Some actions for behavior analyst licensing bodies to consider in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
State boards can legally keep ABA services alive during any crisis by copying the quick actions in this paper.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Giesbers et al. (2020) wrote a guide for state ABA licensing boards.
They listed legal ways to keep therapy going when COVID-19 hit.
The paper covers telehealth rules, license renewals, and crisis policies.
What they found
The authors found boards can act fast without breaking ethics codes.
Temporary telehealth approval, longer renewal windows, and clear guidance are all allowed.
These moves keep clients served while protecting the public.
How this fits with other research
Waldron et al. (2023) asked families using Medicaid HCBS flexibilities.
Families said the looser rules met real needs and they want them to stay.
This real-world praise extends H et al.’s call for temporary telehealth permissions.
Thompson et al. (2025) show how three states turned similar ideas into wins.
Their checklist helped BCBAs win permanent telehealth coverage and higher rates.
The checklist is a next-step tool that brings the 2020 paper off the shelf and into law.
Why it matters
You can hand this paper to your state board and say, ‘Here is how we keep services running.’
Use it to ask for telehealth approval or an extension of your renewal deadline today.
Want CEUs on This Topic?
The ABA Clubhouse has 60+ free CEUs — live every Wednesday. Ethics, supervision & clinical topics.
Join Free →Email your licensing board the H et al. (2020) paper and request written confirmation that telehealth is still approved.
02At a glance
03Original abstract
The COVID-19 global pandemic has had a significant impact on the practice of applied behavior analysis (ABA). Practitioners and caregivers have had to adapt quickly as physical distancing, stay-at-home orders, and shelter-in-place directives have become commonplace. As the field copes with the changes produced by the COVID-19 outbreak, many behavior analytic practitioners are seeking guidance from regulatory bodies to ensure they are practicing legally and ethically. This article outlines some actions that the regulatory bodies that manage state behavior analyst licensure programs may consider to assist ABA practitioners and consumers during this unprecedented time. Additionally, suggestions are offered as to how state licensing bodies might prepare to support the practice of licensees during future events that present challenges similar to the current pandemic.
Behavioral interventions : theory & practice in residential & community-based clinical programs, 2020 · doi:10.31234/osf.io/buetn