Though Delaware’s applied behavior analysts aren’t state licensed, the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services enacted legislation (Senate Bill 22) in 2012 that set clear standards for autism providers.
The legislation outlines the two types of professionals qualified to serve as autism service providers eligible for insurance reimbursement:
- State licensed professionals to include physicians, psychologists and their assistants, psychiatrists, speech language pathologists and SLP assistants, occupational therapists and OT aides, physical therapists and their assistants, mental health counselors, clinical social workers, and APRNS.
- Nationally certified applied behavior analysts that hold the Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA®) certification through the Behavior Analyst Certification Board and those working under their supervision, namely Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analysts (BCaBA®) and Registered Behavior Technicians (RBT®).
In addition to requiring health plans to cover the diagnosis and treatment of autism spectrum disorder for residents age 21 and younger, SB 22 clarifies services that must be covered, which include applied behavior analysis (ABA). Since then, a great deal of progress has been made in Delaware, and ABA has become a widely available service for Delaware’s children and adults.
How to Become an Applied Behavioral Analyst in Delaware
As of January 2025, Delaware is just one of 12 states that doesn’t license applied behavior analysts.
Even in the absence of licensing laws, Delaware’s insurance laws, which only allow certified ABA professionals to provide autism services eligible for reimbursement, have made the Behavior Analyst Certification Board’s (BACB) BCBA® credential the natural path to entering practice as an ABA in the state. Earning the BCBA® credential involves:
- Earning a master’s degree in an approved field
- Completing a period of supervised professional experience
- Passing a national examination
Lesser credentials are available for assistants (BCaBA® requires a bachelor’s degree) and technicians (RBT® requires a high school diploma), but the BCBA® is the credential that is appropriate for those interested in providing assessment and therapy without the need for supervision.
Education Requirements
You can meet the educational requirements for BCBA® certification in one of two ways:
- Earn a master’s degree from an Association for Professional Behavior Analysts (APBA)-accredited program or an Association for Behavior Analysis International (ABAI)-accredited or recognized behavior analysis master’s or doctoral degree;
OR - Earn a master’s degree or above in behavior analysis or a similar field like psychology or education 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 for BCBA® certification through graduate coursework, you must be able to show proof that you completed the required coursework by:
- Submitting a course-by course review: Your program director, department chair, or BCBA-certified VCS coordinator must review your courses and complete a Non-Verified Course Contest Attestation on your behalf
- Completing a Verified Course Sequence (VCS): You can satisfy the required coursework by completing an ABAI-Verified Course Sequence (verify through the ABAI Verified Course Sequence Directory)*
*The VCS system is ending on December 31, 2025. As of 2026, all students qualifying through course review must receive verification from their university that demonstrates all coursework standards have been met.
Qualifying programs are offered as conventional campus-based programs and online programs. Online programs have become a popular choice for many students pursuing an ABA degree. Online BACB-approved programs offer the same course of study as their campus-based counterparts yet allow students to complete the didactic component of the program through distance-based study and satisfy practicum requirements at nearby facilities throughout Delaware.
(Alternately, candidates that hold an acceptable doctorate for at least ten years and have been actively working in the field for the past ten years minimum would also meet education qualifications for the BCBA®.)
Experience Requirements
You must complete between 1,500 and 2,000 hours of supervised fieldwork within a five-year period to qualify to take the BCBA® exam. You can begin accruing these hours as soon as you begin taking the qualifying graduate-level courses in behavior analysis and have secured a qualified supervisor. Your program director will help you secure a supervisor and site where you can begin earning your field experience. ABAI-accredited/approved programs and APBA-accredited programs usually include a practicum where students can satisfy most or all of their required fieldwork hours.
The difference in fieldwork hour requirements lies in amount of supervision you receive:
- Supervised independent fieldwork: 2,000 hours (must be under the supervision of a qualified BCBA®, licensed psychologist, or ABAI-verified instructor at least 5% of the time)
- Concentrated supervised fieldwork: 1,500 hours (must be under the supervision of a qualified BCBA®, licensed psychologist, or ABAI-verified instructor at least 10% of the time)
Some of the ABA providers in Delaware where you may be able to complete your field experience include:
- Autism Delaware Clinical Services, Newark and Milton
- BrightBloom Centers, Wilmington
- CHIMES Delaware, Dover, Millsboro, and Newark
- Hybrid Learning Group, Newark
- Innovation Behavior Services, Dover
- Positive Reinforcement ABA Therapy, Inc., Hockessin
Exam Requirements
After successfully completing the required fieldwork hours, you must apply to, and receive authorization from, the BACB to take the BCBA® exam.
