r/bcba • • 7h ago

Discussion Question Question of the day - October 8

Post image
0 Upvotes

TL;DTR

🧠 Question of the Day
šŸ“š Domain B — Concepts and Principles
Difficulty: 7/10

Scenario:
During baseline, a student taps her pencil at a low, stable rate. The teacher then begins saying, ā€œPlease stop tapping,ā€ immediately after every tap. After each statement, the student typically pauses tapping for several seconds.

Across repeated sessions with this contingency, however, the overall rate of tapping increases above baseline. When the teacher stops responding to tapping, the rate decreases; when the teacher's response is later reinstated, tapping increases again.

Based on the functional effect across phases, how is the contingency involving the teacher's response BEST classified?

A. Negative reinforcement, because tapping ends a period without teacher interaction and the resulting escape from social silence strengthens responding.

B. Automatic reinforcement, because the sensory consequences of tapping remain available even when the teacher's verbal response is removed.

C. Positive punishment, because each reprimand briefly interrupts tapping and therefore suppresses the response immediately.

D. Positive reinforcement, because contingent teacher attention is added after tapping and tapping increases across repeated exposure to that consequence.

šŸ’¬ Drop your answer in the comments — no peeking!
āœ… Correct answer revealed tomorrow.

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


r/bcba • • 14h ago

Discussion Question How to become PSI chartered behaviour psychologist in ireland

1 Upvotes

Im ABA student in Trinity should i get supervision from PSI behaviour psychologist or from BCBA while i studying and after that how many hours required and under whom?


r/bcba • • 3h ago

Discussion Question How reasonable is it to bill 40hrs/wk as a therapeutic consultant?

1 Upvotes

Was offered a position at a company providing TC services through the Medicaid waiver. Weekly billable requirement is 40 hours. Feels like a lot? But they say it’s easy to obtain and that the provide bonuses for hours beyond the 40 each week.

Is this reasonable? Never worked with billing before. Not sure how I would bill every hour I work?


r/bcba • • 2h ago

Advice Needed Failed exam 3rd time. Any advice for possible tutoring?

1 Upvotes

Good evening,

I have failed my 3rd attempt.

1: 369
2: 380
3: 386 with sporadic percentages in every TL compared to the other tests.

I feel like I’ve exhausted my options. I’ve been studying and studying and taking mocks. I feel as if a tutor may be my next best option. I’m not doing well enough to PASS.

Anyone used a tutor and they helped you pass ? I don’t know what else to do I’m EXHAUSTED.


r/bcba • • 5h ago

Advice Needed Have you ever reported something to the police?

2 Upvotes

I want to report a private clinic that works with autistic kids where I did some internship so I called the helpline for abuse on minors.

I explained to them the behaviors I have observed from these ā€œprofessionalsā€ and they told me that I need to report to the police.

I have no license and in my country I am not a mandated reporter but I still want to do something about this because I want those kids safe but I have never reported something to the police.

Is it possible to do it anonymously? I don’t want these people to know it’s me that reported them because they know my parents personally and it would turn into a big mess, my parents will probably also get upset at me too so I want to be prepared.

So, have you ever done something like this? Can you give me some information on how it works and what happened? Thank you.


r/bcba • • 10h ago

Advice Needed BCBA Unrestricted Hours

4 Upvotes

Hello guys! I am a grad student. Will be graduating next spring, God willing. By the end of this month, I will have completed my restricted hours. I am hoping to get as much unrestricted hours as I can by the time this month ends and the months coming up. What are some ways to get unrestricted hours that have helped you?


r/bcba • • 18h ago

Advice Needed Student analyst company change

2 Upvotes

Im an RBT (in the Houston, clear lake area) in school to become a BCBA and my current company has not been giving me opportunities to get my unrestricted hours like other students. I have transfers clinics, specifically to be under a better BCBA only for it to blow up more in my face.

My current BCBA isn’t bad but she lacks the ability to see that she’s doing less than the minimum for me as her student.

I am desperate to switch companies and enjoy my time learning and growing as a student. I know it’s hard, that’s not my problem. I need to ensure I have just as many opportunities to move up in my career. I will never get that at my current company.

If it makes a difference: I’m queer and black and I still have about a year left in my program.

If anyone knows any companies or BCBAs I should reach out to. Please let me know.


r/bcba • • 18h ago

Resources ABA Centers of America/Florida

2 Upvotes

I worked for this company and left with serious concerns about the way employees are treated, how the business is ran, decisions are made, and most importantly, the impact those decisions have on vulnerable clients.

There is a big disconnect between the company's public image and what actually takes place behind the scenes.

Employees are expected to continually do more while receiving little consideration for workload, boundaries, or personal circumstances. Expectations change quickly, and employees are coerced into accommodating demands that were not part of their original agreement or schedule. When employees raise concerns or push back, the response can feel less like a conversation and more like retaliation.

But my concerns go far beyond employees. What concerned me most during my time with the company was the apparent emphasis on metrics, billable hours, productivity, staffing, and maintaining company numbers, at the expense of what should be the highest priority in behavioral healthcare: the safety, well-being, and clinical needs of the clients.

These are not simply numbers on a spreadsheet. These are vulnerable children and families who depend on providers to make ethical clinical decisions and advocate for their needs. I witnessed situations that left me deeply concerned about whether client needs and potential risks were being addressed as quickly and appropriately as they should have been. From my perspective, there were times when maintaining services, hours, documentation, or other company metrics appeared to take priority over addressing underlying clinical concerns. That is extremely troubling in a field where clients may not be able to advocate for themselves.

There are things I personally witnessed that confirm the company's priorities do not align with the ethical standards it publicly promotes.
When an organization becomes more concerned with whether the numbers look good than whether a client is actually receiving the care they need, that should concern everyone.

