About Us

The ABA Coding Coalition comprises representatives of four organizations (Association for Behavior Analysis International [ABAI], Association of Professional Behavior Analysts [APBA], the Behavior Analyst Certification Board [BACB], and the Council for Autism Service Providers [CASP]) and two consultants who developed the application to the American Medical Association CPT® Editorial Panel that resulted in the new code set for adaptive behavior (applied behavior analysis) services that will take effect January 1, 2027. The 2027 code set includes 14 Category I CPT® codes modified from the 2019 code set, which included eight Category I and two Category III (temporary) CPT codes for adaptive behavior services.

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) and Procedure to Procedure (PTP) edits 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; and
  • 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 in the ABA Coding Coalition Guiding Principles and Procedures document.

The organizations, their principal and alternate representatives, and their consultants are described below.

Association for Behavior Analysis International (ABAI)

The Association for Behavior Analysis International is a nonprofit member organization founded in 1974 whose mission is to contribute to the well-being of society by supporting, developing, and enhancing the growth and vitality of the science of behavior analysis. ABAI advances its mission by disseminating research and promoting education in behavior analysis through annual conferences, the publication of six peer-reviewed behavior analysis journals, its support of affiliated chapters throughout the United States and internationally, and the accreditation of behavior-analytic graduate programs.

Julie Kornack is Chief Government and Payor Relations Officer at the Center for Autism and Related Disorders (CARD), where she works to preserve and expand access to applied behavior analysis (ABA). She is the lead author of Science Over Cynicism: The Race to Preserve Best-Practice Applied Behavior Analysis and Preventing Insurance Denials of Applied Behavior Analysis Treatment Based on Misuse of Medically Unlikely Edits, along with other peer-reviewed articles and book chapters. She co-founded and serves on the board of directors of the National Coalition for Access to Autism Services, through which she worked with the US Department of Labor to prompt enforcement of the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act as it applies to the ABA benefit. She co-chaired Hillary for America’s Disability Policy Health Care Task Force, co-authored the Democratic National Committee’s Disability Primer for Democratic Candidates, and has served on the state task forces that implemented the Medicaid ABA benefit in California, Michigan, and Oregon.

Kelly Kohler, PhD, BCBA-D, has been with the Association for Behavior Analysis International (ABAI) since 2023 and currently serves as Deputy Director of Boards and Committees. Her career has spanned academic, clinical, and organizational leadership roles, including serving on the faculty at Western Michigan University, leading ABA service programs as a Clinical Director, and contributing to the development of ABA centers. She is a coauthor of Principles of Behavior and earned her PhD in Behavior Analysis from Western Michigan University.

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 an SME for the 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 the 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. Before joining CASP, Mariel led the Regulatory Affairs department at BlueSprig 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 BlueSprig 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 Texas to pass behavior analyst licensure 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.

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.

Ivy Chong, PhD, BCBA-D, is the Chief Clinical Officer at Autism Care Partners. She also holds adjunct faculty appointments at Brock University and University of Massachusetts (Lowell). She received a doctorate from Western Michigan University in Behavior Analysis and received a postdoctoral MBA in Healthcare Management from Florida Institute of Technology. Ivy previously served as Senior Vice President of Children’s Services at May Institute (2017–2023), overseeing the operations of home, school, and center-based services. From 2008–2017, Ivy served as the Director of Autism Services and Training at the Scott Center for Autism Treatment and Associate Professor in the College of Psychology and Liberal Arts at Florida Institute of Technology. Ivy is a licensed psychologist (FL, MI) and a BCBA-D and maintains leadership roles on several advisory boards and has presented at numerous conferences nationally and internationally.

Ashley Fuhrman, PhD, BCBA-D, is the Senior Vice President of Research and Innovation at BlueSprig Pediatrics, where she leads the development, implementation, and expansion of specialty service offerings and leverages and contributes to cutting-edge research and emerging technologies to monitor and improve patient outcomes. She earned an MA in applied behavior analysis from the University of Nebraska Omaha, and her PhD from the University of Nebraska Medical Center, where she later worked before joining the Rutgers University Center for Autism Research, Education, and Services. She has presented and published extensively on ABA interventions for people with autism and severe behavior disorders, currently serves as an Associate Editor for Behavior Analysis: Research and Practice, and has served on the board of editors for several behavior-analytic journals.

Our Consultants

Jenna Minton, Esq., is the CEO 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, and supporting medical practices with revenue cycle management and contractual compliance. From 2014–2023 she also served as the Director of Operations for a Michigan-based nonprofit that serves about 300 clients with autism and other developmental disabilities. From 2016 to the present, Ms. Minton has guided and contributed substantially to the efforts of the work group described above.

Gina Green, 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.