The BCBA® exam is administered by Pearson VUE. You can take the exam at one of the Pearson VUE testing centers located throughout the U.S. In Delaware, Pearson VUE has testing centers in Dover and Newark.
Click here for detailed step-by-step instructions on the BCBA® credentialing process.
Delaware’s Advances in Applied Behavior Therapy
Advances in applied behavioral therapy in Delaware are being driven not only by rising autism rates, but by the improvements the state has made to ensure that those with autism and other learning difficulties and brain injuries receive the most comprehensive care by only the most qualified professionals.
Insurance Coverage in Delaware for Children and Young Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders
Delaware has made significant strides in recent years to protect and provide care for those with autism and other behavioral disorders. Under SB 22 (passed in 2012), Delaware requires the following autism services to be covered by insurance providers offering plans in the state:
- Behavioral health treatment
- Pharmacy care
- Psychiatric/psychological care
- Therapeutic care
- Necessary equipment
ABA is subject to a maximum benefit of $36,000 per year but is not subject to visit limits. The law limits coverage to individuals with autism that are under the age of 21.
The law also states that children with autism cannot be denied insurance coverage due to the diagnosis of an autism spectrum disorder, even if the treatment is deemed nonrestorative or habilitative.
Under this law, behavioral health treatments include professional counseling, guidance services, or treatment programs—including applied behavior analysis—necessary for maintaining, restoring, or developing an individual’s functioning. This may include treatment or counseling with the purpose of improving social skills and function.
The law also states that only the following professionals are permitted to provide covered services, within their scope of practice:
- Licensed physicians, including psychiatrists
- Psychologists or their assistants
- Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBA®s) and the behavioral technicians under their supervision
- Licensed professional counselors of mental health
- Advanced practice nurses
- Speech therapists or their aides
- Physical therapists or their assistants
- Occupational therapists or their aides
- Licensed clinical social workers
Delaware’s Efforts to Improve Autism Services
Delaware has more resources than ever for autism treatment and support, which benefits individuals with autism spectrum disorders and their families and opens the door for a wealth of professional opportunities for applied behavioral analysts.
In September 2016, Delaware Governor Jack Markell signed a bill (Senate Bill 93) that provides more resources for Delaware’s citizens with autism. The bill includes establishing an Interagency Committee on Autism and the Delaware Network for Excellence in Autism, both of which are designed to improve treatment and support services for those with autism.
The Interagency Committee uses evidence-based practices and programs and shares the information with public and private agencies that provide support and services for individuals with autism and their families.
The Delaware Network for Excellence in Autism, housed within the University of Delaware’s Center for Disabilities Studies, increases access to training and education for Delaware’s schools, medical professionals, businesses, and families.
Career Opportunities for Delaware’s Applied Behavior Analysts
Behavior analysts in Delaware serve as clinicians in a wide array of settings, including:
- Behavior medicine practices
- Mental health practices
- Colleges/universities
- Nonprofit agencies
- Hospitals
- Children’s services
- Schools
Just some of the leading ABA practices in Delaware include:
BrightBloom Centers (previously the Brandywine Center for Autism), Wilmington and Milford
The Brandywine Center for Autism offers behavioral and educational services for children with autism. The ABA therapy services offered here serve children from two to adolescence. The applied behavior analysts of the Brandywine Center for Autism identify individual learning styles to pinpoint each child’s strength so they can reach their full potential.
The home- and center-based services and consultation services here are focused on:
- Increasing school-readiness
- Building life skills that promote independence
- Improving language, conversational, and communication skills
- Teaching play skills
Innovation Behavior Services, Dover
Innovation Behavior Services offers ABA therapy to children with autism, as well as parent training and consultation services. The applied behavior analysts of Innovation Behavior Services provide home-, school-, and community-based therapies designed to help improve:
- Communication skills
- Social skills
- Self-care
- Independent living skills
- Play skills
- Group interactions
- Productivity
The behavioral therapists here collaborate with other treatment providers, such as occupational, physical, and speech therapists and school personnel.