About Us
The ABA Coding Coalition comprises representatives of three of the organizations (Association of Professional Behavior Analysts, Autism Speaks, Behavior Analyst Certification Board) and two consultants who participated on the work group that developed the application to the American Medical Association CPT® Editorial Panel that resulted in the code set for adaptive behavior (applied behavior analysis) services that went into effect January 1, 2019. That code set includes eight Category I and two Category III CPT® codes modified from the Category III (temporary) codes for adaptive behavior services that were issued in 2014 pursuant to a process initiated by the Association for Behavior Analysis International (ABAI). The work group, which included representatives of ABAI and operated from 2015 through the end of March 2019, also developed resources to assist providers and payers with implementing the 2019 code set.
The principal aims of the ABA Coding Coalition are to
- support implementation of the 2019 CPT® code set by ABA service providers and payers by responding to inquiries, developing and disseminating information and resources, and communicating with our constituents and other interested parties
- monitor Medically Unlikely Edits (MUEs) for the code set and submit requests for revisions based on provider feedback and payer implementation
- educate ABA service providers and payers about CPT®, MUE, and related processes
- develop and maintain this website as a repository for coding and reimbursement resources and a portal for inquiries
The ABA Coding Coalition’s operating policies and procedures are described here.
The organizations, their principal and alternate representatives, and their consultants are described below.
Association of Professional Behavior Analysts (APBA)
APBA is a nonprofit professional organization whose mission is to promote and advance the science-based practice of ABA by advocating for public policies and informing, supporting, and protecting practitioners and consumers. Memberships are available for professionals in behavior analysis and other fields, Registered Behavior Technicians, students, and consumers of ABA services.
Allyson Moore, MS, BCBA, LMFT is the Chief Professional Standards Officer for the Center for Applied Behavior Analysis. She collaborates with leadership team members in developing and implementing clinical best practices. Allyson currently serves as Past President of the Board of Directors of APBA and is a member of the Council of Autism Service Providers (CASP) special interest groups for Documentation, Multispecialty Practices, and California Advocacy. She serves as co-chair of CASP’s Client Outcomes SIG and as a SME for Autism Commission on Quality (ACQ) Standards Committee Workgroup on Clinical Outcomes. She has extensive experience serving individuals with autism spectrum disorder and other neurodevelopmental and mental disorders, and working in coordination and collaboration with primary caregivers, stakeholders, and public and private agencies.
Chanti Fritzsching Waters, EdD, BCBA-D is the Vice President of Clinical and Regulatory Affairs with ABS Kids. She serves on the Board of Directors for APBA and is a member of the Council of Autism Service Providers Clinical Documentation special interest group and Autism Commission on Quality Standards committee. Dr. Waters has extensive experience serving children and adults with autism spectrum disorder and other neurodevelopmental and mental disorders. Currently, she consults with Enhanced Behavioral Support Homes in California in collaboration with various stakeholders, including the regional center, department of developmental services, ABA provider, and other public and private entities.
Council of Autism Service Providers (CASP)
CASP is a nonprofit association of for-profit and not-for-profit organizations that collectively deliver more than $1 billion in services to 50,000+ children and adults with autism each year. CASP exists to promote high-quality and cost-effective care, and achieves its mission by training organizational leaders, developing standards, advocating for evidence-based practice, and fostering collaboration among stakeholders.
Mariel Fernandez, BCBA, LBA is the Vice President of Government Affairs at CASP. She began working in behavior analysis in 2001 and earned her master’s degree in applied behavior analysis at Auburn University in 2004. She has extensive experience in clinical, operations, compliance, and regulatory/public policy. She is Vice President of Government Affairs for The Council of Autism Service Providers (CASP). Before joiningCASP, Mariel led the Regulatory Affairs department at Blue Sprig Pediatrics, focusing on advocacy, public policy, and legislative initiatives across 19 states. Mariel is a member of the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation Behavior Analyst Advisory Board, Chair of the Metro-Care Services Public Advisory Committee, and President of the Texas Association of Behavior Analysis Public Policy Group.She also serves as a subject matter expert for the Policy Council on Children and Families, specific to the Autism Services benefit through Texas Medicaid. Mariel was honored with the Blue Sprig CEO Award, in 2020, for her work preparing the organization to shift to telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic. She was also the co-recipient of the 2022 Autism Law Summit “Implementation Award” for her work in Texasto pass behavior analystlicensure and secure access to ABA for beneficiaries of Texas Medicaid.
