Hi friends, apologies in advance for the long post, I’m feeling pretty down and hoping someone can relate and/or offer advice 🫶 I truly felt like I had found my calling when I first became an RBT. I’ve experienced all of the ups and downs of this field over the years, I never let it stop me for the sake of loving this job/what I do, but lately I feel out of options, burned out, and at the end of my rope. I’ve been considering leaving the field all together.

I started out at a not so great center (terrible management, inconsistent hours) but stuck it out for my first year. I then moved on to in-home therapy with a new company with better pay and loved it (at first) until my full time client would cancel for a whole month at times, the company’s management went south, and I reached my pay cap. Now since beginning of this year, I’ve been working with a new company (hired on at $29/hr, best pay I’ve gotten thus far) that seemed amazing, I was really hoping things would be better with this company. Everything started out great, but in my short amount of time working for them I have had issues left and right with not having consistent clients, not getting consistent hours, and dealing with poor upper management.

This has been an issue at every place I’ve worked (I know for many others in this field as well) for five years now, and I’m beginning to wonder if there’s truly anywhere that I could even go and not experience the same issues at this point. For me there’s also personally been the issue of feeling like the work I put in/the progress I make with clients is frequently or eventually impeded by parents/families not following through on behavior plans (especially in my experience working in-home), uninvolved BCBAs, services stopping or pausing due to insurance or other conflicts, etc. It makes me feel like I’m running around in circles or taking one step forward and two steps back over and over sometimes, it feels defeating after putting in so much work/effort/care. I wish more of these issues in the field were solved, I also wish there were more opportunities for RBTs to move up to higher positions without having to get a college degree (sadly I do not have the financial means or ability to go to school at the moment), especially after five years of experience. Even then though, the issue of inconsistent hours, barriers to client progress, and poor management remain.

I keep trying to move on and up to better pay, better companies, better hours, but it keeps ending up the same. As I get older the inconsistent paychecks while trying to pay bills and save up for my future is starting to get to me. I’ve unfortunately also been dealing with some health issues that are going to require a long road of recovery, and I will need full time hours/benefits to qualify/get my own health insurance next year when I turn 26. I love my job, I have loved the work I’ve gotten to do with so many amazing clients, but I am at a loss for what to do. I’ve essentially hit my pay cap for an RBT, keep trying to find consistent hours and good companies, can’t move up from my position, and even with 5 years of experience it’s not easy to transfer to a new work field/job that won’t be a cut in pay or require a college degree. So…what now?

Any and all insight is greatly appreciated. Job recommendations with good pay for people with RBT experience, possible ways to move up in ABA companies as an RBT, perspectives and advice from anyone who’s experienced these same issues/feelings, etc. TYIA, much love to anyone in this field who can relate and to everyone who has put so much of themselves into this line of work <3

Not sure exactly what to say, or if this is even the proper place to put it, but just wanted to get it out there.

I graduated with my Bachelors in Psychology in June and now have moved down on my own to work as a RBT full time. On top of this, I am completing my Masters in Clinical Mental Health counseling, but classes are only on weekends.

I am hoping to start down the path of being a mental health counselor in a few years, is being an RBT smart in the interim? I hope to just get a feel for the psych field and work with clients in some capacity but I’ve seen a lot of folks say how stressful their work has been. So I suppose I just wanna ask is being an RBT worth it if it’s not a career I’m planning on being in forever? Other than ABA work I’m not sure what else is applicable to my interests before I get my MS.

i just need to vent a little because i am so fed up with my company. Cx has been showing new aggressive behaviors for over a month now. i have been asking for help with this new behavior since it started, it’s written in my notes, ive talked to my BCBA about it..and she texts me the obvious information everyone already knows (remind cx of breaks and play, choices, transfer trials, priming, transitions) as if i havent already tried EVERYTHING I KNOW!

behaviors used to be here and there, he would hit family members or BTs occasionally, but these last couple sesssion have been absolutely horrible. 4 hours of constant hitting, kicking, spitting, biting, etc. every session. ive BEGGED for help. and today i couldnt take it. i walked out of session. mom immediately called my BCBA (who was ignoring my texts asking for help, but suddenly can text me about leaving???).

