Paying for supervision hours is reinforcing a bad system. You’re essentially paying to work instead of getting paid for the hours you’re putting in. At $200 a month for 12 months, that’s $2,400 out of pocket money that could go toward rent, food, gas, or retirement savings.

On top of that, the BACB keeps adding new coursework requirements even for people who already have a master’s degree. That forces more student debt on top of the unpaid or underpaid supervision hours.

With inflation already high and the cost of living rising, locking people into these extra expenses makes the path to certification unnecessarily burdensome. The US is going to inflate the US dollar to pay off its debt Candidates who struggle to find hours at no fault of their own, there should be a better way.

The ABA field is broken.

Hey everyone,
I’ve been an RBT for 2 years and I’ve had my share of clinics in between. I currently work at a clinic where I’ve witnessed several ethical concerns and I’m not sure what to do at this point because I want to quit before I more than likely get fired for advocating for myself and my client.

I don’t want to go into detail just out of respect for HIPPA obvs. I just want to know is holding down a non verbal child’s hands to feed them something a BCBA should be allowed to tell an RBT to do? I’m not sure if the parents know but in the event that the parent does know…would this still be ethical since my client is clearly uncomfortable with this and it also makes me uncomfortable to do as well.

Considering they have severe food aversion and could potentially lead to being on a feeding tube. I understand the concern for the client however I’m just not sure if this is right and if BCBA can do this.

What would you do if put in this position?

Hi there,

I have been working in the disability field for about 2+ years and have my bachelors degree and also associates. I have been applying to RBT positions for a few months now and it seems as if the zoom/phone call interviews go well, but once I do the in person interviews or shadows, I get rejected.

I was just wondering if anybody had tips so I can succeed in my next interview?
Also, when I shadow, I try to give the children space but engage with gentle communication/prompting. The staff (assigned RBTs) rarely ever engage with me tbh.

I’m reading a report from CASP which says that 30-40 hours per week of ABA is optimal. And I’ve seen discussions here of clients getting up to 40 hours per week.

I’m wondering what that looks like? Have you done that many hours with a client? Do those 40 hours include naps, lunch, breaks, playtime etc? Does it depend on age/ability?

How many hours are you actually one on one with your client on a 40 hours per week schedule?

I’m looking for advice and ideas from other RBTs and BCBAs who have experience with clients who engage in frequent, challenging behaviors that may be maintained by attention.
I have a client who engages in a wide variety of challenging behaviors, and I’m struggling to find interventions that are effective and sustainable. The behaviors appear to be attention-seeking, particularly when they result in negative attention.
I’ve tried ignoring the behaviors, waiting for the client to calm down before re-engaging, redirecting, offering choices, providing social praise for appropriate behavior, and using many other consequence strategies. Unfortunately, I haven’t seen consistent improvement, and new behaviors have begun to emerge.
More recently, after I began ignoring the behaviors and removing the table and chairs to prevent the client from throwing them or climbing on them, the client started disrobing, urinating on the floor, and kicking the urine toward the BCBA and RBTs.
I want to find ways to teach and reinforce more appropriate replacement behaviors rather than continually reacting to challenging behaviors. I’m particularly interested in strategies for shaping appropriate attention-seeking, functional communication training (FCT), differential reinforcement, and teaching the client to appropriately request attention or interaction.
I understand that behavior is individualized and that interventions should be based on the function of the behavior. I’m not looking for a “one size fits all”protocol; I’d appreciate hearing what has worked in your experience and what you would consider evaluating next.
Thank you for any suggestions!

I’m curious to hear from anyone who is both a licensed mental health therapist (LMFT, LPCC/LPC, or LCSW) and a BCBA, or is currently working toward both credentials.

I’m currently pursuing my master’s in MFT/PCC and considering completing the ABA coursework and fieldwork requirements to become a BCBA as well. I’m interested in both mental health treatment and behavior analysis, and I’m curious about what combining these two fields actually looks like in practice.