Kristen Koba-Burdt, BCBA, LBA is the Director of Clinical Operations for BAYADA Behavioral Health, a not-for-profit organization. She has worked in home, center, community, public school, private school, and residential settings providing services for individuals across the lifespan. She has provided multiple presentations on structuring systems within an ABA organization, clinical judgment and medical necessity, addressing adverse determinations by health plans, and advocacy for expanded access to services for underserved populations. Additionally, Kristen is dedicated to advancing issues related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in ABA.
Autism Speaks is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting solutions, across the spectrum and throughout the life span, for the needs of individuals with autism and their families through advocacy and support; increasing understanding and acceptance of people with autism spectrum disorder; and advancing research into causes and better interventions for autism spectrum disorder and related conditions.
Kelly Headrick serves as the senior director of state government affairs and grassroots advocacy for Autism Speaks, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting solutions, across the spectrum and throughout the life span, for the needs of individuals with autism and their families. In this role, she and her colleagues work – together with volunteer advocates and ambassadors – to promote autism research funding, access to critical autism-related supports and services, access to high-quality special education, and to support other issues of concern to the autism community. Prior to joining the staff of Autism Speaks in early 2020, Kelly worked in a variety of state, regional and national roles with organizations including the American Heart Association, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, American Cancer Society and Nurse-Family Partnership. Kelly is based in the Denver, Colorado area where she lives with her husband and teenage children.
Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB)
The BACB is a nonprofit corporation established in 1998 to meet professional credentialing needs identified by behavior analysts, governments, and consumers of behavior analysis services. Its mission is to protect consumers of behavior analysis services by systematically establishing, promoting, and disseminating professional standards.
Wayne W. Fisher, PhD, BCBA-D, LP is the Henry Rutgers Endowed Professor of Pediatrics in the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, a core faculty member of the Brain Health Institute, and the inaugural director of the Rutgers University Center for Autism Research, Education, and Service (RU-CARES). Previously he served as executive director of Neurobehavioral Programs at the Kennedy Krieger Institute and the Marcus Behavior Center at the Marcus Institute, where he built highly regarded clinical-research programs in autism and developmental disabilities. Dr. Fisher has published extensively on ABA interventions for people with autism and severe behavior disorders and maintained federal grant support for his research for over 20 years. He has been involved in efforts to obtain CPT® codes for ABA services from the outset, first as a co-author of the ABAI application to the AMA CPT® Editorial Panel that ultimately resulted in the 2014 Category III codes for adaptive behavior services, then as an ABAI representative on the work group described above, and now as a BACB representative on the ABA Coding Coalition.
Rebecca Womack, BCBA, LBA has been privileged to serve adults and children using ABA in various settings across the United States and overseas. In addition to her clinical experience, Rebecca is passionate about ABA service delivery aligning with generally accepted standards of care. Rebecca has extensive experience serving on various boards for non-profit organizations as well as public policy work. Whatever the role, her ultimate goal is to make a significant impact through effective and efficient services utilizing the science of behavior analysis.
Our Consultants
Jenna Minton, JD is the President of Proactive Strategies LLC, which specializes in guiding client organizations in the development and subsequent valuation of CPT® codes and related American Medical Association and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services regulatory processes. She also serves as the Director of Operations for Residential Options, Inc., which serves about 300 clients with autism and other developmental disabilities at three learning centers in Michigan. From 2016 through present, Ms. Minton has guided and contributed substantially to the efforts of the work group described above.
GinaGreen, PhD, BCBA-D has developed and evaluated ABA interventions for people with autism and other developmental disorders, trained and supervised ABA practitioners and students, consulted to several ABA service programs, worked on many behavior analyst licensure and funding laws, and held leadership positions in several professional and parent-professional organizations. Dr. Green served as the Association of Professional Behavior Analysts’ principal representative to the work group described above and to the Coalition from its inception through 2022.