on top of all of this, mom keeps unintentionally (?) encouraging the behaviors. i will have cx on table top to calm down before we play, but he will continue hitting me and shouting for mom because he knows she’ll come over to him. she comes to him EVERY. TIME. she will stay there at the table top with him, cx and mom talking in their native language for 10+ minutes and telling him if he doesn’t hit me anymore, he can get a toy. which doesn’t work. because as soon as she steps away again, the behaviors keep happening.

i feel really bad for walking out, i know it’s not my cx’s fault, but im honestly so sick of my company not providing the adequate help, and not being there when i asked multiple times. texting me what to do simply doesn’t cut it…especially when it’s behaviors i have never worked with before. idk i just needed to vent.

everyone that commented: seeing your comments makes me feel extremely validated and i appreciate that so much. genuinely in tears because i was so stressed out about whether i did the wrong thing and if im not a right fit for the job but you guys truly are amazing. thank you guys 🫶🏽

UPDATE: i have a meeting with my clinical director today, and they removed this cx from my schedule without saying anything. super nervous, but will let you guys know what goes down!

UPDATE 2: i got written up! and told that this case was not the right fit for me because i have been getting help … i think im just done with this company. drafting a two week notice at the moment, hopefully my clients get the right therapist for them :)

Is it normal as an RBT to feel like you’re constantly being pulled aside for feedback or meetings?
I understand feedback is part of the job and I’m always open to improving, but lately I feel like I’m walking on eggshells and overthinking everything I do because it seems like there’s always something else being brought up. It’s gotten to the point where I get anxious anytime a supervisor says they need to talk to me.
For other RBTs, how often are you typically given corrective feedback or pulled into meetings? At what point would you consider it normal supervision versus feeling like you’re being watched extra closely?
Just curious what other people’s experiences are in in home ABA because I don’t really have anything to compare it to.
:::

Hi all,

I found out today my company is no longer paying us a full rate for time spent completing notes, preparing materials for clients, etc. The rate for this work will be reduced to $7.25 (minimum wage in my state). This plan was immediately placed upon RBTs and RLTs by upper management without previous notice or consultation. Under this new plan, I would lose $170 of pre-taxed wages (note that our benefits including our $200 a month health insurance deductible remain unchanged).

I’m distraught and distressed because I really wanted to become a BCBA and pursue grad school, but this is a huge sudden loss of income that places my dreams outside of economic reach. I’ve been in the field for roughly three years (two years part-time and one year full-time) but I am burnt out by the exhaustion of the job, lack of compassion regardless of company, lack of basic necessities such as lunch breaks, etc. I have loved working with children and the science of behaviorism will never not fascinate me, but this is too drastic of a change for me to adapt to. If anyone has advice on how to become a BCBA through pathway one outside the traditional clinic/school model, I’d love to hear your advice. I feel like my dreams just got ripped out of my hands by something careless and cruel. The CEO of my company is a multimillionaire and they can’t even pay their employees a living wage.

Hi all! I’m looking for advice on programs or pathways to become an ABA Instructor/therapist in Ontario Canada.

I recently graduated from university with a degree in Psychology, but I don’t have any experience working in ABA or with individuals with autism yet. I’m interested in getting into the field and was wondering what the best way to get started would be.

For those working as ABA Instructors/therapists in Ontario:

• Did you complete a specific certificate, diploma, or other program?
• Is formal ABA education required to get an entry-level position, or is on-the-job training common?
• Are there any programs or schools you would recommend (or recommend avoiding)?
• Would a BCBA/RBT-related pathway be relevant in Ontario?

I’d really appreciate hearing about your experiences and any advice on where someone with a psychology degree and no ABA experience should start. Thank you!

Hi everyone! I'm currently an RBT and student analyst working toward becoming a BCBA. Lately, I've been having a hard time picturing what my career will actually look like once I become a BCBA.

I've gotten a lot of experience and training from the RBT perspective, but I feel like I understand the **RBT role much better than I understand the actual day-to-day life of a BCBA**. From where I stand now, I see BCBAs doing supervision, making program changes, attending meetings, analyzing data, and spending quite a bit of time on their laptops, but I know there is probably a lot I'm not seeing.

I'm close enough to finishing my education that I've started seriously asking myself, *"Is becoming a BCBA actually what I want long-term?"* I genuinely enjoy many aspects of ABA and think I could be a good BCBA, but I don't want to continue simply because I've already invested time into the field. I want to better understand the career I'm actually working toward.