For those of you who have both credentials, I’d love to hear about your experience!

Why did you decide to pursue both credentials? Did you find that one complemented the other, or did you have separate career goals for each?

How long did it take you? Did you complete one credential first and then pursue the other, or work toward both simultaneously?

What do you do for work now? Do you practice psychotherapy, work as a BCBA, do both, or have a role that combines the two?

What’s your income like? If you’re comfortable sharing, how much do you make, and has having both credentials increased your earning potential?

What does your day-to-day schedule look like? Do you split your time between therapy clients and ABA services, work for separate employers, or run your own practice?

Do you feel having both credentials was worth the additional time, cost, and effort? If you could do it all over again, would you?

Thank you! I’m hoping to get a realistic picture of what this career combination looks like beyond just having two credentials on paper.

Work at the company that has you travel and worked my first travel today.

my center is small. like a hallway and 8 rooms total with the cafe, gym, are in their area along the way. but oh my god!!! the center I was at had 15 and felt like a maze. the one next door is said to have 20. I’m thankful for what I got as well as with the kids.

Today was literally so overwhelming with the kids I had sessions with. I cried like 10 minutes before clocking out since it was that overwhelming with the behavior the kid I was with did. I think it was more of the combination that i was thrown in to this center and nobody told me beforehand the kids types of behaviors they normally do or can exhibit and on top of that I’ve literally only been here for a month and a half.

but I know I need to toughen up in regards to speaking with the kids who need that stern and strong voice to do what you ask of them without placing the demand a million times.

there’s one kid in my BCB’s team who I know I need to be stern and strong with my voice so he can do what we ask for him to do.

I think the other thing I struggle with is to what extend can I guide the kids with my hands to lead them to x. Like they’re in a room they’re not allowed or when they’re on the floor finding it fun and funny that I’m trying to lead them to the table for DTT. I know in training they said Barbie hands and stuff, but that’s not what I’ve seen from teammates and bcbas. Because realistically, sometimes Barbie hands aren’t enough.

what I’ve been doing is blocking with my body to stop them from leaving the area or opening a door to go in/out. I’ve also been doing the other tips and tricks I learned during training and from observing other techs that are at my center.

TLDR;

How can I “toughen up” to be able to place the demands needed to lead the kids (my own center or other) to the desired task?

How can I handle behaviors better?

***Side Note***
Obviously asking the BCBA is an option but today it wasn’t since I literally was just thrown in there. But the way the BCBA handled the behavior with the kid was amazing and inspiring, so that makes me want to be better as an RBT.

So yesterday I took my RBT exam and scored a 193 out of the minimum passing score of 200 (close I know) But I want to talk about my grievances, I guess would be the word to use with the job itself. I am in NC and recently NC said that all BT's have to become RBT's by October 31st. I scheduled to take the test again, but if I don't pass the test a second time around, I will be put on hold from working with clients until I become an RBT. My biggest regret is not taking the test earlier. I found out from my company about the BT to RBT requirement on October 2nd. Before, becoming a RBT was an option that BT's could do, but now it is required by the state of NC.

About a week and a half or so ago, I asked to be a switched to a new client. The client I was working with was just not a good fit I felt for my experience level. So I submitted a request.

A few days later I got a call from a scheduling coordinator at my company saying that my request was approved but asked me if I could still support the client until they found that client a new tech and me a new client, and obviously for a smooth transition for that client as well, I said yes of course, even though that client was not a good fit I would still try my best to help them in the best way possible and so I can keep working. A day or two later that same scheduling coordinator called me and said that they matched me with a new client and I was off of that previous clients case I requested to be removed from. I think to myself "But they asked me to support them until they found a new tech and me a new client with a start date...?" so now I was not working with any clients, no money was being made. The company told me the start date with my new client was Oct 14th, but per the family's request they wanted to start sessions on Oct 19th.

