The state of Arkansas does not offer any special licensing for Applied Behavior Analysts (ABA). Instead employers and clients rely solely on national credentials from the Behavior Analysis Certification Board to (BACB) to validate the expertise and capability of ABAs in the state.
Those same nationally-recognized credentials are the basis for licensing in almost all states where state-issued credentials are required, so the standards for ABAs in Arkansas are consistent with what you find around the country.
A New House Bill Could Mean ABA Licensure is Coming to Arkansas Soon
Offering ABA as part of a broader slate of counseling or therapy services does require a state-issued counseling or therapy license along with an ABA endorsement.
While there currently is no Arkansas license for BCBAs providing ABA services that are not a part of professional counseling and therapy, that may be changing soon.
A bill proposed in the state House in early 2025, HB 1245, would create a license program for ABAs through the Arkansas Psychology Board and prevent unlicensed individuals from practicing or representing themselves as registered behavior analysts.
Like most states, this license would only be available to applicants who hold Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA)® or a higher qualifying credential through the Behavior Analyst Certification Board.
Stay tuned for updates as the bill progresses through the House.
BCBA® Certification is a De Facto Requirement, Even if Not Legally Required by the State of Arkansas
Without national certification as a Board Certified Behavioral Analyst (BCBA®) from the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB), you would be hard pressed to find a job, market services as an independent practitioner, or be reimbursed for services you provide in Arkansas.
Billing for services under Medicare or Medicaid, and through most private insurers, requires you to hold BCBA® certification. And the Arkansas Division of Developmental Disabilities Services (DDDS) of the Arkansas Department of Human Services requires that private health insurers operating in the state cover ABA services for autism spectrum disorder for individuals under age 18, but only when delivered by a BCBA®.
And as you would expect, employers are going to require applicants to hold the BCBA® to ensure the integrity of the services their clinic offers and the safety of their clients.
License and Endorsement Requirements for Professional Counselors and Therapists Offering ABA Services
The state law regulating licensure for counseling professionals, Title 17, Subtitle 2, Chapter 27 requires that any individual presenting themselves as a counselor or therapist for hire must obtain a valid license.
And since a separate license for behavior analysts providing therapy services is not available—instead, therapists or counselors providing ABA services must apply for, and receive, a license as a professional counselor (or, alternatively, as a licensed marriage and family therapist, although this is less common) with a specialization in behavior analysis.
The Arkansas Board of Examiners in Counseling (ABEC) oversees both counseling licenses and ABA specialty endorsements for counselors.
A specialty endorsement requires credentialing from the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB) as a qualification. The acceptable credentials are:
- BCBA® (Board Certified Behavior Analyst) – master’s level credential
- BCBA®-D (Board Certified Behavior Analyst-Doctoral) (not considered a separate credential and does not grant a higher level of authority; requires the BCBA® to be earned first)
Arkansas does not recognize any credentials for BACB-certified assistant applied behavior analysts or registered behavior technicians. Again, however, some insurance companies may require these credentials for compensation in certain behavioral treatments.
Steps and Requirements To Becoming a Licensed ABA in Arkansas
Step 1. Choose a Path to ABA Licensure Based on Your Career Path
(If you will be providing ABA services only, skip to Step 2)
The first step to qualifying for a counseling license with an ABA endorsement in Arkansas is to obtain a master’s or higher degree with a primarily content focus on professional counseling from a regionally accredited institution.
Degree hours must meet the training content standards of the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Education Programs (CACREP).
Because there is little overlap in most graduate programs between courses that meet CACREP content standards and those through graduate programs that meet BACB Acceptable Degree Definitions or Verified Course Sequences required for credentialing, you might choose to obtain your master’s degree in a counseling-related field and opt for a graduate certificate in Applied Behavior Analysis.
A graduate certificate would allow you to meet the educational coursework requirements for the BCBA® (Board Certified Behavior Analyst) certification without matriculating into a full behavior analyst master’s program.
After fulfilling the academic requirements, you would compile and submit an application to the Arkansas Board of Examiners in Counseling.
The application process costs $200 and involves:
- Taking and passing the National Counselor Examination (NCE) online
- Passing an oral examination conducted by the board
- Successfully passing a criminal background check
Upon successfully completing that process, you will be licensed as an associate counselor.
Associate counselor is an intermediate license step; as an associate, you will have to complete 3000 hours of supervised therapy practice before becoming eligible to advance to LPC (Licensed Professional Counselor). The process typically takes about three years.
Alternatively, it is possible to become a licensed marriage and family therapist in preparation for you ABA endorsement. The requirements and application process follows a similar set of steps.
