July 1, 2015 proved to be an historic date for Georgia’s children with autism, their families, and providers of applied behavior analysis (ABA).
On this date, the Georgia Constitution House Bill 429—best known as Ava’s Law—took effect, requiring private insurance companies to provide coverage for therapeutic treatments for children with autism, ages six and under. Ava’s Law, which was unanimously passed by the Georgia General Assembly, requires insurance companies to cover applied behavior analysis therapy for the first time in the state’s history.
The passage of Ava’s Law made Georgia the 41st state in the nation to require access to appropriate therapeutic treatments for children with autism through meaningful insurance legislation. It was named after Ava Bullard, whose early autism treatment helped restore her speech.
And in January 2018, Georgia’s Medicaid Program began providing coverage for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) services for children under the age of 21.
These monumental achievements were followed by the creation of the Georgia Behavior Analyst Licensing Board in 2022 which, when operational, will regulate the practice of behavior analysts at the state level. As of February 2025, the Board continues to work on building the infrastructure for the regulation and issuance of behavior analysts in Georgia. Once established, the Board will oversee the regulation of the ABA profession.
In the meantime, the Board recognizes that certification by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB) meets the Board’s objectives and that the Board’s “rule-making authority is/will be limited.” Therefore, behavior analysts in Georgia should pursue the Board-Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA®) credential to ensure they meet the requirements for insurance reimbursement under HB 429.
To Meet Insurance Eligibility Requirements, BCBA® Certification Becomes the Standard Credential
Georgia’s applied behavioral analysts pursue nationally-recognized credentials through the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB) in the form of:
- Board-Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA®) – master’s level credential for full scope practitioners authorized to perform assessments and implement treatment plans without oversight (a doctorate-level credential (BCBA®-D) is also available but does not come with expanded authority and is only granted after first earning the BCBA®)
OR
- Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst (BCaBA®) – bachelor’s level credential for assistants that must work under the supervision of a BCBA® or BCBA®-D; not appropriate for ABAs that will be working independent of oversight
To earn the full authority BCBA® certification, you must successfully earn a qualifying graduate degree (master’s or higher), complete a period of supervised experience, and pass the national BCBA® examination.
Education Requirements
You must first earn a master’s degree or above in behavior analysis or earn a master’s degree or above and complete graduate coursework in behavior analysis that meets BACB certification standards. You can accomplish this through one of three routes:
- 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
- Earn a master’s degree or above in behavior analysis or a similar field like psychology or education and complete an ABAI-Verified Course Sequence (Note: The ABAI is ending its VCS system as of December 31, 2025. As of 2026, applicants seeking BCBA® certification through qualified graduate coursework must seek verification through their university)
- Earn a master’s degree or above in behavior analysis or a similar field like psychology or education and complete at least 315 hours of graduate coursework in behavior analysis that includes (requires a course-by-course review and completion of a Non-Verified Course Content Attestation by your department chair, dean, or BCBA-certified VCS Coordinator):
- 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
A number of online graduate programs meet the requirements for BCBA® certification while offering the flexibility of earning a degree on your own time and the convenience of being able to schedule your practicum at a hospital or clinic near your home.
Experience Requirements
To qualify to take the BCBA® examination, you must successfully complete between 1,500 and 2,000 hours of supervised fieldwork. The number of hours required is dependent on the amount of supervision you receive from a qualified BCBA®, licensed, registered psychologist certified in behavioral and cognitive psychology, or an ABAI-verified instructor.
- Supervised Independent Fieldwork: 2,000 hours (requires regular, ongoing supervision totaling at least 5% of the total hours spent in fieldwork)
- Concentrated Supervised Fieldwork: 1,500 hours (requires regular, ongoing supervision totaling at least 10% of the total hours spent in fieldwork)
Each supervisory period equals one month, during which time you must complete between 20 and 150 hours of fieldwork. You can begin accruing supervised fieldwork hours as soon as you begin taking qualifying, graduate-level behavior-analytic coursework and have secured a supervisor. Your program director will help you secure a qualified supervisor so you can begin accruing fieldwork hours.