Here are my grievances with this job, in the state of NC it seems that most BT's and RBT's get about 25-30 hours a week at most, but not guaranteed. I have worked as little as 12 hours a week. I understand that there can be some complications to income with this job, like clients cancelling sessions, parents discontinuing services and having to wait a week or more to start with a new client etc.

For example, I started working as a BT in the spring of this year, I had a new job, moved into a new apartment, I was excited. But as time went on, the hours were little to almost none, and like anyone else I had bills to pay and still do. So I decided that I would pick up a full time job in retail to make more money while also working as a BT part time. This did not work out. I ended up leaving the BT job because I could not balance both. I stayed with the retail job just so I had a regular full time paycheck coming in, I was pulling from my savings account to cover simple bills like groceries and gas etc. Later down the line I learned I did not like the full time company I was working for so I left and went back to working with the kids in ABA because that's where my heart was at. I figured that because of my previous experience from months prior that I would get more clients and more hours jumping back into ABA work, but that was not the case.

I do believe there is job security in this field, but not any financial security due to the drop of a hat of families discontinuing services, waiting to start with new clients, clients cancelling sessions etc. as stated previously above.

So currently I am waiting to start with my new client, I have been at home day after day just waiting to start with my new client and studying for my RBT exam. I even asked the scheduling coordinator who called me about my new client if there were any clinics my company had that I could help at to make some money in the meantime while waiting to start with my new client and so far, nothing. I know if I pass my RBT exam, then great, but I know that will not guarantee me more clients. Overall I am questioning whether to stay in this field or move on to something else.

My clinic CD told me that since I picked up my client at 9:01 and not at 9:00, the exact time he was called, then I received an absent hour.

This was a day after our clinic brought in a new rule of RBTs having to create a task whenever we need a break during our session.

What the heck is up with these new rules? I’ve been working in ABA for a year now, and I’m already burnt out. Most of my colleagues are talking about finding new jobs. Is this how we treat our RBTs? We are already scrutinized enough, and now this?

Hi everyone! I really want to become an RBT, but I can't afford to pay for training right now. I'm currently experiencing housing insecurity, and a full-time job would really help me get back on my feet. I have a bachelor's degree and childcare experience, don't drive, and need a center-based position.

Are there any free, legitimate 40-hour training programs that employers accept? I'm willing to study up to 10 hours a day and complete the training in five days. I'd also love recommendations for companies that hire beginners.

Hello, I'm looking to buy headphones because I recently moved and can hear my neighbors. I’d like a pair that blocks outside noise and keeps my dogs, neighbors, and the busy streets from being heard during meetings. I live near a hospital, so ambulances pass by all the time, too.

Mine doesn’t. Just wondering how common/uncommon that is.

Does anyone have recommendations for remembering which IOA is applicable or best to use? Got my test coming up and this is the one thing I can’t find a good way to make them stick.

This is mostly a rant, but I would also appreciate any advice. I realize that most BCBAs are wonderful and very good at their jobs, and I’ve encountered some great BCBAs but also some not so great BCBAs.

I recently got hired to work as an in-home RBT and I’m starting with a client tomorrow. I had a meeting with the BCBA a few days ago to discuss the case and this meeting went horribly. The BCBA spent the entire meeting rolling her eyes and sighing. She said she has never met the client. Never observed the client. Never met the client’s parents. Never even video called the client’s parents. She has only talked to the client’s father over the phone once, very briefly. And THAT’S IT. She didn’t even do the client’s intake assessment, someone else did. She knew absolutely NOTHING about the client, knew NONE of their goals, knew NONE of their challenging behaviors, and had no protocol for anything. So the meeting that was supposed to be going over the case, was instead just her telling me that she knew nothing about the case at all. I tried to ask questions but she had no idea about anything.

