How to Switch ABA Software: A Step-by-Step Plan and Timeline

Most practices that want to switch ABA software do not stay up at night over the new system. They worry about the move: lost notes, a gap in authorizations, claims that fall between two systems, a payroll cycle that goes wrong. Those are all real, and all manageable with sequencing. We published a four-phase migration playbook that argues switching is survivable. This is the other half: a step-by-step plan with owners, a timeline and a data checklist you can copy into a spreadsheet. The twelve-week timeline is a planning model, not an industry standard; small practices will compress it and multi-site organizations will extend it.

Before you start: the three decisions

1. Why are you leaving? Write down the three to five problems that justify the move, such as billing workarounds, scheduling friction, cost or support. They become your test cases for the new system, and they stop the project turning into a feature wish list.
2. What must the new system do on day one? Split requirements into must-have at cutover (sessions, notes, authorizations, claims, payroll export) and fine to add later (extra reports, portal polish).
3. Who owns it? Name a project owner with authority, plus a lead for billing, clinical, scheduling and payroll. One person cannot do all four.

The timeline at a glance

Weeks	Phase	Outcome
1 to 2	Scope and select	Requirements written, vendor chosen, test scenarios agreed
2 to 4	Contracts and exports	Termination terms known, export requested from the old vendor, data inventory complete
4 to 7	Map and trial import	Fields mapped, test import reviewed against source, errors fixed
6 to 10	Configure, train, run in parallel	Staff trained by role, one pay period and one billing cycle rehearsed
10 to 12	Cutover	Final import, new system live, old system read-only
12 onward	Stabilize	First claims paid, first payroll run, old system archived

Weeks 1 to 2: scope and select

• Turn your problem list into test scenarios. For example: "Schedule a recurring session, complete it, write the note, and generate the claim for a client with two payers."
• Ask each candidate to run those scenarios live, with your data shape, not a canned demo. Our pricing page shows Wilma's published rates, and our comparison pages give side-by-side detail on other platforms; use whatever sources you trust and verify every figure with the vendor on the day.
• Ask about migration in plain terms: which data they import, in what form, who does the work, what it costs and how long it takes. Do not assume an import covers notes, authorizations used and open claims; ask each separately.

Weeks 2 to 4: contracts and exports

This is the phase most plans skip and most delays come from.

1. Read your current contract. Find the term, the notice period, auto-renewal, and what it says about your data on exit.
2. Request a full export in writing, and ask what formats are available, what is included, how long it takes and whether it costs anything. Request a sample early so you can check what is really in it.
3. Set the data inventory. Use the checklist below to decide what moves, what is archived and what is left behind.
4. Plan overlap. You will need read access to the old system for months after cutover, to work old claims and answer audits. Negotiate that now rather than after you have given notice.

The data checklist

Data	What to move	Check after import
Clients and guardians	Demographics, guardian contacts, consents, diagnosis, status	Count matches; spot-check ten records by hand
Insurance	Payer, member ID, group, subscriber, effective dates, priority order	Primary and secondary correct; no duplicate payers
Authorizations	Auth number, codes, units, dates, provider, units used to date	Remaining units equal the old system's remaining units for each code
Staff	Roles, NPI, credentials and expiry dates, supervision relationships	Every active staff member can log in with the right permissions
Schedules	Recurring sessions, appointment history, locations	Next two weeks match the old calendar
Clinical records	Treatment plans, goals, session notes, signed documents, assessments	Sample notes open complete with signatures and dates
Data collection	Programs and targets; decide how much historical data to import versus archive	Graphs for sampled clients look right
Billing	Open claims, unpaid balances, payment history, ERAs	A/R total ties to the old system on cutover day
Payroll inputs	Pay rates, timesheet history for the current period	One historical pay period reproduces
Documents	Referrals, insurance cards, consents, uploaded files	Sample files open

Two items deserve extra care. Authorization units used should be reconciled by code, not just by total, because the first claim in the new system will draw down a balance that has to be right. And signed notes and documents have legal and audit weight; confirm signatures and timestamps survive the move, and keep the original export untouched as evidence.

Weeks 4 to 7: map and trial import

1. Map each old field to a new field. Write down the unmapped ones and decide: add a custom field, store in notes, or archive.
2. Run a trial import into a test environment. Review it against the source using the "check after import" column above.
3. Log every error by type; one fix often clears dozens of records.
4. Repeat until the review comes back clean. Plan on at least two passes.

Weeks 6 to 10: configure, train and run in parallel

• Configure for your payers. Payer setup, code and modifier mapping, billing rules and note templates. Work from your payer grid, not defaults.
• Train by role, with real tasks: technicians on session start, data and notes; BCBAs on notes, supervision and authorizations; schedulers on the calendar; billers on claims and payments. Role-based sessions beat all-hands demos.
• Run one cycle in parallel for a limited group, such as one team or one location: complete a pay period's sessions, generate the claims, and compare to the old system. Parallel running doubles the work, so keep it short and bounded.

Weeks 10 to 12: cutover rules

1. Cut at a boundary. Start of a pay period and, ideally, a billing cycle, so payroll and claims do not straddle two systems.
2. Freeze, then final import. Stop entering new data in the old system on a defined day, export the delta, import it, and reconcile the checklist again.
3. Dates of service decide where a claim lives. Old dates of service stay in the old system until paid; new dates start in the new one. Keep a list of claims in flight.
4. Clearinghouse and payer set-up. If the claim route changes, ask each payer how long electronic claim enrollment takes and plan around the longest. Do not guess.
5. Write the rollback plan. What would make you pause, who decides, and what the old system still holds. You will probably not use it, but writing it forces the right questions.
6. Tell families and staff. New logins, new portal, new timeline and who to call.

After cutover: the first 30 days

• Daily for the first two weeks: a short stand-up on what broke.
• Check the first claims by hand before they go out, then the first payments as they post.
• Reconcile authorization balances weekly for a month.
• Run the first payroll export with a second person checking it.
• Keep the old system read-only and archived until the last old claim is paid and your retention obligations are met.

A timing warning about January 2027

The ABA CPT code set changes on January 1, 2027. The ABA Coding Coalition's guidance says 0362T and 0373T are invalid for dates of service on or after that date with no grace period, and that payers have their own timelines for loading the new codes. A cutover in December or January stacks a system change on a coding change. If you must switch then, ask the new vendor in writing when the 2027 codes will be live, and test a claim with each. The details are in our guide to the 2027 ABA CPT code changes.

Where Wilma fits

If Wilma is on your shortlist, our switching page explains how the move works and what the migration covers. Ask us the same questions you would ask anyone: what is imported, in what form, and what is archived. Whichever vendor you choose, the plan above holds.

Sources

The code-change facts above come from the ABA Coding Coalition's 2027 CPT Code Crosswalk (September 11, 2026) and Supplemental Guidance (October 2026), as of November 2, 2026. The timeline and checklist are a planning model, not a published standard.