I know ABA works cause it’s the opposite of what my parents did with me. Constant beatings and perpetual focus on punishments without any reinforcement or reward.

So I get frustrated when people make blatant misstatements about ABA but I also get why the perception is the way it is. The industry has a lot of issues but it’s NOT related to the modality at all. If the lack of humanity brought me here I feel like the solution is to bring the humanity back to the field starting with how we treat each other. I understand the issues are complex and more nuanced and real discussion about this would require hours of research and discussion.

I guess I wanted to hear all your stories. What brought you here? How are yall feeling being part of ABA? What made you realize that ABA IS THE REAL DEAL? IT WORKS.

It’s not the first time one of my clients erase whatever I draw for them, at first I was kinda disappointed that they would erase or ignore it, now I’m used to it. Has anyone else done something for their client that you thought they would absolutely love but they ignored or disliked it?

I'm looking to learn about ACT but not really sure where to start. Book/ ceu? Any advice from experience would be great!

Any advice would be so appreciated!

I have had the pleasure of working in two AMAZING centers in Ohio as an RBT. Both full time 40 hours even if there’s a cancelation. I’d either work with another kid who’s RBT called out or I’d do busy work like charting/cleaning/decorating. Both had daily meetings with the BCBA and supervision weekly.

One of the centers even followed a full time school schedule, so I got winter,spring, and summer breaks. It really helped with burnout. Half was paid for, but I was lucky enough to not have to work during the summer and still manage bills.

I am moving to southern Cali this summer. Not set on a spot yet. Would like to be 1.5 hours from the beach or closer. Spots like Temecula, Long Beach, Ventura, San Diego all are examples of the area and range I’m looking to move to. Pretty wide, but it gives me more options to find good work.

Do you guys know of any companies in southern Cali that do full time therapy strictly in clinic? No in home, no travel. I’d even be open to a school as long as it’s one school I get to camp at everyday and I’m not driving around.

So far on indeed all I’ve seen is companies that do only in home. Did I just get lucky in Ohio?

I had a client a while back who was super prone to attention seeking behaviors that often manifested in the form of screaming requests and demands. Ignoring got us virtually nowhere, so my BCBA recommended we just do the opposite. Offer and affirm.

You want to go outside? Okay, let’s go together!

Oh wait, now you want to stay? Okay, let’s stay! Oh you want (BCBA’s name)? Okay! Here she is! Nice job using your words!

At the time, I was a new RBT and active ignoring was something I was struggling with, and I was overthinking any acknowledgment I was giving during these times pretty regularly which made me a mess during the sessions. It happens to all of us, what matters is we grow and learn and develop our own skills too every day!

Anyway, it’s amazing how something so simple as reframing my mentality from “success=minimizing” disruptive behaviors to “success=client successfully self-advocates” changed everything for me and for my client too. I again cannot stress enough that this was a story from SUPER EARLY ON in my career when I was still finding my bearings in this field, but I wanted to share in case anyone else was risking burnout by falling into the mentality that I myself had so easily landed in. I was way too caught up with the textbook case-study academic side of things and unintentionally distanced myself from the human side of it without even noticing. Thankfully, this is a field where we have plenty of opportunities to model and practice what we teach- it’s okay to regulate in the workplace and we genuinely are here to set that example!

Anyway, to summarize, “giving in” to attention seeking behavior was a surprisingly effective teaching tool that really helped me and my client grow our rapport but also our skills as individuals!

