Kentucky’s law (KRS 319C) governing applied behavior analysts identifies the Kentucky Applied Behavior Analysis Licensing Board (part of the Kentucky Public Protection Cabinet, Office of Occupations and Professions) as being responsible for issuing state licenses for ABAs.
This law further identifies the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB) as the sponsor of the national credential you must earn and maintain to qualify for state licensure: Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA®).
Kentucky law also recognizes the professional classification of assistant behavior analyst, issuing licenses to qualified candidates that meet requirements for the BACB’s Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst (BCaBA®) credential.
Step 1. Earn a Relevant Graduate Degree
To be eligible to take the BCBA® (Board Certified Behavior Analyst) examination, the BACB (Behavior Analyst Certification Board) requires you to have at least a master’s degree in behavior analysis or in a similar field like psychology or education. You must also satisfy specific graduate-level coursework requirements in behavior analysis.
All master’s or doctoral degree programs that have received accreditation/recognition from the Association for Behavior Analysis International (ABAI) or accreditation by the Association for Professional Behavior Analysts (APBA) provide a seamless pathway to BCBA® certification because they include all of the necessary educational requirements.
However, you can still qualify for BCBA® certification by earning a master’s or doctoral degree and completing the following graduate-level coursework in behavior analysis (totals 315 hours):
- 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
You must provide the BACB with proof that you have met these requirements by either:
- Completing an ABAI-Verified Course Sequence – A Verified Course Sequence is a set of courses that have been pre-verified by the ABAI as meeting coursework requirements (they maintain an ABAI Verified Course Sequence Directory)* OR
- Undergoing a Course-by-Course Review: A course-by-course review must be completed by your department chair, dean, or BCBA-certified VCS coordinator, who then completes a Non-Verified Course Content Attestation for the BACB.
*The ABAI announced that it is ending the VCS system on December 31, 2025. Beginning in 2026, verification must occur through the student’s university to demonstrate that the coursework standards have been met.
Prerequisites for Master’s Degrees
Enrolling in a master’s program in behavior analysis involves meeting degree and course prerequisites. These are determined by each school and can include anything from holding a general bachelor’s degree to having a specific undergraduate degree and/or fulfilling course prerequisites.
Examples of specific bachelor’ degrees you may be required/preferred to have include those in:
- Education
- Counseling
- Psychology
- Special education
- Sociology
Specific course prerequisites you may encounter include those covering topics in:
- Special education methodologies
- General psychology
- Applied behavior analysis
- Research methods
- Statistics
- Conditioning and learning
- Experimental design
- Developmental psychology
Content of Master’s Programs in Behavior Analysis
An acceptable master’s in behavior analysis program covers a range of topics that will prepare you to practice as a professional in this field:
- Applied behavior analysis introduction
- Ethical and legal issues in behavior analysis
- Methodologies of behavior change
- Single subject research designs
- Applied and theoretical behavior analysis according to Skinner’s models
- Conducting behavioral assessments
- Advanced behavior analysis
Comprehensive behavior analysis master’s programs include a thesis and supervised field experience. The thesis is a research-based paper that represents the culmination of your abilities to apply the theory, practice, and implementation of behavior analysis. The thesis is your unique contribution to this field, and may incorporate practica, mentored, and supervised experience that you’ve completed as part of your master’s program.
Education Requirements for Assistant Behavior Analysts
To be eligible for the BACB’s Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst (BCaBA®) examination you must have a bachelor’s degree in any subject from an accredited institution and complete coursework in the following subjects:
- Principles and concepts of behavior analysis
- Ethical and professional conduct
- Research methods in behavior analysis
- Applied behavior analysis
Step 2. Complete the Supervised Experience Requirement
To become eligible to take the BCBA® examination you must complete a period of supervised fieldwork totaling between 1,500 and 2,000 hours. The number of hours is dependent upon the amount of supervision you receive by a qualified BCBA®, licensed, registered psychologist certified in behavioral and cognitive psychology, or ABAI-verified instructor.
Qualifying supervised experience includes these elements:
- Development of performance expectations
- Behavioral skills training, observation, and delivery of performance feedback
- Modeling of ethical, professional, and technical behavior
- Guidance of behavioral case decision making, conceptualization, and problem solving
- Review of written materials like reports, behavior programs, and data sheets
- Evaluation and oversight regarding the effects of the behavioral service delivery and supervision
- Up to half of the supervision can be conducted in small groups
- The supervised experience must be conducted according to a written contract pre-established between you and your supervisor
- The supervised experience must be well documented, including hours and activities
Most ABAI-accredited/recognized and APBA-accredited programs include an embedded practicum where you can earn all or most of the required fieldwork hours. Most students of these programs satisfy the experience requirements before they graduate. Your program director will help you locate and secure a qualified supervisor and practice site where you can earn your fieldwork hours.
Supervision Requirements for Assistants
Licensed assistant behavior analysts must complete at least 1,300 hours of supervised fieldwork or 1,000 hours of concentrated supervised fieldwork.
Step 3. Pass the BCBA® Examination
Once you have earned an appropriate graduate degree, completed the required graduate-level coursework in behavior analysis, and fulfilled the fieldwork requirements, you will be eligible to take the BCBA® examination.
You must apply to the BACB, who will then approve your application and allow you to register to take the BCBA® exam through Pearson VUE, which has testing sites throughout the U.S., including Lexington and Louisville.
