Why Are ABA Therapy Waitlists So Long? The BCBA Shortage Explained for Families

If you have been trying to get your child into ABA therapy and found yourself staring at a months-long waitlist, you are not imagining things. ABA therapy waitlists across the United States have grown dramatically — and the reason comes down to a simple, sobering math problem: there are far more families who need ABA therapy than there are qualified therapists to provide it.

Understanding why ABA therapy is so hard to find right now can help you navigate the system more effectively and set realistic expectations while you wait.

The Numbers Behind the ABA Therapy Shortage

The core issue is a massive gap between demand and supply of Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs) — the master's-level clinicians who design and supervise ABA programs.

In 2025, employers posted 132,307 job listings requiring BCBA certification. But only 83,586 Board Certified Behavior Analysts hold active credentials in the entire United States. The gap between open positions and available professionals is nearly 50,000 — and that is before accounting for the fact that only about 30,000 BCBAs work in direct clinical services. The rest work in schools, research, consulting, and other settings.

Nationally, an estimated 100,000 BCBA positions need to be filled to meet current demand. The field is producing roughly 8,000 new certified BCBAs each year — nowhere near enough to close that gap.

The result for families: two-thirds of ABA specialty centers report assessment wait times exceeding four months, and more than 15 percent of families wait a year or longer before their child begins therapy.

Where the Shortage Is Worst

The BCBA shortage is not evenly distributed. As of 2026, 46 percent of U.S. counties have no BCBA presence at all — meaning families in those areas have no local options. That is an improvement from 54 percent in 2018, but nearly half the country still lacks local access to a qualified ABA supervisor.

The concentration of BCBAs in major metro areas leaves rural families with two choices: long drives to urban centers, or telehealth — which some states are now moving to restrict.

States with the most job postings — California, New Jersey, Texas, Massachusetts, and North Carolina — account for 38 percent of all BCBA hiring demand nationally. Emerging markets like Oregon (up 291 percent in postings) and Kansas (up 228 percent) are growing rapidly, but provider supply has not caught up.

Why Is the Shortage Getting Worse?

Several forces are widening the gap at the same time:

Burnout Is Driving BCBAs Out of Clinical Work

The burnout rate among ABA professionals is staggering. Studies show that 93 percent of behavioral health workers report some degree of burnout, and nearly two-thirds of BCBAs experience moderate to high burnout levels. About 58 percent of BCBAs report having considered leaving the field altogether.

For the Registered Behavior Technicians (RBTs) who provide most of the direct therapy hours, turnover exceeds 77 percent annually. That means most of the people delivering your child's therapy program will leave their job within a year — requiring agencies to constantly hire and retrain new staff.

The Certification Pipeline Is Slowing

Becoming a BCBA requires a master's degree, supervised fieldwork hours, and passing a rigorous national exam. The first-time pass rate on the BCBA exam has dropped from 66 percent in 2020 to 51 percent in 2025 — meaning fewer candidates are making it through each year even as more attempt the credential. (ABA Navigator covered this trend in detail in our article on BCBA exam pass rates hitting an all-time low.)

Autism Diagnoses Continue to Rise

Demand is growing at the same time supply is constrained. The CDC currently estimates that 1 in 36 children in the United States has been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. As more children are diagnosed and families seek treatment, the pressure on an already-strained workforce intensifies.

What This Means for Your Family

If you are on a waitlist or struggling to find a provider, here is a realistic picture of what you are facing — and what you can do:

Waitlists Are the Norm, Not the Exception

A four-month wait is common. A six-month wait is not unusual. In some regions and for some providers, families wait 12 months or more. This is deeply frustrating when your child needs help now — and it is not a reflection of anything you did wrong. It is a system-wide problem.

Get on Multiple Waitlists Simultaneously

Most families do not realize they can — and should — put their name on multiple providers' waitlists at once. Contact every ABA provider within a reasonable distance and ask to be added to each one. When a spot opens, you take the earliest available offer.

Ask About Interim Services

While waiting, ask providers if they offer any interim supports — parent training, consultation sessions, or brief check-ins that can help you support your child at home while waiting for a full program slot to open.

Consider Telehealth Options

Telehealth ABA has expanded significantly and can be a real option while you wait for in-person services. In-person therapy remains the gold standard for many goals, but telehealth parent training and some skill-building work can begin remotely in many states.

Work With Your Child's School

If your child has an IEP, ensure that behavioral supports are documented and being provided. School-based services are separate from clinical ABA and can provide meaningful support while you are on a clinic waitlist.

Ask Your Pediatrician to Expedite

Some providers have processes for prioritizing children with more urgent clinical needs. A detailed referral letter from your pediatrician or diagnostician explaining your child's specific needs can sometimes move a case up the queue.

Is the Shortage Getting Better?

Slowly. More universities are adding BCBA training programs. Some states are creating incentives to draw BCBAs to underserved areas. Technology is reducing the administrative burden on clinicians, which may help reduce burnout and keep more BCBAs in clinical roles.

The workforce gap will not close quickly. But the field is aware of the problem, and there is real movement toward solutions — better training pipelines, improved compensation, and technology tools that let BCBAs supervise more efficiently without sacrificing quality.

How to Find an ABA Provider Right Now

The best thing you can do today is cast a wide net. Contact every provider in your area, get on every waitlist, and ask each one about their estimated timeline and any interim options they offer.

Use ABA Navigator's provider directory to find ABA therapy providers in your state and city. Our directory includes thousands of providers across the country — search by location to find every option near you, call them all, and get your name on every list you can reach.

The wait is real. The shortage is real. But so is the therapy — and finding the right provider is worth the effort.