ABA Therapy Centers in North Dakota

Compare ABA providers in Fargo and West Fargo, and learn how North Dakota Medicaid approves ABA, how the autism waiver adds home supports, and what private insurance must cover.

Free Matching

Need ABA therapy options near North Dakota?

Share your child's age, timeline, and session preference. We'll help you compare nearby ABA therapy centers that fit.

Free for families

Working in ABA?

Browse current ABA therapy jobs on Special Needs Jobs, our job board for RBTs, BCBAs, and behavior technicians.

ABA therapy jobs

ABA therapy and autism supports in North Dakota

North Dakota Medicaid approves ABA for children under 21 with an autism diagnosis, and families take a prior approval letter to the provider they choose. A separate Autism Spectrum Disorder Birth through Age 20 Waiver adds supports like respite and remote monitoring, but it does not replace the ABA benefit. Private plans follow an Insurance Department bulletin rather than an autism statute. Birth-to-three services run through regional human service centers.

Special Needs Care Network lists 2 ABA providers serving 2 cities in North Dakota.

Children under 21 with North Dakota Medicaid can get ABA through EPSDT when the state finds it medically necessary, but each clinic has to accept your child's specific plan. Our guide to finding ABA therapy that accepts your Medicaid plan covers what to ask before you book an intake.

Medicaid ABA: Open to children under 21 on ND Medicaid with an autism diagnosis, approved in 12-month periods.
Autism insurance rule: Insurance Commissioner Bulletin 2018-1 bars carriers from excluding ABA as experimental.
Waiver: The Autism Spectrum Disorder Birth through Age 20 Waiver, effective Nov. 1, 2025.
Early Intervention: Birth until the third birthday; call your regional Developmental Disabilities office.
Behavior analyst license: Required since Jan. 1, 2020 under N.D.C.C. chapter 43-64.

North Dakota Medicaid Autism ABA service

A child qualifies for the Medicaid ABA service when the child is under 21, enrolled in ND Medicaid on the dates of service, and has an autism diagnosis from a primary care provider or another licensed clinician qualified to diagnose. Medicaid also requires an annual Health Tracks (EPSDT) screening within six months of the request, and the screening must recommend ABA. Approved families receive a letter to give their provider. Approval lasts 12 months, and the care plan is updated every 180 days.

Oversight must come from a licensed BCBA, BCBA-D, registered behavior analyst, or licensed clinical psychologist.
Skills trainers include registered behavior technicians, board certified autism technicians, and licensed social workers.
ABA can happen in the home, the community, school, or a provider's facility.

Bulletin 2018-1 and private autism coverage

North Dakota has no autism insurance statute with an age or dollar cap. Instead, Insurance Commissioner Jon Godfread issued Bulletin 2018-1 in July 2018. It tells carriers that autism treatment cannot be excluded when the plan covers autism, that limits must match the plan's medical benefits, and that ABA cannot be denied as experimental. Non-grandfathered plans followed it from Jan. 1, 2019. Self-funded employer plans under ERISA are outside state insurance rules, so ask HR whether your plan is state-regulated.

Autism Spectrum Disorder Birth through Age 20 Waiver

The waiver helps families keep a child with autism at home, and parents decide with their team which services fit. Covered services include respite care, service management, community connector, remote monitoring for children who elope, and assistive technology. Families apply with the North Dakota Autism Waiver Application. Health and Human Services handles waiver questions at dhsautism@nd.gov. Medicaid ABA is a separate service, so ask about both.

North Dakota Early Intervention and Right Track

North Dakota Early Intervention Services identifies children from birth until their third birthday who have developmental delays. Evaluations are free, and anyone can make a referral. Contact the Developmental Disabilities regional office for your county and ask to talk to the Developmental Disabilities team. Right Track is a separate free screening and follow-along program open to every family with a child from birth through age two, delay or not.

Licensed behavior analysts in North Dakota

Since Jan. 1, 2020, no one may practice applied behavior analysis in North Dakota without a license from the State Board of Integrative Health Care under N.D.C.C. chapter 43-64. The chapter creates two titles: licensed behavior analyst and licensed assistant behavior analyst, who works under a licensed behavior analyst's supervision. Ask any provider for the supervising analyst's license, and confirm the agency is enrolled in ND Medicaid if Medicaid will pay.

