Behavior analysts in Connecticut are licensed by the State Department of Public Health. The legislation passed to create the license in 2014 was based closely on the model legislation proposed by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB), a national non-profit that offers the gold standard certification for the burgeoning industry: Board-Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA®). So it’s no surprise that becoming a licensed behavior analyst here requires first earning your Board-Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA®) certification.
This is right in line with not only most other states that licenses ABA-practitioners, but also best practices in the industry. It requires earning a master’s degree and building up as much as a year of practical experience under careful supervision. But it opens up your ability to provide treatment to thousands of Connecticut residents with ADHD, ASD, brain injuries, addiction, and more.
Steps To Becoming a Licensed ABA in Connecticut
There are four steps you will have to follow to get an ABA license in Connecticut:
 | Earn a Master’s Degree in Behavior Analysis |
 | Complete a Period of Supervised Practice |
 | Pass BACB’s BCBA® Certification Exam |
 | Apply for Your License With Connecticut’s State Department of Public Health |
Step 1. Choose a Path to Licensure and Earn a Master’s Degree at Minimum
The first step, and probably the longest, is getting the education you need for your license.
Since the license is tied to a BCBA®, that means your minimum level of education is a master’s degree.
BACB accepts master’s programs in education, psychology, or behavior analysis, but the preferred program is a Master of Applied Behavior Analysis that has been accredited by ABAI (Applied Behavior Analysis International) or APBA (Association of Professional Behavior Analysts).
Accredited programs will automatically come with the coursework required by BACB in areas like:
- The Philosophical Foundation of Behaviorism
- Ethical and Professional Issues
- Behavioral Assessment
- Selecting and Implementing Behavior-Change Interventions
It’s also possible to become a BCBA® through teaching behavior analysis at the college level or gaining post-doctoral experience in the field after getting a PhD or PsyD degree. In both cases, you’ll still also need to pass the 175-question BCBA® certification exam, however.
Click here for step-by-step instructions on the BCBA® credentialing process.
Step 2. Complete a Period of Supervised Practice
ABA is a field that often turns on the small, practical distinctions you find between patients and behaviors out in the real world. That means a license isn’t something you get without substantial real-world experience. Getting that experience in a controlled and supervised environment is the important second step on the road to a BCBA® and Connecticut ABA licensure.
BACB outlines your options for gaining that experience through two kinds of training:
- Concentrated supervised independent fieldwork – 1500 hours: Evaluation, observation, planning, and behavioral intervention performed with a high-level of supervisory contact with an experienced practitioner overseeing your work
- Supervised independent fieldwork – 2000 hours: Similar hands-on ABA practice conducted with a supervisor, but without as much close contact and direct supervision
It’s possible to mix and match the two kinds of experience for a total number of hours that comes out somewhere in the middle. The BACB® Handbook offers additional details about experiential training requirements.
All of this is designed to take the theory you’ve learned in the classroom and teach you how to apply it in the real-world. Supervisors, whether working for your employer or as an independent, currently-licensed BCBA® or psychologist, provide guidance and advice throughout the process. They also attest to your successful absorption of important skills and adherence to ethical and professional standards in the field.
Step 3. Pass BACB’s BCBA® Certification Exam
The final step in earning your BCBA® certification is passing the exam administered by Pearson VUE.
The test has 175 multiple-choice questions that you must complete within four hours. Those questions are grouped into nine content areas that comprehensively cover the material you studied in an approved degree program or course sequence, as well as the practical lessons from your experiential learning.
In Connecticut, you’ll find exam centers in Norwalk, Wallingford, and Wethersfield, but you’re also free to use out-of-state centers in New York or Massachusetts if they are more convenient.
It’s possible to retest if you fail the exam on the first try, but studying your own notes as well as the BCBA Test Content Outline should prepare you to pass right away.
Step 4. Apply for Your License With Connecticut’s State Department of Public Health
All that work getting your BCBA® certification boils down to being able to submit it to Connecticut’s Department of Public Health, who will verify it.
Although the state doesn’t offer reciprocal licensing, they do want to see official verification of any out-of-state licenses, current or expired, that you have held. This is done to ensure there are no significant disciplinary actions on your track record.
All behavior analyst applications must be made online through the Department of Public Health website. The application fee is $350.
Connecticut requires out-of-state behavioral health providers to register and be currently licensed in another jurisdiction if providing remote ABA services to a Connecticut patient.
It’s also possible to gain licensure by endorsement as a behavior analyst in Connecticut. This means that you are already licensed or certified in another state or jurisdiction to perform similar services. By providing proof of your current license in good standing elsewhere, the Department may award a Connecticut license as well.
Keep Your Behavior Analyst License Current in Connecticut
Like both the BACB and other states that license behavior analysts, Connecticut requires that you periodically renew that credential.
That happens each year, in the month of your birth. You should receive notice approximately 60 days before expiration.
Continuing education requirements for rental are light. During your first renewal period, you must complete at least two hours of training that has been approved by the Connecticut Association for Behavior Analysis or a hospital or regionally accredited college or university in screening for PTSD, suicide risk, depression, and suicide prevention training. You’ll need to refresh that CE at least once every six years thereafter to keep your license.
The fee for renewal is $175. If you allow your license to lapse for a period of more than five years, you may need to undergo refresher training to get it back. License reinstatement costs the same as initially applying, $350.
Additional Resources for ABAs in Connecticut
An important part of that community is the Connecticut Association for Behavior Analysis (CTABA), a non-profit organization advocating for the profession and for state-wide credentialing. Membership in the organization is free. CTABA provides updates on the status of licensing regulation in the state and offers a forum for practicing behavior analysts to have input on the process and to add their feedback and support.
The organization also provides consolidated job listings for behavior analysts in Connecticut. As with many other states, many of the positions listed are with institutions dealing with the influx of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) patients that have risen over the past decades. Examples include the SEED Autism Center in Westchester County and the South Bay Community Services.
CTABA played a vital role in advocating for licensing legislation in Connecticut for applied behavior analysts, and will certainly continue to play a role in shaping any new regulations for the field. It’s also a resource for practicing behavior analysts in the state who need support or assistance in matters of licensing, insurance authorizations, supervision, and more.