Nebraska ABA

By Sara Kupzyk

The Nebraska Association for Behavior Analysis continued efforts to obtain licensure for behavior analysts in the state of Nebraska. In June 2023, the Behavior Analysis Practice Act was passed with a 47-0 vote by the legislature as part of LB 227 and was subsequently signed by the governor. The full Behavior Analysis Practice Act can be accessed here. As part of the Licensure Act, a Board of Behavior Analysts is being established to oversee the licensing process. It is anticipated that Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs) and Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analysts (BCaBAs) will need to submit an application through the Department of Health and Human Services to become licensed beginning in the summer 2024.

Our annual conference was held in Omaha in March 2023. Workshops were led by Dr. Kevin Luczynski and Worner Leland. Topics presented included considerations for skills instruction, teaching consent and assent, cultural responsiveness, building independence and complex social play. Throughout the year, we also offered our members free CEU opportunities in the form of a virtual speaker series. Speaker series topics have included: extinction, video modeling, interventions for independent feeding, and emergent relations and instructional feedback.

Following our annual conference, Sara Kupzyk served as President, Alex Nielsen was elected as Vice President, Shelby Wagner served as Past President, Steve Taylor served as Treasurer, Mary Halbur served as Secretary, and Gabrielle Roberts as Student Representative.

In the upcoming year, we plan to continue monitoring legislation and the licensure process. We are actively working on developing materials and resources for families seeking and receiving services in Nebraska. In addition, we will continue to enhance our efforts related to diversity, equity and inclusion.

Individuals interested in becoming a member can visit our website at www.nebraskaaba.com or email us at nebraskaaba@gmail.com.