Where North Dakota families find ABA

ABA listings concentrate in the Fargo-West Fargo area, with the rest of the state served by distance and telehealth. North Dakota Medicaid approves ABA centrally, so the approval letter works with any enrolled provider. For birth-to-three services, the state splits counties among eight Developmental Disabilities regional offices, and your county decides which office to call.

ABA therapy in Fargo
Cass County; the Fargo Developmental Disabilities regional office takes Early Intervention referrals for Cass, Ransom, Richland, Sargent, Steele and Traill counties.
ABA therapy in West Fargo
Cass County, so Early Intervention referrals go to the same Fargo regional office.

Where to start in North Dakota

Ask your child's primary care provider for the Health Tracks (EPSDT) screening and a written ABA recommendation, then request Medicaid prior approval.
Call your private insurer and ask for the autism benefit in writing; mention Bulletin 2018-1 if ABA is denied as experimental.
Email dhsautism@nd.gov to ask about the Autism Spectrum Disorder Birth through Age 20 Waiver application.
For a child under three, call (701) 328-8930 or 1-800-755-8529 to reach Early Intervention while you wait for a clinic intake.

North Dakota ABA therapy questions

How do you get ABA approved through North Dakota Medicaid?

Your child must be under 21, enrolled in ND Medicaid, and diagnosed with autism by a primary care provider or another licensed clinician. Complete a Health Tracks (EPSDT) screening within six months of the request, with a recommendation for ABA. Health and Human Services then sends a prior approval letter that you share with the provider you choose. Renew it every year with a new screening.

Does North Dakota require private insurance to cover ABA?

Not through a statute. Insurance Commissioner Bulletin 2018-1 bars carriers from excluding ABA as experimental, and any limits on autism treatment must match limits on medical benefits. It covers state-regulated plans, including individual, small group and large group insured plans. Self-funded ERISA employer plans fall outside it, so ask your plan administrator for the written autism benefit.

What does the North Dakota autism waiver pay for that Medicaid ABA does not?

The Autism Spectrum Disorder Birth through Age 20 Waiver pays for home and community supports: respite care, service management, community connector activities, remote monitoring for children who elope, and assistive technology. Medicaid ABA covers skills training and care planning from a behavior analyst. Many families use both. Email dhsautism@nd.gov to ask about the waiver application.

Does North Dakota Medicaid ABA require a wellness visit?

Yes. Health and Human Services says the child must complete a Medicaid wellness visit with the primary care provider within six months of approval, and a new one each year to get a new prior approval letter. The Medicaid policy calls this the Health Tracks (EPSDT) screening, and its recommendation section must support ABA. Book the visit before you contact providers.

Which office handles Early Intervention referrals for Fargo families?

The Developmental Disabilities regional office in Fargo serves Cass, Ransom, Richland, Sargent, Steele and Traill counties. Its address is 2624 Ninth Ave. S.W., Fargo. Anyone can make a referral for a child from birth until the third birthday, and evaluations cost nothing. The statewide Developmental Disabilities line is (701) 328-8930 or 1-800-755-8529.

Planning resources

Choose an autism therapy center

Questions to use when comparing clinical fit, staffing, and services.

ABA intake checklist

Bring the right coverage and clinical questions to an intake call.

ABA insurance appeal templates

Templates for requesting a clear coverage decision or review.

ABA therapy cost by state

Compare cost context and coverage questions for North Dakota.

Early intervention guide

How IDEA Part C services differ from clinic treatment and school services.

ABA first 30 days checklist

A practical record-keeping and communication checklist.

Autism rates by state

Federal autism-identification data by state.

Special needs schools in North Dakota

Explore school and educational-program options separately from therapy.

Primary sources

Last reviewed against the linked primary sources on October 18, 2026. Medicaid, CHIP, commercial insurance, self-funded employer plans, military coverage, waiver programs, and school services follow different rules. This page is general information, not legal, medical, or benefits advice.

Looking for Special Needs Schools?

Explore specialized schools and educational programs in North Dakota.

Browse Schools in North Dakota