and Learning Skills Program here utilizes intensive ABA instruction in the areas of language and critical learning skills for children with autism or other developmental disabilities.

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Better Life Behavioral Services of Central Florida, Leesburg

Better Life Behavioral Services of Central Florida provides ABA services in Lake and Sumter Counties, focusing on the development of a plan to treat behavioral excesses and deficits using an ABA approach.

The behavioral analysts of Better Life Behavioral Services provide a focused and comprehensive treatment approach for children and adults with autism, developmental disabilities, developmental delays, and disabled adults that exhibit dangerous behavior.

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