Telehealth and telesupervision for ABA in Virginia
Last researched October 21, 2026
Can a BCBA in Virginia deliver or supervise ABA by video, and what licensure applies? Answers below say exactly how sure we are.
BCBA licensure
- State license required for BCBAs
Yes.
- License title
Licensed Behavior Analyst (LBA) / Licensed Assistant Behavior Analyst (LABA)
- Board
Virginia Board of Medicine
- Statute or rule
Va. Code 54.1-2957.16; 18VAC85-150 (Regulations Governing the Practice of Behavior Analysis)
- Fees and timeline
Initial licensure requires an application and fee (18VAC85-150-40), BACB certification verification, practice verification and disciplinary history checks (18VAC85-150-50, amended Dec 3, 2025). Fee amounts were not read from the fee page.
Telehealth and telesupervision
- ABA delivered by telehealth
Sometimes. See the detail below.
- Detail
DMAS (Dec 2025): ABA via telemedicine requires detailed service authorization documentation. Providers must follow the Telehealth Services Supplement to the Mental Health Services Manual, document that the youth and caregiver can participate meaningfully and safely, and the ISP must include a schedule of when services are telemedicine vs in person, clinical evidence that telemedicine is appropriate, and how in-person needs will be met.
- Telehealth parity law
We could not verify this yet - check with the state Medicaid agency or licensing board.
- In-person requirements
Initial ABA assessments must be conducted in person. Clinic/center-based services need documented justification in the ISP.
- Supervision by telehealth
We could not verify this yet - check with the state Medicaid agency or licensing board.
National baseline: BACB telesupervision
Handbook: in-person on-site observation is preferred, but observation 'may be conducted via web cameras, video-conferencing, or similar means'; internet-based supervision must comply with all applicable laws; video monitoring alone without real-time interaction/feedback may not count. Phone or email contacts do not count as the face-to-face contacts. Payer/state rules can be stricter (CMS toolkit says telehealth should be a limited adjunct and 'generally avoided' for routine technician supervision; that is CMS guidance to states, not a BACB rule).
This is the BACB's certification rule for RBT supervision. State, Medicaid or payer rules can be stricter. High confidence for the BACB text as of 2026-10-21.
Related guides for Virginia
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