Board Certified Behavioral Analyst (BCBA®) Exam Content
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%
Examination Requirements for Assistant Behavior Analysts
The process of applying for, scheduling, and taking the BCaBA® exam, and its content are similar to those for the BCBA® exam. You are eligible for this once you have completed your requisite education and supervised experience.
Step 4. Meet Additional State Requirements for Licensure
Before you can be eligible for licensure by the Kentucky Applied Behavior Licensing Board, you’ll need to complete these requirements. This holds true for applied behavior analysts and assistant behavior analysts, including those applying for temporary licenses.
Abuse, neglect, and exploitation training – All applicants must complete five hours of training on identifying and reporting abuse, neglect, and exploitation. This must be in accordance with Kentucky Revised Statutes (KRS) Chapter 209, and should be completed through one of these approved agencies:
- The Cabinet for Health and Family Services
- Department of Kentucky State Police
- A law enforcement agency
- From the office of a Commonwealth’s attorney or county attorney
- From a division of the Office of the Attorney General
Review relevant laws – All applicants must also attest they have reviewed the following laws:
Step 5. Apply for Licensure with the Kentucky Applied Behavior Analysis Licensing Board
You must complete an Application for Licensure and provide the Board with:
- Official academic transcripts showing completion of required education
- Verification of current appropriate certification by the BACB
- Proof of completion of five hours of Board-approved training in reporting abuse, neglect, and exploitation
- The appropriate application review and licensure fee:
- Licensed Behavior Analyst (LBA): $400
- Assistant Behavior Analyst (LaBA): $300
- Temporary Licensed Behavior Analyst (TLBA): $300
- Temporary Licensed Assistant Behavior Analyst (TLaBA): $200
All license applicants should send their application and accompanying documents/fees to:
Kentucky Applied Behavior Analysis Licensing Board
P.O. Box 1360
Frankfurt, KY 40602
Temporary license – You can qualify for a temporary license as an applied behavioral analyst or assistant behavior analyst if you have completed all your academic course requirements for the appropriate BACB certification but are still in the process of satisfying the fieldwork requirements. You must practice under the supervision of an applied behavioral analyst if you hold a temporary license, and this license cannot be renewed.
License renewal – A license issued by the Kentucky Applied Behavior Analysis Licensing Board expires every two years on the last day in the month it was originally issued. To renew, you must fill out an application for licensure renewal with this board. Your renewal application must include the following:
- Indicate if you are renewing an applied behavior analyst or assistant behavior analyst license
- Affirm that you have reviewed the relevant Kentucky laws: Kentucky Revised Statutes (KRS) 319 and Kentucky Administrative Regulations (KRS) Title 201, Chapter 43
- Proof of current BACB certification
Maintaining your BACB certification involves biannual renewal with the BACB. This requires completing continuing education as follows:
- Applied behavior analysts (those with BCBA® certification) – 32 units of approved continuing education
- Assistant behavior analyst (those with BCaBA® certification) – 20 units of approved continuing education and maintenance of supervision requirements
At least four hours of continuing education must relate to ethics. Approved continuing education can include:
- College and university coursework
- Scholarly activities
- Retaking and passing the certification exam
- Education from approved providers
- Teaching or instruction activities
House Bill 159: Opening Doors For ABA Treatment for Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Kentucky’s House Bill 159, which was enacted in 2010, was a monumental one, as it addressed the practice of ABA, the licensure of applied behavior analysts, and insurance coverage for the diagnosis and treatment of autism spectrum disorders for individuals between the ages of one and 21. The Bill also clearly defined terms relating to ABA and autism spectrum disorders, thereby opening the door for the widespread coverage of ABA therapy for one of the state’s most vulnerable populations.
The Bill specified a maximum coverage of $12,000 for individuals between seven and 21 years of age. It also required individual and small group market health benefit plans to provide coverage for autism spectrum disorders in the amount of $1,000 per month for pharmacy, psychiatric, psychological, therapeutic, ABA, and rehabilitative care for the treatment of autism spectrum disorders.
It was later amended to remove all caps on coverage.
ABA Providers Making a Difference in Kentucky
Since the passage of HB159, services for individuals with autism spectrum disorder in Kentucky have expanded exponentially. Many ABA centers operate throughout the state, providing individuals with ASD and other developmental and behavioral disorders with proven ABA therapies. Just some of the ABA centers in Kentucky making a difference include:
Applied ABC, Louisville: Applied ABC offers a variety of services, including center-based therapy, which includes one-one-sessions and group activities; home-based therapy, which includes one-on-one sessions in the home; in-person or virtual social skills groups that help children build their social skills and self-confidence; and in-school services, which also includes tailored educational experiences through their own Birch Academy.
Surpass Behavioral Health, Elizabethtown: Surpass Behavioral Health provides personalized autism services through their ABA therapy center. They offer one-on-one care, customized treatment plans, full-time ABA day programs, and part-time afternoon programs. ABA programs are offered at their Elizabethtown center, at home, or at school.
Action Behavior Center, Louisville: A leading ABA therapy provider in Louisville, Action Behavior Center is staffed with therapists who provide autism testing and evaluation services, as well as center- and home-based ABA therapy. They also offer ongoing parent training and take a collaborative approach to therapy by working with teachers, SLPs, PTs, and OTs.