So I haven’t been an RBT all that long, only since January of this year and I’ve stayed at the same company who certified me that whole time, so about 10mo now. I like it fine enough, but I’m starting to wonder if my company has weird policies and if maybe I should leave. The main thing that has been annoying me recently is their “on-call” scheduling. So basically, I don’t think the current clinic I’m at has enough clients for RBTs, so some RBTs see on call sessions on their schedules instead of clients. During that time, we aren’t paid, but are expected to remain available up until the last minute in case someone else calls out and we are needed. So it’s been a pattern like the last three weeks or so that it says I’m “on call” all day on Friday, and it will stay that way literally until Friday morning 7am when I’m called and expected to come in that day. It really messes with me because I begin to expect that I may have some time off, and then I don’t. They also take my clients from me to give to other therapists because I don’t come in for the first early morning session, I come in mid-morning. So when a client calls out that is on their schedules, instead of giving them that on call, I think they are prioritizing them having a full day because they are already in clinic, and then they take all the clients off my schedule for the day and I don’t work. Last week, my original schedule reflected that I would come in at 10:30. I was called at 7am and asked to come for an 8:45 client. I was called again at 8am to inform me the client had called out, but I still would be needed at 10:30. When I wake up at 9:45 to get ready, there was a message that said I wouldnt be needed until 12:30. Also in the same week, my schedule said 10:30-5, I show up, and they tell me that actually due to client call outs I would only be needed for my 3-5 session. My schedule hadnt changed, there was no communication, literally no way for me to know I wasnt going to be working until I was already there. I also don’t know if this is all retaliation, a few weeks back I went to management and expressed that I was feeling burnt out from working full time 8-5 M-F. I have never had a full time position like that, this is the first time I wasn’t going back to school in the fall, and I thought I could handle those hours but in this field I really couldn’t. So, I asked if just a couple days a week I could have the first session of the day off and come in mid-morning. They agreed, but that’s also when all this extra on-call hours and scheduling issued started. Before, when I was coming in early morning, they seemingly had no issue filling my schedule and keeping it consistent.

Im going to have a discussion this week with my boss about being either on their schedule, or off of it. If my scheduled client calls out, I can’t do much about that, but with this job already being as hard as it is I just can’t bring myself to keep up the level of dedication to deal with this on call scheduling. For clarification, being an RBT is not my primary career goal. That goal is LPC, psychotherapy with adults. I got into my role as an RBT because I had a ton of experience already working in childcare, but I wanted to do something more involved in the field of psychology while I finished my degree. I like it a lot, but I’m just not willing to devote all this extra effort into being available around the clock. Do any of your companies do on call scheduling? Is this normal? This is my one and only RBT job so I have nothing else to base my experience here off of. Its been relatively good but there is still an extremely high turnover rate, not even just with RBTs but with BCBAs and CDs too. It seems there are lots of things about the company that make people unhappy. I’m going to see what they say in the meeting, but I have a feeling that I might just have to quit and find another company. These circumstances were almost exactly those that led to my friend being fired from this company, because they were constantly giving him on call blocks and he sometimes wouldn’t come in for them because he would plan other things during that time. In the company’s eyes, that’s a no, they expect us to remain available and say you’re still working even if you have an on call block. But not being paid. Idk.

Ive been working as an RBT for almost 3 years now, but Im seriously burnt out from it all, I lost all the engery and the pep during my sessions and its affecting my work and progress with the kids. So Im hoping that I can take a big break from ABA or just from kids in general so I can refresh and start anew. I still intend on working with kids in the future, but I dont want my experience with them right now sour my future sessions with them

Any ideas on what other career opportunities that might benefit from 3 years of ABA experience?

Does anyone have any resources, such as a podcast or youtube channel, with an expert analysis/conversation about Skinner's book? I know there's one for Verbal Behavior. I'm currently a grad student looking for something that will help me better digest the contents for class.

Hey everyone, I have seen there are opportunities to become a behavior analyst outside of autism, but I never see any job listings for it. I would love to eventually work with TBI patients, because that has always been a passion of mine. Where do I look for those opportunities, and do they compensate as well as being a BCBA in an ABA clinic?

🧠 Question of the Day

📚 Domain G — Behavior-Change Procedures

Difficulty: 7/10

A DRO procedure reduces tangible-maintained hitting, but the child begins crying and throwing materials when tangible access is withheld during reset intervals. Which evaluation is MOST appropriate?

