A session ends early. The note still shows the full scheduled time. Someone says, “Just use yesterday’s note and change the date.” A service appears in a record, but the person reviewing it cannot tell what actually happened.

These are hypothetical situations, but the questions are practical: Is this an error? A pattern? A direction that needs to be challenged? And what should the person who notices it do next?

Fraud, waste, and abuse in ABA deserve more than a quick click-through training. They connect to how services are delivered, how records are written, and how concerns are handled. That is why OTB’s October 2026 monthly PDU release is The Billing Department Has Entered the Chat: Fraud, Waste & Abuse in ABA.

Fraud, waste, and abuse: three terms worth separating

In federal health care program guidance, these terms describe related concerns, but they are not interchangeable:

  • Fraud involves deception to obtain money or a benefit. Knowingly representing a service as provided when it was not is a serious concern.
  • Waste involves unnecessary costs from misusing resources, including overusing services.
  • Abuse involves practices that create unnecessary costs or payment for services without a legitimate entitlement to that payment.

These are plain-language starting points from HHS Office of Inspector General guidance. A discrepancy alone does not establish fraud. The facts, circumstances, applicable requirements, and review process matter.

What this can look like around an ABA session

The following examples are prompts for closer review—not automatic verdicts about someone’s conduct.

  • The time does not match. A session ran from 3:00 to 4:30, but the record shows 3:00 to 5:00. What needs to be clarified before the entry is relied on?
  • The note tells the wrong story. Copied text describes goals, interventions, or responses that were not part of today’s session. Does the documentation accurately reflect the service?
  • The service and the description differ. The documentation describes individual treatment, but what occurred may have been a different service. Who should review that mismatch?
  • The schedule drives the care. Staff feel pressure to fill every available hour without discussing the learner’s current needs. Is the clinical team reviewing whether the services remain appropriate?

Not every mistake is intentional. But “it was probably a mistake” is a reason to clarify and correct the record—not a reason to ignore it.

You may not submit claims. Your documentation still matters.

Technicians may not choose billing codes or submit claims. They do observe sessions and create records that other people rely on. The practical skill is recognizing when something does not match, describing it objectively, and knowing where to take the question.

Start with what you actually know: the time, the service you observed, the entry that needs clarification, and the instruction you received. Use your organization’s reporting process and seek guidance from the appropriate supervisor or compliance contact. Protect client information as you do so.

Why OTB teaches this through scenarios

At Outside the Box Trainings, we want learners to connect a topic to a decision they may face at work. A definition is useful. A relatable scenario asks you to do something with it.

The title is playful on purpose. The Billing Department Has Entered the Chat: Fraud, Waste & Abuse in ABA gives us a familiar doorway into a serious conversation. Real-world scenarios, relatable examples, and pop-culture references help us bring that conversation into the training experience. The humor is in the delivery; the responsibility stays serious.

Our goal is professional development that helps learners pause, ask a better question, and respond thoughtfully. That is the OTB meaning of Learn today. Use tomorrow.

October’s monthly PDU release

The Billing Department Has Entered the Chat: Fraud, Waste & Abuse in ABA is our October 2026 monthly PDU release, focused on recognizing and responding to fraud, waste, and abuse in ABA. Enrollment is coming soon.

Explore the PDU library for current courses and upcoming releases. The Annual PDU Membership includes the current library and new monthly releases as they become available.