Distance Supervision

Supervising Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) in-home programs from a distance presents unique challenges for supervisors and therapists. It’s easy to lose the personal connection when the supervisor is not physically present to provide face-to-face contact. Since parents rarely see the supervisor, they may not be aware of what is going on behind-the-scenes to keep the program functioning. Insurance companies, who know little about Behavior Analysis, know even less about Distance Supervision of ABA programs. From their perspective, “applying behavior analysis” means a Behavior Analyst is sitting at the table working directly with the child..
Despite the challenges, “remote” or “distance supervision” will become a necessity as more states pass mandated insurance coverage for children with autism.  Most Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs) reside in highly populated urban regions, leaving many under-served geographical regions and even under-served states.  There will be a high demand for services in these areas, since ABA therapy is written into the mandate in many states. When supervising therapists in another region (or state), program development and analysis is critical, but many insurance companies will not allow billing for these activities.

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