On July 11, 2020, the New Jersey State Board of Applied Behavior Analyst Examiners was established to regulate the practice of applied behavior analysis (ABA) in the Garden State and ensure that all applied behavior analysts and assistant applied behavior analysts meet the requirements to practice ABA through state licensure.
To become a licensed applied behavior analyst in New Jersey, you must (a) hold a graduate degree from an accredited university and (b) hold national certification from a nonprofit organization accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies, the American National Standards Institute, or an equivalent.
Though the Board does not specify a specific national certification, the widely recognized accrediting body for behavior analysts is the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB), which offers the following designations for behavior analysts and assistant behavior analysts:
- Behavior Analyst: Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA®)
- Assistant Behavior Analyst: Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst (BCaBA®)
Therefore, to become a licensed behavior analyst in New Jersey, you’ll need to first earn certification through the BACB which, like state licensure, requires the completion of a graduate degree. Here are the steps to take to earn BCBA® certification and state licensure in New Jersey:
Earning a Master’s Degree and Pursuing BCBA® Certification in New Jersey
The first step to becoming a BCBA® and licensed behavior analyst in New Jersey requires the completion of a master’s degree in behavior analysis or in a similar field like education or psychology, along with the completion of specific, graduate-level coursework in behavior analysis.
The most straightforward path to certification is through the completion of a master’s or doctoral degree that’s either been accredited by the Association for Professional Behavior Analysts (APBA) or accredited/recognized by the Association for Behavior Analysis International (ABAI). Graduate degrees accredited/recognized through either of these accrediting bodies meet all of the educational requirements for BCBA® certification.
But you can also meet the educational requirements by earning a master’s or doctoral degree in a relevant field and then satisfying the graduate coursework requirements, which include:
- 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
Fortunately, the ABAI maintains a list of programs, which are usually delivered as graduate certificates, called Verified Course Sequences (VCS) that meet the behavior analysis coursework requirements. You can find a list of their programs through their VCS Directory.
If you complete the required courses in behavior analysis outside of a VCS, you must have your department chair, dean, or BCBA-certified VCS Coordinator complete a course-by-course review and submit a Non-Verified Course Content Attestation to the BACB.
Note: The VCS system is ending on December 31, 2025. Beginning in 2026, coursework verification will need to be completed by your university through a course-by-course review.
Experience Requirements
The road to BCBA® certification also includes the completion of between 1,500 and 2,000 hours of supervised fieldwork. (The total number of hours will depend on the level of supervision you receive during this time.) If you’ve chosen an ABAI- or APBA-accredited degree, you can begin accruing the required fieldwork hours through your embedded practicum.
Regardless of whether you choose the accredited program pathway or the graduate-level coursework pathway to certification, you’ll be able to begin earning your fieldwork experience hours as soon as you begin taking graduate-level courses in behavior analysis. In most cases, your program director can help you find and secure a qualified supervisor and site to begin earning your hours.
In New Jersey, ABA providers are plentiful, thereby providing students with many options for completing their supervised fieldwork. The following is just a small sampling of some of the ABA providers in the Garden State:
- Amazing Strides of New Jersey ABA Therapy, West Orange
- Mastermind Behavior Services, Lakewood
- Achievement Behavior Care & ABA Therapy, Newark
- Therapy Associates ABA Services, Passaic
- Rainbow ABA Therapy, Bloomfield
Exam Requirements
Once you’ve satisfied all educational and experience requirements necessary for BCBA® certification, you must apply to the BACB, who will then send you instructions on registering for the BCBA® exam once your application is approved. Pearson VUE administers all BACB exams, so you’ll need to register with them once you receive approval from the BACB. You’ll have the option of taking the exam at a Pearson VUE testing site near you. In New Jersey, Pearson VUE testing centers are located in:
- Princeton
- Piscataway
- Lyndhurst
- Jersey City
- Northfield
Applying for State Licensure as an Applied Behavior Therapist in New Jersey
Once you’ve received your BCBA® certification from the BACB, you’ll be ready to apply for state licensure as an applied behavior therapist in New Jersey. You must register with, and apply through, the MyLicense Online Licensing for the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs.
Once the Board has approved your application, they’ll notify you of your eligibility to take the State Board of Applied Behavior Analysts Jurisprudence Examination. The exam consists of 25 questions that test your knowledge of the laws and regulations that govern the ABA profession in New Jersey.
Upon completion of the exam, you’ll receive your license.
Your behavior analyst license must be renewed every two years. BCBA® certification must also be renewed every two years upon the completion of at least 32 continuing education units (CEUs), 4 of which must be focused on ethics.
Treating Autism in the Garden State: ABA Providers in New Jersey
From hospital-based services to nonprofits to private ABA clinics and at-home providers, New Jersey offers a broad range of services and resources for children and adults with autism and their families:
CSH AUTISM, Children’s Specialized Hospital’s Center of Excellence for Autism Services, Training, Advocacy, and Research: New Brunswick
CSH AUTISM is committed to clinical innovation to improve early identification and access to evidence-based therapies for individuals with autism. Services provided through this health system include:
- Specialized ABA services for children, teens, and young adults with ASD in family, school, and community settings
- Early intervention services in the home for children birth to age 3
- Feeding and nutrition therapies
- Medical services – Pediatric medical specialists include developmental behavioral pediatricians, pediatric neurologists, psychiatrists, physiatrists, and pediatric primary care physicians
- Occupational therapy
- Physical therapy
- Psychology
- Speech and language therapy
- Social skills groups
- Severe Behavior Program – The Rutgers University Center for Autism Research, Education and Services (CSH-RUCARES) provides intensive, highly specialized services to children and young people with ASD wo engage in destructive behaviors
- Quick Peek Program – Free virtual development screenings for children ages 1 to 5 years old
Autism Family Services of New Jersey: East Windsor
Autism Family Services of New Jersey is a statewide nonprofit that’s dedicated to helping improve the quality of life for people affected by autism and their loved ones. Founded in 2004, Autism Family Services of New Jersey provides afterschool care, Saturday recreation, and other recreation programs.
They are a leading provider of family support services for the state’s autism population. They are an affiliate of The Family Resource Network (FRN), an umbrella organization that’s focused on providing community-based programs.
New Jersey Autism Center of Excellence (NJACE): Somerset
The New Jersey Autism Center of Excellence (NJACE) was established to improve the health outcomes of individuals with autism at all stages of life. Through community-oriented research, the NJACE works to address the complex and unique features of ASD through collaboration between autism researchers, educators, practitioners, individuals with ASD, and their families. The NJACE is focused on providing:
- Workshops and other learning opportunities for clinicians and professionals
- Seed grants to aid autism researchers
- A statewide ASD research database to connect autistic individuals and their families with autism researchers
- Students with opportunities to learn and collaborate with researchers and clinicians in the field
- Collaborative research
- Trials and clinical studies