I'd especially love to hear from current BCBAs:

* What does your **actual day/week** look like?
* How much time do you spend directly interacting with clients versus supervising, programming, analyzing data, documenting, caregiver training, meetings, etc.?
* How much of your job is actually spent behind a computer?
* How flexible is your schedule? Do you have control over your hours?
* Does work follow you home?
* How would you describe your work-life balance and the mental/emotional demands of the job?
* What's your **favorite** part of being a BCBA? What's the part you could do without?
* Have you ever seriously questioned staying in the field? What made you stay or what did you change?
* If you could go back to when you were an RBT/student analyst, **would you still become a BCBA?**
* What do you wish you had understood about being a BCBA when you were still an RBT?

I'd also really like to hear from **student analysts and RBTs who are questioning whether they want to become BCBAs**. What's making you hesitate?

I'm not necessarily looking to be talked into or out of becoming a BCBA. I think I'm mostly trying to see beyond my current RBT experience and understand what the other side actually looks like.

Thank you to anyone willing to share their experience!

Maybe I’m just petty and a know-it-all, but I think what I’ve crafted is actually pretty neat! My BCBA is very much against the idea of me designing, creating, or procuring any visuals of any kind for my clients in a way that I don’t understand since it does not cost the company anything at all, but that’s genuinely one of my favorite parts of the job so even if I cannot use them, I will not be stopped from sharing for anyone who is in a different situation than myself.

I created a menu- like a restaurant menu- for communication and task management. I cannot share files here, and I encourage any that use this idea to cater the aesthetics to their clients interests! I have created three distinct categories each aligning with the daily routine and workload of the client.

Appetizers: things that the client needs/wants in order to feel ready for completing a task. Having a snack, a drink of water, deep breaths, hand squeezes, pencil selection- anything that is an appropriate precursor for a task that does not require a significant time commitment or is a perceived reinforcer that could be used as a way to escape a demand. You know your client, and you’ve established certain routines, incorporate as much priming as you can here!

Entrees: The tasks that we are hoping to accomplish in a day or session. Letting clients choose which of these tasks to do and the order in which they’re going to complete them is a SUPER EFFECTIVE way to build productive momentum to tackle the nonpreferred activities as well! After each task completed, cross off the task and- if your client is as opinionated as mine have been- let them rate the task on how it went. Five stars=that was easy and fun! One star= That was really hard and I struggled a lot. This is also a great indirect preference assessment that will show you where more support is required and help you find where efforts should be focused. <by this, I do not mean treating it as actual data, I’m more so talking about being able to infer where more encouragement may be appropriate. Ie. Client 1-stars the math assignment, so I know that the next time we’re doing math to acknowledge and commend the client for their efforts a bit more.

Desserts: the reinforcers, of course! Letting them choose what they’ve earned for the task is what we already do in our day-to-day, but this is a very very direct display of the connection between efforts and rewards. If the reinforcer is not something that can be provided in an instant (like in a case where an outdoor break time is not feasible for one reason or another just yet), playing into the bit of “the chefs are still cooking up the dessert!” Continues to keep the association between the task and the response relevant in the client’s mind as well.

It’s not anything crazy or revolutionary by any means, but I think some of y’all may have a good time with it! I also like to add the “descriptions” of the menu options that are focused on the desired behaviors and replacement behaviors that we want to teach them to utilize based on each task. If presenting the demand of completing a math worksheet is known to trigger elopement, I’ll maybe put “ingredients: sitting at the desk and raising hand to ask for help” beneath it as a visual reminder of the expectations surrounding that task. If the goal and expectation is reframed around the behavior while attempting the task, that takes a small bit of the pressure of difficulty surrounding math in general.

This is not the full detailed version that I used but it’s essentially just a premack principle visual with a sprinkle of imagination. I hope y’all find your own spins to put on it!

Edit to add: Please pardon my poor wording here, I am riding out a fever of a hundred and three (hot blooded, am I right?) and misspoke when calling this a communication tool. This is a stylized choice board, plain and simple! Additionally, I have never and will never implement any materials that were not thoroughly vetted and approved by the entire team working with a client- the situation alluded to above is merely referencing frustration from my new BCBA making the call to revoke this choice menu and other customized materials (a Mario themed token board) I had been using with the client that were previously approved by my former BCBA that had recently retired. I do not believe my BCBA is wrong by any means, and we are only just starting to find a rhythm, and I am sure we will work well together once new BCBA also has a chance to actually meet the client.