Some of the ABA providers in Georgia where you may be able to complete your field experience include:
- ABA Therapy Atlanta, Atlanta
- Agency for Behavioral Services, Valdosta
- Beyond Expectations, Inc., Atlanta
- Holistic Therapies and Consulting, Athens
- Milestones ABA, Columbus
- Peach Autism Center, Alpharetta
- Sterling Learning, Decatur
- Universal Learning Organization, Kennesaw
Exam Requirements
After you completed the required practicum, you’ll need to apply to the BACB to qualify to take the BCBA® certification exam.
The BCBA® exam is administered by Pearson VUE. You must take the exam at one of the Pearson VUE testing centers located throughout the U.S.
Pearson VUE testing centers in Georgia are located in Savannah, Albany, and Valdosta.
Click here for detailed step-by-step instructions on the BCBA® credentialing process.
Increasing Applied Behavior Analysis Services to Georgia’s Children with Autism
ABA services for Georgia’s children with autism and other developmental disabilities continue to grow throughout the state, ensuring that children have access to high-quality services and resources.
For example, in July 2024, Centria Autism, a national leader in ABA therapy, announced the opening of its first Life Skills Autism Academy (LSAA) center in the Georgia. Located in Atlanta, LSAA places an emphasis on early intervention through highly specialized and intensive ABA therapy to children with autism. This new center will specialize in providing treatment to children ages five years and younger.
The 16,000-square-foot center is staffed with qualified BCBAs® who can see up to 76 clients at a time.
In March 2024, a new clinic in Augusta called Autism, Advocacy and Intervention began accepting children with autism for ABA services. The clinic often utilizes play therapy to help children gain new skills.
And in November 2023, Circle Care Services, a leading provider of ABA services, announced it was expanding into Georgia through the opening of its new clinic in Marietta. Through Circle Care Services, Georgia families now have access to ABA therapy in their home, at daycare centers, in schools, in community facilities, or at its own in-house clinic.
The Center for Leadership in Disability at Georgia State University
The Center for Leadership in Disability (CLD) at Georgia State University is a University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities. Housed in the university’s School of Public Health, the CLD is one of 67 programs throughout the country that’s funded by the Administration on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
The mission of the CLD is to translate research into actional community practice that helps people with disabilities and their families. In 2021 alone, the CLD trained more than 4,700 professionals and helped 325 individuals with developmental disabilities receive direct services.
The CLD is also home to 30 active research and evaluation projects focused on autism and developmental disabilities; early intervention; behavioral health; and more.
ABA Providers in Georgia Making a Difference
According to the Georgia Autism Initiative, a program within the Georgia Department of Health that offers a statewide coordination and delivery of services for infants and youth with autism (birth to 21 years) and their families, more than 3,500 children between the ages of 18 and 24 months have been screened for ASD throughout Georgia.
Just a few of the ABA providers making a difference in the lives of those with autism and their families include:
Innovative Behavior Options, Atlanta
The applied behavior analysts of Innovative Behavior Options work to increase the adaptive skills of children, attain functional behavior outcomes, and decrease potential maladaptive behaviors. They serve individuals with autism and developmental disabilities, from infants to adults, using the following methods:
- Verbal behavior training
- Pivotal response training
- Natural environment training
Prime Behavior Analysts, Marietta
Prime Behavior Analysts offers clinic-based, home-based, and outbound care. They offer the following services:
- Early intervention services address the skills and deficits of at-risk or diagnosed children, ages 18 months to 6 years. The applied behavioral analysts create individually tailored environments directed at promoting skill growth in the areas of language and social development.
- Bridge services address individuals who have exceeded early intervention targets but still require direct instruction in select skill and learning areas.
- Explorers Club is a program for individuals who have mastered all early intervention skills and can care for themselves. Services here are designed to increase mastery of more complicated social and learning skills.
Pathways Behavioral Consulting/Autism Center, Dunwoody
Pathways Behavioral Consulting provides ABA services to enhance the education and lives of individuals with autism, from early childhood to adult, and in the home, school, and community.
Just some of the services provided here include:
- Behavior reduction and replacement programs
- Vocational skills training
- Social skills development
- Collaboration with school and community services