The BCBA also stated that she lives about an hour away from the client, but refuses to ever go support me during a session in person because it’s too far. So she is going to do telehealth for my first session, and she said that she essentially wants me to see what behaviors the client has and what the client needs to work on and report it back to her so that she can build more goals and a new treatment plan, etc. She kept saying “we’ll deal with it together”… so essentially am I going to be doing her job for her…? The client and their family also speak Spanish, and I do not. They said it’s fine because the client is nonverbal, but I don’t understand how any of this is going to work out at all? Everything about this case seems like it’s not going to be beneficial to the client, especially with their BCBA knowing nothing about them and not knowing how to help them at all. I’m frustrated and confused and don’t know what to do. How can I implement any procedures or behavior plan if the BCBA doesn’t even know the client at all. Any advice?

I new to open book exam of ABA so if anyone with good heart ready to explain how to write a exam by giving their answer which they uploaded in turnintin and passed the exam.

My exam is 2000 words. I just wanted a model answer to familiarise with where to cite things and how to make reference in APA 7 format and write an essay.

I am psychology ABA masters international student I love to learn .i m curious person i had paid my life off for this masters but yet i feel zoned out after an hour of lecture and even if i force myself to listen i would be out of track as i missed so many points.
While Zoning out i would be thinking about productive things related to study and life itself but not on the lecture. I would think i can go home and read text books and understand concepts at home with help of chatgpt. Idk i feel bad as i payed this huge amount for masters and i do so. I want to be expert in my field but still ido this . And when im home i will cut and paste full chapters from authors and paste in chatgpt and will study alone.

Anyone does same ???

Hello everyone! I’m currently an RBT and recently attended an interview with an ABA company. At the beginning of the interview, I was asked whether I preferred to work as a W-2 employee or a 1099 independent contractor.

From my understanding, RBTs generally cannot be classified as independent contractors due to the supervision requirements associated with our certification. I informed them that I would prefer W-2 employment, but they then mentioned that I would be required to obtain my own professional liability insurance.

While the company is willing to offer me $30 per hour, which is the rate I’m looking for, these questions have raised some concerns about their employment practices.
I don’t want to overlook potential red flags simply because the compensation is appealing.

Has anyone experienced something similar? Is requiring W-2 RBTs to carry their own liability insurance common practice, and would you consider this a red flag?

I’d genuinely appreciate any advice or insight from fellow RBTs and BCBAs

I’m looking for some honest advice from people who have attended FIT or have been in a similar situation.
I’m currently pursuing my master’s at FIT, and I’m really struggling with how rigorous the program feels.
I work as an RBT, I’m married, and I have kids. I’m also in my 40s, and trying to balance all these responsibilities while pursuing my master’s has been exhausting.
I knew getting a master’s degree would be challenging, but I didn’t expect it to feel this overwhelming. Some days, I wonder if I can realistically keep doing this without burning myself out or if it’s worth it at this age.
Now I’m questioning what I should do. Should I push through and stay at FIT? Should I consider transferring to another program that might be more manageable? Or should I take a step back and reconsider my options?
I don’t want to give up on my goals, but I also don’t want to sacrifice my well-being and miss out on time with my family just to finish a degree.
For those who attended FIT while working and raising a family, how did you manage? Did it get easier? Did you stay, transfer, take a break, or choose a different path?
I would really appreciate your honest advice.

I love being an RBT, it’s a very fulfilling job. HOWEVER, being sick 100 times a year is the WORST part of this field. I don’t mind taking punches to the face, but the sore throats… unbearable.

I know everyone says they hate being sick because duh… it sucks. But what I hate the most is the anxiety and overthinking it causes me when I have to call out of work.

Earlier this year I got strep and mono at the same time. And no, it was not from kissing anybody (too many people made v unfunny jokes about the “kissing disease” while my tonsils were actively constricting my ability to breathe.) I caught both at the same time because one of the kids in the classroom I work in likes to play with wads of his spit as a sensory activity, but god forbid you offer the kid some hand sanitizer. 😃

Anyways, the mono and strep had me out of work for over a month, and not only was it awful because I wasn’t getting paid for an entire month, but it caused me so much anxiety because every time I have to call out of work I have this irrational fear that the family/my company thinks I’m lying or something. So when I told everyone that I needed a month off of work, I spent the entire month overthinking about whether or not the family and my company hate me for being out for so long. (The family and my company are amazing and they do not hate me lol).