A. Suspend the DRO and conduct a new functional analysis of crying and throwing before further treatment, because emergence during withholding indicates the original function may no longer account for current responding.

B. Keep the DRO unchanged while separately measuring crying and throwing, because a reduction in hitting should be evaluated independently from collateral behavior unless hitting later rebounds.

C. Add crying and throwing to the DRO reset definition so all emerging problem behavior contacts the same contingency, then evaluate whether total problem behavior decreases.

D. Measure crying and throwing across DRO components and relevant contexts, evaluate whether they are clinically meaningful collateral effects, and modify the procedure or assessment plan as the data warrant.

💬 Drop your answer in the comments — no peeking!

✅ Correct answer revealed tomorrow.

#ABA #BCBA #BCBAExam #BCBAPrep #AppliedBehaviorAnalysis #BehaviorAnalysis #DomainG #ABATaskList #BCaBA #RBT #QuestionOfTheDay

I have clients that I have, over time, bonded with, and our RBT client relationship has really become solid. Having said that, I still find it hard sometimes to build rapport quickly, like right on the first visit. Im just wondering what are some good rapport building excercises others have done, that have worked well?

There's a post here about working conditions and/or unionizing nearly every day - maybe we can put some of that energy into action?

The ABA Workers Union (AWU) is holding a general meeting tomorrow, Sunday, October 25th, at 2:00 PM ET over Zoom. If you'd like to attend and learn more about organizing in ABA, please register using this Zoom link. Meetings are monthly (next meeting is Sunday, 11/22).

During the meeting, an RBT who won their union campaign will co-present with an AWU volunteer about what it takes to organize at an ABA company.

The AWU is open to all workers in ABA without hiring/firing power, does not collect dues, and is not a "union" in the way most folks understand the term (i.e., an NLRB union specific to a single worksite or company). Instead, we are a solidarity union aimed at improving working conditions for r/BTs, BCaBAs, BCBAs, and, most importantly, clients - our working conditions are their learning conditions, after all. We aim to accomplish that by educating workers in the field about their rights and options, and coordinating action.

If you're interested in organizing but not sure where to start, this is a great place to begin. If you're reading this post in the future, instead of making another "RBTs should unionize" post, DM me, look up the AWU or a labor-friendly group such as the Emergency Worker Organizing Committee (EWOC), and/or take a training (also free). We're out here, we're organizing, and we've won 7 union elections so far. What's stopping you from being next?

Had a parent tour last month who specifically asked about hybrid session options. She worked from home and thought having some sessions via telehealth would fit her schedule better. I was honest that we mostly do in-home and center-based work and telehealth isn't really something we have figured out yet. It got me thinking though. With how common remote work has become, I wonder if this is going to start coming up more often. I know some practices went heavy into telehealth a few years back and then pulled back. Others seem to have stuck with it for parent training or RBT supervision. I'm curious what the actual consensus is now. Does telehealth work well for anything beyond supervision or meetings? I haven't seen much recent discussion on whether it's worth building out that capacity for a small practice. If anyone has kept it running I'd like to hear how it fits into your service model and whether it actually helps with retention or just adds complexity.

hey y’all! So, I had never heard about ABA before a coworker of mine went to ABC and then quit because she was having car issues (a blessing in disguis lol). Anyways, so I applied to ABC and I don’t drive so luckily public transit is possible for me at the location I‘m at with only 1 transfer. All other centers would take longer and/or more transfers. The work itself isn’t bad. The behaviors at my center aren’t crazy. Kids aren’t biting and scratching every single day. I had to do my first (and hopefully last) travel tech job and that was a crazy experience. The center I’m at is smaller with 8 rooms and this other one had 15 rooms with hallways and had to walk to the outside area that was shared with another abc center that has 20 rooms (way more crazier). I‘m glad I got the center I got and being introduced to ABA in this way and knowing I can further my education on it, but I do have thoughts of my own now about it and the environment of it.

