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Adult ABA Exists. So Why Is It So Hard to Access?
Adult ABA isn't rare because the science stops working after childhood. It's rare because of decades of funding priorities, fragmented systems, and workforce gaps that built a pediatric-first model of care. This article traces how that happened, what adult behavior analytic services actually look like in practice, and why treating adulthood as a distinct, not extended, practice area is the next frontier for the field. A must-read for providers considering whether to expand in
Courtney Padelsky, MS, BCaBA
Jul 299 min read
Preparing for a Medicaid Audit Without Panic
The audit notice arrives, and for most providers, the first feeling isn't confidence or determination. It's overwhelm. Suddenly every client file feels suspect. Every personnel record becomes a question mark. Every policy feels outdated. Every shared drive starts looking like a scavenger hunt.
That reaction is understandable. But audits rarely create those questions. They expose places where organizational systems weren't clearly defined long before the notice arrived.
Courtney Padelsky, MS, BCaBA
Jun 298 min read
Contractor vs. Employee in Behavioral Health: What ABA and Therapy Practices Get Wrong
The contractor vs. employee question sounds simple — until you're operating in ABA or behavioral health. Once clinical supervision requirements, Medicaid contracts, and state licensing laws enter the picture, generic HR guidance stops being enough. Getting classification wrong in this field doesn't just create a tax headache. It can affect audits, credentialing, licensure, and more. Here's what agencies consistently get wrong — and what actually matters.
Courtney Padelsky, MS, BCaBA
May 257 min read
Hiring Won't Fix Your Chaos - It Will Multiply It
Hiring feels like the solution when you’re overwhelmed. In theory, the math works: more hands = more coverage = more capacity. Here’s where the math falls apart: hiring doesn’t fix operational chaos - it exposes it. If your onboarding is inconsistent (or nonexistent), your documentation expectations are fuzzy (or only live in your head), or your billing workflows live across three different systems and a prayer…adding staff doesn’t solve the problem. It multiplies it. Before
Courtney Padelsky, MS, BCaBA
Apr 234 min read
How to Start an ABA Practice: The Hidden Work No One Prepares You For
There’s a version of starting an ABA practice that a lot of us picture at the beginning. It looks like: Supporting clients Providing high-quality clinical care Building meaningful relationships Creating services you believe in And yes, that is part of it. But it’s not most of it. The Reality No One Talks About Starting an ABA agency often looks more like: Spending hours troubleshooting billing issues and denied claims Constantly tracking compliance requirements across multipl
Courtney Padelsky, MS, BCaBA
Mar 193 min read
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