Then not even a month after I was finally able to return back to work, I got Type A flu and hit a 104 degree fever. So I had to call out of work YET AGAIN for a whole week. Spent that entire week overthinking and miserable.

Now I’m sick again with what appears to be a common cold and I’m just so frustrated with the amount of times I’ve gotten sick this year!! My sister was telling me today that she only gets sick like once a year (she doesn’t work w kids). And now I’m just thinking, I would LOVE to be the type of person that only gets sick once a year with a simple common cold, but instead I get stuff like strep, mono, Covid, the flu and whatever other agonizing illness these kids throw my way.

There’s no other job I’d wanna do because I really do love this work, but idk what to do to protect my immune system!! When does the strong immune system kick in!?!?!? 😭😭

Hi there!

So I have been an RBT for eight years, and left for about two years because I thought I wanted to be a teacher. Then decided that I just wanted to go back to ABA and start working towards becoming a BCBA.

I recently started working with a company that had a BCBA pathway, but after a couple of weeks, I decided that this particular company was not for me and put in my resignation. They didn’t really align with my values. I didn’t really like how they treated the kids. There are a bunch of other reasons, which I’m not going to get into at the moment. But it just wasn’t a good fit for me.

But I’ve always had a love-hate relationship with ABA since I started. I love the science, and I love seeing the kids make progress when it’s implemented correctly. However, I’ve seen a lot of unethical stuff as well.

I’m wondering if I should stay in ABA. I’m also wondering if there is an ABA-like field I could transfer into.

I’m just struggling because I do want to become a BCBA. But I feel like I’m going to have to tolerate a lot of BS to get there. What are the odds of finding a company that is a perfect fit for me?

so far, it’s just this one company since I’ve returned to the field. And in all fairness, before I got hired, I read all the reviews, and everybody told me to run the other way. I should have listened. But I’ve worked with a few companies that just made me feel like I was not doing right by the kids that I worked with.

All I know is, I’m not going to bully children for a paycheck. I just need to find where I fit.

I’ve been working with kids since I was 17 years old. I’m in my 40s now. I didn’t really have any direction regarding where I was going with my experience with children until I found ABA. But honestly, I’m a little discouraged at this point.

Hi everyone! I’m 18 years old and trying to start my career in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) as a Behavior Technician. I’m starting to lose hope sadly.

I recently completed SOAR Autism Center’s 40-hour RBT training and received my certificate. I also have approximately one year of volunteer experience supporting children, including children with autism.

I’ve applied to multiple ABA companies, but I’m struggling to get hired. Some employers never responded to my applications, and a couple of interviews didn’t lead to job offers.
I’m specifically hoping to gain clinical based experience so I can learn from experienced RBTs and BCBAs, develop my practical skills, and continue working toward my RBT certification.
I’m willing to learn and receive additional training. Ideally, I’d like to find an entry-level Behavior Technician position that accepts applicants without formal paid ABA experience and offers paid training or support with the remaining certification requirements. I’m located in South Jersey,
For those who have been in a similar situation:
How did you land your first clinic-based Behavior Technician job? Do clinics hire 18-year-olds who have completed the 40-hour training but haven’t obtained their RBT credential yet?

My company just updated its policy that if RBTs and BTs submit their session notes more than 24 hours after the session, that HR will convert the session on their behalf and it will now be paid at the $15/hr non-billable rate. They said it’s due to new insurance requirements (located in VA) they are implementing this policy change. This applies to BCBAs also but they will receive their regular pay rate if late. This company also has a non compete clause. Thoughts?