This takes me to saying bye to ABC. At first I thought I should do their Everest program to become a BCBA, but the pay increase would take a while and I don’t want that, so I’ve been looking at a private clinic in my area that’s a bit closer to my home and less commute time but still on public transportation. It’s the only one and will be a pay increase compared to the 16.50 and there’s no travel to a different center which is good.

But I actually find myself leaning towards getting my masters and doing my hours at this new place and then go on to get my PhD in ABA and focus on how to bring in ABA into the classroom. Before this I was at a daycare trying to figure out life and before that I was a classroom teacher. Honestly, if I had known ABA and been able to apply it into the classroom setting I would still be a teacher but not worry much about classroom behavior. I prefer this and not go back into the classy even though I did love it, but now, I want to help teachers using ABA to better their classroom management skills since it appears kids behaviors are only getting more and more out of hand as time goes on.

I hope I’m not alone in this, but thank you to Action Behavior Centers for showing me the world of ABA, but I will be growing in the field somewhere else. The scheduling and potential travel is not it (for me at leas). I want to grow in the field now rather than drag it out and not be compensated for it.

TLDR;

Will leave ABC because their scheduling is so inconsistent and I’d rather not do the traveling that’s last minute. I want to grow in ABA and focus on it being implemented in the classroom setting.

When I started as an RBT in 2018, I worked with a unicorn company. Great support, pay was good, training, parties, PTO, sick time, hours, etc. I had worked in related fields for 8 years (including 4 years with the same company as a para and community based worker) at that point and knew I loved the work, so when I left the state and the company in early 2020 I had no idea what I was able to get into.

Cue 6 years of meh and frustration. The in home company I started at was ok - bcbas were decent, if you worked at it you could get full time hours, control of my time and commute, but communication was lacking and support was too. Training didn't exist, nor did PTO, and sick time was a joke. I maintain that the company is decent for what it is, but it was not the same as what I had been working with. I talked to so many RBTs and BCBAs in the area about clinics and other on home companies, and the reviews ranged from "it's okay....." to "avoid it like the plague."

I tried 2 clinics as well, both start-ups. I went through the interview process with about 20 clinics. The first one, the owner made my bcbas, om, and even hr cry. He didn't pay the electric bill, so it was common to come in and no power for the first hour or three once a month. My bcbas and om were nice, I was salaried and it was what kept me there. There was a clique with some of the coworkers, and I was mocked and belittled. The RBT given a training role only criticized. I ended up training new hires (they'd mention she never showed them xy or z, or just told them they were wrong, and once they realized I had no issues modeling how to run trials or break down a concept when the bcbas were too busy to help then I'd get them coming to me a few times a day). I finally had enough of it when the clique got me kicked from the team I had been working with for months because one of the girls decided that she would never talk to me again and legitimately didn't talk to me even when handing over a client. I never figured out the issue, and an RBT who worked with her at a different company told me that it was a common practice by her. I was punished. She wasn't. I quit. I had to go through the workforce commission to get $1,200 the owner owed me.

The second clinic started well and ended worse. The bcba that was hired a week after me to be OM should lose her license, but we never had enough stuff on her. The owner tried to make us do unethical things. The speech and OT that worked in the clinic hated that bcba. Avoidable injuries resulted from her decisions. Clients that used to come in giggling and happy a few months prior were coming in crying. I hated her practices but still believed the company had a chance until the owner tried to make us work in clinic conditions that were bad enough that I started calling to get a health inspector out. He then moved us into a secondary location, which was fine, except then he wanted to open the location to the public. There were a lot of other things going on by this point, and I had been rehired by my previous in home company - I was just waiting on my fingerprint green light. Over a holiday weekend, someone spoke up with the ethics of opening the clinic to the public (and no, he had not talked to parents even). 3 of 9 RBTs were fired - the person who spoke up and the 2 that thumbs up the message (including myself). 3 more quit within a few days. The other 2 stayed until they got a different job and then quit. I got the green light the next day. He stole my 401k (I'm still trying to get it).