Step 2. Qualify for National Certification in Behavior Analysis by Meeting Experience Requirements
Whether you are a licensed counselor or therapist looking to add an ABA endorsement, or aspiring to become an ABA exclusively, you will need to be credentialed through the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB).
Also, the Division of Developmental Disabilities Services (DDDS) uses BACB definitions and credentialing in their rules for required compensation for insurance companies in behavioral health care.
To become recognized as an applied behavior analyst and to be able to be reimbursed for ABA services in accordance with state law, you must first earn a BACB credential:
- Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA®)
OR
- Less commonly, the Board Certified Behavior Analyst-Doctoral (BCBA®-D) for those that might hold a doctorate
Even if you already hold state-level licensure as an associate counselor or LPC through the Arkansas Board of Examiners in Counseling (ABEC), you will need to earn one of these nationally recognized credentials to be recognized at the state level as a specialist in applied behavior analysis and be able to receive insurance compensation for ABA services.
The BCBA® Will Require a Master’s Degree With ABA Coursework
Even if you don’t need a counselor’s license to practice ABA treatments exclusively in Arkansas, you’ll still need a master’s degree to qualify for the BCBA®.
The clearest fit to meet BACB requirements is a master’s in applied behavior analysis from a program accredited by ABAI (Association of Behavior Analysis International) or APBA (Association of Professional Behavior Analysts).
However, it’s also possible to earn a master’s in psychology or education as long as it has BACB-approved coursework. You may also get that coursework through a post-graduate certificate program.
A VCS (Verified Course Sequence) coordinator affiliated with ABAI or APBA must attest to the coursework qualifications from non-accredited programs, or you can undergo a course-by-course review.
By the end of 2025, ABAI hopes to have in place a tiered approval model that should make VCS obsolete.
BACB Requires Supervised Experience To Make Sure You Have Hands-On Skills
The BCBA® maintains experience standards you will have to meet to become certified:
- 1500 hours of concentrated supervised independent fieldwork
OR
- 2000 hours of supervised fieldwork
During your period of pre-certification experience, a current BCBA®-holder is required to provide you with supervision and evaluation for each of the following categories. The supervisor will both attest to the completion of the required hours and evaluate your performance in a number of different aspects of care, including:
- Timeliness
- Professionalism
- Self-analysis
- Sensitivity to non-behavioral professionals
- Skills-acquisition
Step 3. Take the National Behavior Analyst Exam
Once you have attained the requisite educational and experience requirements, you will have to pass the National Behavior Analyst Exam from the BCAB. The exam is administered by Pearson VUE and offered in exam centers around the nation.
In Arkansas, you would be able to schedule your exam at testing centers located in Fort Smith, Little Rock, or Texarkana. There’s no restriction, however, so if a testing center outside the state works better for you, it still counts.
To take the test, you must first register online with the BACB. You will have to provide the necessary paperwork to verify that you have completed the educational and experience requirements for the BCAB certification when registering for and scheduling the exam.
There are nine content areas covered in the exam, with a total of 175 questions (plus 10 un-scored questions). These are the areas covered, together with the number of questions contained in each:
- Behaviorism and Philosophical Foundations – 8
- Concepts and Principles – 24
- Measurement, Data Display, and Interpretation – 21
- Experimental Design – 13
- Ethical and Professional Issues – 22
- Behavioral Assessment – 23
- Behavior-Change Procedures – 25
- Selecting and Implementing Interventions – 20
- Personnel Supervision and Management – 19
For additional and more in-depth information on obtaining the BCBA®, visit the following page on the subject:
Click here for step-by-step instructions on the BCBA® credentialing process.
Step 4. Apply for a Specialization Endorsement or License
If you obtain your BCBA® before starting on the LPC application process, you can apply for your specialization endorsement as a part of the LPC application.
Otherwise, you will have to file a separate specialization application with ABEC through the online Applicant Portal to receive your behavior analysis specialty endorsement.
You will have to provide documentation to verify your BCBA® with your application.
In either case, the specialization is an additional $50 fee.
License Renewal for Behavior Analysts in Arkansas
LPC licenses are renewed on a biennial basis, expiring on June 30 of the year that falls two years after the license was originally issued. Renewal packets are due in prior to May 30; packets mailed after that date are subject to a late fee of $200. Failure to renew within twelve months of expiration will result in the license expiring. There is no process for reinstatement; you will have to reapply for a license and the behavior analysis specialization.
The renewal fee is $300, and you must also document at least 24 hours of continuing education in counseling, including 2 hours of ethics training. Additionally, you will have to show 6 hours of continuing education specifically in behavior analysis in order to maintain your specialty license.