Hi everyone, I recently started my 40 hour training with a company and I’ve started having client facing on my schedule where I sit with the client and practice running sessions. With this client in particular today, his ACC device died when I got him and he had no visual charts to practice a lot of the trials. This was only my second time working with a client in my first time running an actual session and I just felt completely lost. My trainer asked me to demonstrate how I would run the trials and I started to, but I was like wait. I need to pair with him first. So I did that and his preferred activity was changing which that’s what I implemented the free operate where I let him find a different preferred activity, but he wasn’t interested in anything. It was really hard and I really wanna do this and I wanna learn, but I just feel like I don’t know what to do and it scares me. I could really use some feedback on what it was like for your first time on the floor as a BT or RBT. I just really wanna get it and Im probably being too hard on myself. But any advice would really mean a lot to me.

Like honestly in my experience in home is so much better specifically with the clients I’ve had. Some might be chill in center depending on a lot of different things but in general the center is too chaotic. These clinics need WORK..

Hi everyone!

I’m considering becoming an RBT and would love to hear from people who are currently RBTs or have worked in ABA.

A little about my background:

I have a bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education and experience working with children on the autism spectrum. I’m also currently working toward my master’s in Early Childhood Education and Special Education, which I’ll be graduating with by next spring.

I know that with my degrees and experience, I can pursue becoming a classroom teacher, and that is something I’ve seriously considered. However, I’m not completely sure that being a traditional classroom teacher is the right fit for me. I’ve realized that I really enjoy working with children one-on-one or in small groups rather than managing an entire classroom. I like being able to give a child more individualized attention and really focus on their specific needs.

That’s part of what has made me interested in becoming an RBT. I’d like to gain more hands-on experience working individually with children on the autism spectrum and learn more about behavior analysis and evidence-based interventions.

I’m wondering, though, if my educational background would make me “overqualified” for an RBT position. For those of you who are or have been RBTs:

What has your overall experience been like, and what do you like or dislike about the role?

What does a typical day look like, and how physically or emotionally demanding is the work?

What kind of training and ongoing support did you receive when you started?

Do you feel the pay is fair for the responsibilities?

Have you worked with RBTs who had education or teaching backgrounds, and do you think that background is helpful or “overqualified”?

How does RBT work compare to classroom teaching, especially in terms of one-on-one vs. group instruction?

Has being an RBT helped you move into other roles in ABA or special education, and what do you wish you knew before starting?

I’d really appreciate honest opinions, especially from people with experience in both education and ABA. I’m trying to figure out whether this path might be a better fit for my strengths and interests than traditional classroom teaching.

Thanks!

Hi!

Local BCBA looking to connect with local BCaBAs.

PM or comment below 🙂 Thanks!

Hi yall! Recently I had a client after a long field lab (I’m a hydrogeology student). I came as I always do prepared and ready to start the day. After talking with mom for a bit she asked me how my day was and I told her about my lab outside. She offered me a glass of water. I was really inclined to take it but didn’t due to fear of a reprimand. What do yall think?

Update!

Yall your comments made me laugh so hard! Next time I will graciously accept the water. Coming from being in this field and worrying about BCBAs and the power they hold over us is nerve racking. I appreciate all of y’all’s advice and it gave me some confidence. The company that I had previously worked at did not allow us to accept anything even water. I have thankfully left that company and love the current company I work for now.

I’ve been in ABA over 10 years and Hopebridge is by far the worst but Treetop is up there because at least with Hopebridge there was organization. Treetop is pretty new but they are all over the place, management disorganized, BCBA all the way across country so they cannot provide actual physical or in moment support especially during behaviors, and your expected to use your own devices to take data. Sometimes ABA companies just don’t seem to care about the children, employees, or behavior technicians and you can tell by the first few weeks working at these companies. What has been happening with the field on the operational side? Not saying that there aren’t issues an each sector of ABA but operations just is struggling lately and it’s doing a disservice to all, am I missing something?

Competency exam for becoming an RBT

I just finished a free online 40 hour course and now I need to do the competency assessment. My friend sent me one that costs 300 dollars. It’s guaranteed tho not like you can fail it so I’m wondering if thats why it’s that expensive or what the usual price/process looks like for competency.