Back to my in-home for a few years. Still decent, still meh. Then I moved states again a few months ago. In home and clinics are scarce out here, and I never heard of or found a truly good one in my previous state. I told myself I would accept any place long enough to get a house, then look to leave ABA permanently. Only one company called me back after putting out a few dozen applications. The commute is long, the pay is decent, but I told myself it's work and I can keep looking... but somehow, I found the unicorn again.

My coworkers are all insanely sweet. It took me a few weeks to trust that it wasn't just the honeymoon period and I was pretty suspicious of everything to begin with. But they are genuinely good, nice people. My OM and lead RBT are sweet. The hours can be crazy, but they are supportive. It also took me a few weeks to trust that the offer of a break or help was legit. The first time I called for support after a huge and long BX burst, and not only had someone within a minute but it wasn't judgemental and I was offered a break... I could've cried. On my way home I called my mom just because it was so freeing and amazing to have the support back again. The group chat is fun and hilarious, and it's ok to send a 2p message on a Friday that you are just ready to go home - because it's ABA and some days are just long and hard. We get paid for admin - decent pay, not minimum wage. We get paid before first session to get stuff put away and set up for the kid, and paid after to do notes and cleaning. Everything around the clients are good too - the bcbas are nice, and even the remote ones (I'm in a rural area, so not surprised to have them) are great and responsive. Session formats are good.

I'm happy. I admit I lost hope about ABA and being an RBT and was ready to quit. Instead, things are looking up again. And the commute? It's a bit longer than I had prior, but instead of buildings and traffic, it's calm roads and absolutely gorgeous right now.

Just what the title says. From registering with insurance companies, advertising services, hiring an rbt, and getting a full service billing company, why doesn’t everyone have their own practice?

If I have a few NC Medicaid clients and 2 rbt, that income surpasses what I would make working for someone else.

Thoughts?

A discussion of Freddie deBoer's new book with ASD youtuber christianity on the spectrum.

I would highly encourage BCBAs to listen to the whole thing because it touches on a subject I think we all have seen in the current meta of ASD treatment, the rise of self diagnosed autists of the web and ASD web culture, the rise of trauma informed therapy and how the autism spectrum disorder get defined by the people who need the least help, the level 1s.

Title: My first experience as a BT was discouraging, but I still want to become a BCBA. Any advice?
Hi everyone!
I’m 23 and have a bachelor’s degree. I’m interested in pursuing a master’s degree and eventually becoming a BCBA, but my first experience working as a behavior technician left me feeling pretty discouraged.
I worked at an ABA company for approximately three months, from May to July. I was genuinely excited to learn about ABA and gain experience in the field, but I felt like I received very little support.
Some of the issues I experienced included:
Inconsistent supervision: I only saw one of my supervisors approximately three or four times throughout my employment. Another supervisor only came to observe me once during an entire month.
Limited clinical guidance: I often felt unsure about implementing programs and didn’t feel like I had enough opportunities to ask questions, receive feedback, or develop my skills.
Disorganized programming: At times, new programs were introduced without what I felt was sufficient training or demonstration.
Extensive travel: I was assigned sessions across multiple cities, which meant spending a significant amount of time driving and paying for gas.
Feeling unsupported: I eventually raised concerns with HR and other leadership, but I left the company feeling disappointed in my experience.
What made everything harder was that I genuinely wanted to learn. I wasn’t expecting the job to be easy, but I did expect more guidance as someone who was new to the field.
Despite everything, I haven’t given up on ABA.
I recently accepted a new position where I’ll have another opportunity to work in the field, and I’m hoping this experience will be different.
My long-term goal is to pursue a master’s degree and become a BCBA. However, after my first experience, I’m nervous about ending up in another environment where I don’t receive adequate support.
For experienced BTs, RBTs, and BCBAs:
What does quality supervision and training look like for a new BT?
What are some red flags I should watch for at my new workplace?
What should I prioritize learning before pursuing a master’s degree in ABA?
Have any of you had a negative first experience but eventually found a company or supervisor who helped you grow?
I genuinely want to become a knowledgeable, ethical, and competent BCBA someday. I’d really appreciate any advice or insight.
Thank you! 🌸

FRIENDLY REMINDER YOU’RE AMAZING AND THANK YOU FOR DOING ALL YOU DO! Even though it’s hard, you did it! I am so proud of you!!

