BT vs RBT: what a behavior technician needs in South Dakota
Last researched October 21, 2026
Behavior technicians are not all regulated the same way. This page separates what the BACB requires, what South Dakota and its Medicaid program say, and what remains unverified.
Behavior technicians and the RBT credential
- Unregistered BT may deliver services
Only in some situations. See the detail below.
- Detail
State licensing law (SDCL 36-38-5(6)) exempts an assistant behavior analyst or paraprofessional who delivers ABA under the extended authority and direction of a behavior analyst, supervised per BACB requirements; they may not call themselves a behavior analyst and must use a title like ABA technician, behavior technician, tutor or line therapist. The statute does not require RBT. However SD Medicaid technician services are limited to BCaBAs or BACB-certificated RBTs, and they cannot enroll; billing is under the licensed, enrolled behavior analyst. Non-Medicaid payer rules not researched.
- State-specific requirements
- Paraprofessional/assistant must submit to a criminal background check and fingerprint checks pursuant to chapter 36-38 (SDCL 36-38-5(6)); implementing procedure not verified
- Must use a title indicating assistant/paraprofessional status, not 'behavior analyst' (SDCL 36-38-5(6))
What Medicaid says about technicians
- Who may deliver services
As of 2026-10-21, the SD Medicaid billing manual (revision label 'UPDATED December 25') states that ABA services may be billed by licensed and enrolled physicians, psychologists and behavior analysts. Technician services may be provided by a Board-Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst (BCaBA) or a Registered Behavior Technician (RBT) certificated by the BACB when supervised by a licensed and enrolled behavior analyst. BCaBAs and RBTs are not eligible to enroll in South Dakota Medicaid.
- RBT required for technicians
It depends. See the condition below.
- RBT condition detail
Technician services must be delivered by a BCaBA or a BACB-certificated RBT; RBT certification is not required if the technician is a BCaBA. No grace window for unregistered technicians was identified in the manual, but that observation does not establish an exemption from other supervision requirements. The manual requires an ASD diagnosis from a physician or psychologist; ABA must be ordered by a physician, NP or PA (the manual also includes a Care Management ordering-provider restriction for participating recipients, which should be checked before relying on the ordering-provider rule); prior authorization is required, and authorizations last 6 months. The original 12-month diagnosis-recency window was not re-confirmed by the checker.
National baseline
Per BACB: the Registered Behavior Technician (RBT) is 'a paraprofessional certified in behavior analysis' who assists in delivering behavior-analytic services under the direction and close supervision of an RBT Supervisor and/or RBT Requirements Coordinator, who are responsible for all work the RBT performs.
Getting the RBT credential takes a 40-hour training, a competency assessment, an application and an exam. See the RBT pathway and the fast-track timeline.
South Dakota note from our research: Under SD Medicaid a technician must already be an RBT (or BCaBA); there is no grace period in the manual, so RBT certification is the gating item before Medicaid billing. Licensing law separately expects background and fingerprint checks for paraprofessionals. Telehealth is allowed but the BCBA must see the child in person within 30 days and every 90 days.
Related guides for South Dakota
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