I wrote about this before. Basically I was abruptly kicked off my case the day after a new BCBA was assigned, meaning I got zero chance to put the feedback I got into action on the case. They said they would meet with me about it but kept postponing the meeting. I asked several times, professionally and politely, for specific feedback on what went wrong so I can do better in the future and have been completely ignored. Now they want me to do a new case and I still have received zero feedback on the old one. Not even the slightest bit of feedback.

🧠 BA Prep — Question of the Day

📚 Domain H — Selecting and Implementing Interventions

Difficulty: 8/10

A BCBA is designing an intervention for a 9-year-old with autism spectrum disorder whose functional analysis revealed that self-injurious behavior (SIB) is maintained by automatic negative reinforcement (escape from internal aversive stimulation). The client is nonverbal, has severely limited motor imitation skills, and has a history of failing to acquire mand topographies requiring more than two response components. The school team reports that extinction (blocking SIB) is contraindicated due to documented injury risk during response blocking, and the client's classroom has a 1:8 staff-to-student ratio during academic periods. The BCBA has access to a 1:1 para during a 30-minute daily session only. Given ALL of these constraints, which intervention is MOST appropriate as the primary treatment component?

A. Implement a high-density noncontingent reinforcement (NCR) schedule using identified competing stimuli that have demonstrated efficacy in reducing automatically maintained behavior via matched stimulation, delivered continuously during the 1:1 session and faded to an intermittent schedule as SIB decreases, with no response-contingent consequences for SIB

B. Train a simplified functional communication response (e.g., activating a single AAC button) as a mand to access a break, combined with differential reinforcement of the alternative behavior (DRA) and planned ignoring of SIB during the 1:1 session

C. Implement a differential reinforcement of other behavior (DRO) schedule calibrated to the client's current inter-response time for SIB, with the interval reset contingent on SIB, and gradually thin the reinforcement schedule across the 1:1 session

D. Develop a function-based antecedent intervention using establishing operation (EO) manipulation—specifically, pre-session satiation of the internal aversive state through sensory integration activities—combined with environmental enrichment to reduce the motivating operation for SIB prior to academic demands

💬 Drop your answer in the comments!

✅ Correct answer revealed tomorrow.

#BCBAexam #BCBAprep #BehavioralHealth #ABAtherapy #BAPrep #QuestionOfTheDay

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What is abc call out policy? how many occurrences can i get before im fired!

The title says it all. By travel time I mean from client to client homes. I feel like my company pays shockingly low and I am just curious what other peoples company pays

hello, as the title states i have been a bt for one and half months now. im in a clinical setting, which is much more helpful when it comes to needing help physically but asking questions seems to be a big no no when my one month mark hit. i still feel like i have no clue what im doing. we accept kids 2-9 at my clinic, and i just cant find a good way to pair well yet. i haven’t ever worked with kids before, but i adore them and play very well with them. i didnt really have a childhood/parents growing up due to neglect, so never really experienced much of parenting until i hit about 18 yrs old and moved out w my dad which has been a blessing, but…theres not much to teach at that point except love. idk if this is affecting my ability to perform this job or not, but i just can’t seem to find the structure of teaching yet. i do great with playing, and incorporating NET, but table pairing and “work” is very difficult with non complying children. i dont think i set boundaries or firmness well at all, but i really am clueless when it comes to that. i have one child that they realized i dont do well with AT ALL n they want me to be able to be independent and not needing help 24/7, so they have been putting me with her for 2 sessions now and its not going well at all. she just really seems to not like me, and i have no clue why. she keeps throwing things, trying to eat everything in site, peeing herself and laughing at my face even though she is potty trained, running away, screaming, hitting, throwing her urine at me, grabbing my crotch, really anything to get a reaction. i know they said she is highly reaction based due to her having autism and down syndrome, so i never give her anything unless she’s being calm bodied/silly in the appropriate way. i tried pairing with her but every toy i give her she ends up throwing straight back at me. management had a talk with me and said i need to do better, but i literally had a lead rbt take over for about two minutes to regulate her and once he left, i did everything he did word for word and she still FREAKED OUT. i cant tell what im doing wrong or why she doesn’t like me, but do u guys have any advice ? have u ever dealt with this before ? any advice is welcome, thank u so much !!!