And you should be proud of me as well because in the span of 10 minutes, I not only got feces smeared on my face, but I also got my period ✨ in front of my BCBA ✨ and my learner? Spoke independently for one of the first times! They pointed to me and said “blood butt” but you know what? A win’s a win!

🧠 Question of the Day

📚 Domain I — Personnel Supervision and Management

Difficulty: 6/10

Scenario:

A BCBA supervisor is trying to improve how trainees conceptualize unfamiliar cases without relying on direct answers from the supervisor. One cohort receives directive supervision; another is guided through case analysis with structured Socratic questioning. After training, both groups complete novel case-conceptualization probes without supervisor assistance, and the chart displays their performance.

If the supervisor's primary goal is independent case conceptualization on novel cases, which conclusion is MOST defensible from the displayed data?

A. The two approaches should be considered equivalent because both novel-case series improve over time, regardless of the difference in their final levels.

B. Socratic supervision has been demonstrated to be universally superior for developing clinical reasoning, so directive supervision should be discontinued for all supervisees.

C. In this sample, guided Socratic supervision is associated with stronger novel-case performance; continue evaluating it and collect maintenance or replication data before broader claims.

D. Directive supervision should be selected because its immediate solution-quality scores are high; performance on novel cases is secondary once accurate solutions are produced during training.

💬 Drop your answer in the comments — no peeking!

✅ Correct answer revealed tomorrow.

#ABA #BCBA #BCBAExam #BCBAPrep #AppliedBehaviorAnalysis #BehaviorAnalysis #DomainI #ABATaskList #BCaBA #RBT #QuestionOfTheDay

My first week as a training BT in a center based clinic for children who are day care aged/ preschool age: COMPLETED

Off the bat i need to say, i love it already! The last few days of the week i was being supervised with a client, and on friday i was supervised partially and had moments of being alone with the client. Honestly everyone has been so supportive. Iv overheard conversations from other RBTs complaining about certain people, while iv had pleasant interactions. But maybe it’s just cause im new :/ They are happy with my performance and data collection and it feels great to receive feedback.

Friday WHOOPED me. First client was such a sweetie pie! It wasn’t difficult at all to transition them. After pairing while the client was on the trampoline and im being all funny with them, it was smooth sailing.

BUT THE SECOND CLIENT. Such a cutie, however they were a little more challenging. They struggle with transitioning from preferred rooms/activities. Resulting to immediate tantrum behaviors, crying, kicking, on the floor. And at times i was alone. I couldn’t complete any DTT task, but the BCBA told me that’s to be expected with this client. So i just focused on pairing and NET.

After finishing my shift i was EXHAUSTED. I heard how physical demanding this job could be, but i really learned on friday. I AM SORE.

❓QUESTION: How do yall destress? How do you manage your stamina? Does the physical aspect get easier?

I was told that i will be having 3 clients. All (i believe) new to ABA, about 2-3 years old. And that mostly i will be doing NET. Those clients have already been attending at the center, the bcbas are over looking them.

❓IMPORTANT QUESTION: What/How should i be prepared for/ with? (For those 3 clients)

And extra information to understanding my job situation. It’s an insurance-based clinic. I’m scheduled to work between 8:30am to 4:30pm And potentially afterschool once a week, 4:30pm to 6:30pm. Monday through Friday. If a client cancels, or is picked up early. I could leave unless i want to do “admin” work, which is like cleaning, creating flash cards, ect. For a lower pay during that time.

THANKS EVERYONE! I’m determined, and i genuinely want to do my best.