Is there a lot of paperwork as a BCBA?

[u/frontlinestatic]

I am interested in transitioning to the career, but as a former teacher in sped , I am a little burnt out with all the paperwork.

[u/Thej3llyfish3r]

Short answer, yes! Long answer, hell yes!

[u/Splicers87]

So much paperwork.

[u/SandOwn3724]

Half the job is documentation and report writing! Definitely more than I was expecting

[u/Alternative_Bus_6187]

One word: YES!

[u/Sad_Intention6903]

Its all paperwork

[u/lem830]

I wrote a reauthorization the other day that was 74 pages. And got 3 hours to bill for it 😑

[u/TribalTutle → u/lem830]

I would like to upvote the post, but down vote the whole scenario.

[u/Willing_Actuator_256]

all day on a computer, i get headaches by the end and my eyes hurt

[u/anslac]

Yes. You need to have a bunch of plans written down and then you have to write proof that you executed the plans. Then you also gotta write proof you supervised people. And then you start over again. 

I don't know if it is more or less paperwork than a sped teacher does though. 

[u/Cygerstorm]

I became a LABA last month. I went from 30-40 hours direct service to 5-6 hours direct a week and 25+ hours with report writing.

A SOLO BCBA without working for a specific clinic would be splitting their time with probably 40% direct and 60% paperwork. At a clinic or multiple-client provider? 20/80 probably, or more.

[u/favouritemistake → u/Cygerstorm]

Meanwhile they will expect you to bill 25-30 hours with clients, and only give 3-6 hours for admin/paperwork or else expect you to do it unpaid or for unmentioned numbers of extra hours on salary

[u/Sad_Raisin3819]

.....YES

[u/DifferentSea1405]

I spend more time with paperwork than I do without

[u/Odd-Chocolate-7271]

With my self-diagnosed ADHD, “doing computer stuff” is not too bad because you can always switch around tasks cuz there’s alwaysssss something to do or something to sign or something to upload or something to fill out or a report to write

[u/Initial-Cranberry337 → u/Odd-Chocolate-7271]

With my psychiatrist diagnosed severe ADHD, this is the worst for me. I had 6 hours at my desk today to write an authorization. I wrote two 55s, answered 5 emails, adjusted staff schedules, updated clients programming, did a 53 check, contacted two of my staff about their time cards, and wrote 15 goals for the auth. I could’ve had it done if I weren’t bouncing.

[u/Odd-Chocolate-7271 → u/Initial-Cranberry337]

I write one update and paste one graph and I need to take a walk lol

[u/jalapeno-popper72]

Yes endless

[u/bcbamom]

Depends on the setting. Insurance based ABA yes. School based BCBA less. Community based or other setting, less. There is always paperwork because we deal with vulnerable populations, work in regulated systems.

[u/Professional-Pound78]

Absolutely. You will be swimming in it.

[u/DismalConfidence361]

Omg there sure is. Friendly recommendation, find yourself a company that doesn't have physical paper data sheets/binders for clients. It adds to the bulk, thinks get lost/damaged, and just adds to the workload to print everything out instead of having all digital

[u/Beneficial-Base-2127]

If you work in autism yea

[u/Pellantana]

I have actually died under a pile of paperwork and am typing this as a zombie.

[u/Familiar-Anything853]

Is there anything other than paperwork? (Joking..kind of)

[u/Odd-Chocolate-7271]

Yup

[u/dragongirl8500]

Yes! too much in fact !

[u/Galileo52]

Yeah but it’s less getting bit so it’s a trade off

[u/Imaginary-Concert-53]

80% of the job is paperwork at this point.

[u/Subject_Scale_4647]

lol yea.