Who must be licensed to practice ABA in Kansas, and how do you get credentialed?

Is ABA licensed in Kansas, and under which board

Yes. Kansas licenses behavior analysts and assistant behavior analysts under the Applied Behavior Analysis Licensure Act, K.S.A. 65-7501 through 65-7505, administered by the Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board, the same board created under K.S.A. 74-7501 that licenses professional counselors, social workers, and marriage and family therapists (K.S.A. 65-7502(d)). On or after July 1, 2016, no person may practice applied behavior analysis in the state unless licensed or otherwise authorized under the act (K.S.A. 65-7503(a)).

The credential tiers: analyst, assistant, and line therapist

Kansas licenses two tiers and separately defines a paraprofessional role that is not itself licensed.

The certifying-entity definition

Kansas defines "certifying entity" as "the national accredited behavior analyst certification board or other equivalent nationally accredited nongovernmental agency approved by the behavioral sciences regulatory board which certifies individuals who have completed academic, examination, training and supervision requirements in applied behavior analysis" (K.S.A. 65-7502(e)). As in several other states in this guide, this leaves room for a board-approved alternative to the BACB without naming one specifically. Kansas does not restate the certifying entity's own degree, coursework, or fieldwork requirements; the board verifies that the certification requirements of a certifying entity have been met (K.S.A. 65-7503(c)), which is where those requirements live.

What it takes to get licensed

The board may not issue a license until the applicant provides proof that the certification requirements of a certifying entity have been met (K.S.A. 65-7503(c)). The board is directed to adopt rules and regulations covering the form and content of license applications, fees, the educational and training requirements for each tier, and the characteristics of supervision and supervised clinical practicum experience (K.S.A. 65-7505). The statute also authorizes practice by an individual who holds a bachelor's or graduate degree, has completed the relevant coursework, and is obtaining supervised field experience toward licensure under a licensed behavior analyst, which functions as Kansas's recognition of the field-experience period itself rather than a separate credential (K.S.A. 65-7503(a)(3)).

Title protection, scope, and exemptions

Seven categories are exempt from the licensing requirement: a licensed professional practicing applied behavior analysis within that license's own scope of practice; a person providing services under the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act; a person providing services under Section 504 of the federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973; a student enrolled at a recognized educational institution providing applied behavior analysis as part of supervised clinical experience; an autism specialist, intensive individual service provider, or other qualified individual providing services under the home and community based services autism waiver administered by the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services; an occupational therapist licensed by the appropriate state board; and a speech-language pathologist or audiologist licensed by the applicable Kansas department (K.S.A. 65-7503(b)). The occupational-therapist and speech-language-pathologist exemptions are distinctive; this guide did not find an equivalent in most other states covered here.

Supervision rules

A licensed assistant behavior analyst practices under the supervision of a licensed behavior analyst, and a line therapist implements interventions under a prescribed treatment plan under an LBA's direct supervision (K.S.A. 65-7502(h), (j)). The board's own supervision regulation is specific: "each licensed assistant behavior analyst shall receive at least 12 supervision sessions annually," each requiring "two-way interactions involving real-time visual and auditory contact," including "at least one monthly supervision session of at least one hour each," with "at least two of the 12 supervision sessions" conducted "in person" and including "direct observation of the supervisee's provision of applied behavior analysis services to clients." No more than half of the sessions may be group supervision absent board-approved extenuating circumstances, and "each supervisor and each supervisee shall maintain documentation of the supervision for three years after the date of supervision" (K.A.R. 102-8-6). Renewal for an assistant behavior analyst requires proof of this supervision under the board's rules (K.S.A. 65-7505(e), (f); K.A.R. 102-8-7(b)).

Renewal, fees, and continuing education

A license expires 24 months after the date of issuance unless revoked before then, a biennial cycle (K.A.R. 102-8-7(a)). To renew, a licensee submits a completed renewal application, a continuing-education reporting form, the renewal fee, and, for an assistant behavior analyst, proof of supervision (K.A.R. 102-8-7(b)). Fees are $70 for an initial behavior analyst or assistant behavior analyst license, $120 for a behavior analyst renewal, and $70 for an assistant behavior analyst renewal, all nonrefundable (K.A.R. 102-8-2(a)). Continuing education is a real, state-specific requirement, not a BACB pass-through: each licensed behavior analyst and each licensed assistant behavior analyst must complete 30 hours of documented, approved continuing education during each two-year renewal period, including 4 hours of professional ethics (K.A.R. 102-8-9). A licensee who applies for late renewal must disclose on the application whether they continued to practice or represent themselves as licensed after expiration (K.A.R. 102-8-7(c)).

Getting credentialed with payors

Licensure lets you practice; credentialing lets you bill, and they are separate. After licensure, a provider enrolls with Kansas Medicaid and credentials with commercial plans, most of which draw provider data from CAQH. Credentialing verifies the license and history and is followed by periodic revalidation. The billing entity and its ownership are disclosed during enrollment, which is where licensing meets the entity and ownership questions covered elsewhere in this guide. What each payor covers and pays for ABA is a separate topic on the Medicaid and insurance page. A sale or expansion in Kansas turns on more than licensing: the Kansas sale and expansion guide covers the records and the covenant.

Kansas-specific wrinkles

Three Kansas features stand out. First, the continuing-education requirement, 30 hours every two years including 4 hours of ethics for both licensed tiers, is a genuine state-specific obligation on top of certification, not a BACB pass-through; it is one of the more substantial CE requirements among the states this guide has covered so far. Second, this guide found no provision in the complete five-section Applied Behavior Analysis Licensure Act for a temporary license or formal reciprocity with another state's license; an analyst moving to Kansas should expect to apply as a new applicant and verify directly with the board whether any accommodation exists outside the statute. Third, the exemptions reach further than most states in this guide, naming occupational therapists and speech-language pathologists or audiologists alongside the more common psychology, IDEA, and Section 504 categories.

How licensing connects to the rest of your compliance stack

Licensing is the credential the rest of the structure is built around:

• Entity and ownership. Kansas's professional-corporation act is a closed, one-type-per-profession list that does not reach behavior analysis, so an ordinary LLC governs. See the Kansas entity page and the Kansas ownership page.
• Medicaid and insurance. Licensure and credentialing are prerequisites to coverage; what is covered and paid is separate. See Medicaid and insurance mandates.
• Facility and records. Supervision documentation carries into facility and HIPAA compliance. See facility licensure and HIPAA.

Becoming licensed and credentialed in Kansas: the sequence

1. Obtain certification. BACB certification, or a board-approved equivalent, at the analyst or assistant level.
2. Apply to the Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board. Submit the application, the fee, and proof the certifying entity's requirements are met (K.S.A. 65-7503(c)).
3. Arrange supervision for an assistant. Supervision by a licensed behavior analyst, consistent with board rules (K.A.R. 102-8-6).
4. Credential with payors. Enroll with Kansas Medicaid and credential with commercial plans, typically via CAQH, then plan for revalidation.
5. Complete 30 hours of continuing education every two years. Including 4 hours of professional ethics, before the 24-month expiration (K.A.R. 102-8-9).

Kansas licensing variables at a glance

Frequently asked questions