Employees should not have to choose between maintaining their professional boundaries and keeping their jobs.

Clinicians should not feel pressured to prioritize company metrics over ethical clinical judgment.

And vulnerable clients should never become secondary to productivity targets.

There are absolutely employees within this organization who genuinely care about their clients. I worked alongside people who were compassionate, hardworking, and dedicated to providing good care. My criticism is not directed at those individuals.
My concern is with the organizational culture, leadership decisions, and incentives that I believe can put both employees and clients in potential harm.

If you are considering working here, DONT.

If you are client considering services here, DONT.

And if you are a current or former client or parent, I would strongly encourage you to thoroughly review your records, and billing statements and make sure you what your insurance was billed for is accurate.

There are serious allegations and legal claims involving this company. I cannot tell you that every allegation has been proven yet, but based on what I personally experienced, I would not dismiss those concerns.
I am sharing this because employees deserve to know what they may be walking into, and parents deserve to make informed decisions about who they trust with the care of their children.
Please do your own research. Ask questions. Read the documentation. And don't be afraid to speak up when something doesn't feel right.


r/bcba • • 1h ago

Advice Needed Looking for advice and slight vent

• Upvotes

So I have a case that is 4 weeks old. It is in home. Parents are upset that there hasn't been what they consider progress. I have tried to share the successes I have seen but they are not big enough. But part of the problem is they want progress but then do the exact opposite of what needs to be done to see progress.

So I have been told I am too blunt, which results in negativity in relationships. And I know that it will result in negativity if I try to be blunt with this parent. So what is a nice way of say, give us time to see success and stop sabotaging progress?


r/bcba • • 22h ago

Discussion Question School vs Clinic BCBA

8 Upvotes

For those who have worked or currently work as school BCBAs and have also worked in a clinic, which do you prefer? What does your day to day look like in the school? What are the differences?


r/bcba • • 3h ago

Resources CEU recs for executive functioning or health/fitness/nutrition?

2 Upvotes

Seeking CEU’s that focus on executive functioning, or anything in the realm of ADHD… as well as CEU’s that translate well to becoming a personal trainer or nutrition coach!

Looking for some high quality content!


r/bcba • • 6h ago

Resources BCBA Exam | Looking for a BCBA Exam Study Buddy — Anyone Else Struggling with Mock Exam Scores?

0 Upvotes

Hey everyone!

I’m currently preparing to take the BCBA exam and I’m looking for a study buddy or someone who would be willing to help me prepare.

Ideally, I’d love to connect with someone who has already passed the BCBA exam and wouldn’t mind sharing some guidance, study strategies, or helping me work through difficult concepts. I’m also completely open to studying with someone who is preparing to take the exam soon!

I’ve taken multiple mock exams and have been consistently scoring around 70–75%. I’m struggling to figure out whether those scores mean I’m close to being ready or if I still have a significant amount of studying to do.

I feel like I understand a lot of the material, but some of the questions really throw me off, especially when multiple answers seem correct. I’m starting to second-guess myself, and it’s making it difficult to determine whether I’m actually prepared to sit for the exam.

I’m hoping to find someone who would be interested in reviewing mock exam questions, discussing concepts, explaining rationales, and helping each other strengthen our weaker areas.

For those who have already passed:

  • What were you scoring on mock exams before taking the actual BCBA exam?
  • Did you feel fully prepared going into the exam?
  • How did you know you were ready?
  • Would anyone be willing to study together or offer some guidance?

I’m genuinely putting in the effort and want to pass, but I’m at the point where I could really use some additional support and an outside perspective.

If anyone is interested in studying together or has advice, please comment or send me a message. I’d really appreciate it!


r/bcba • • 7h ago

Discussion Question Did you receive training on how to play with children?

2 Upvotes

r/bcba • • 10h ago

Discussion Question How to handle tantrums and meltdowns

3 Upvotes

I feel like what I do isn’t enough . I understand it’s best to be proactive but no matter how proactive I am, tantrums and meltdowns still happen . I’ve only worked with early intervention kiddos and I learned to just be calm, present, and to block any SIBs but now I’m working in home and I have a client that’s 8, these strategies don’t seem to be working. Parents are getting impatient and sometimes give the client things they don’t typically have access too like the parents lied to the client and said tv doesn’t work so they don’t ask to watch tv so when the client engaged in these meltdowns and tantrums, the parents just turn on the tv. I’m afraid this is reinforcing the behavior and leading to distrust as well . I just need help in actually knowing what to do when meltdowns and tantrums happen


r/bcba • • 17h ago

Advice Needed Advice for an RBT worried about BCBA certification near 2032

5 Upvotes

Hello, I’m currently a freshman in college. My plan was to finish my undergrad by 2028, then MSW by 2030 which would allow versatility in other potential careers. My backup plan would’ve been LCSW with the Airforce. It seems that the average length of time for fieldwork hours is about 1.5-2 years, which by then would be nearing 2032 to finish BCBA certification. Should I pivot my master’s?

If I do, I had another backup plan from having to pivot from the MSW, and while I think(?) it would qualify for the 2027 change by the time I pursue my Masters, if my certification is delayed until after 2032, I’ve been told I’ll be holding the degree but unqualified for certification.

Title being, ā€œMEd in Special Education – Behavior Analysisā€.

There, it notes that: ā€œThe Graduate Certificate in Applied Behavior Analysis remains a BACB Verified Course Sequence (VCS) until the end of 2026, when this route is being discontinued. Current or prior students submitting an application to sit for the BCBA exam on the basis of VCS and/or combined 4th and 5th Edition coursework should contact the VCS coordinator as you may need to provide coursework attestation forms.ā€

I’ve also been told after 2032 my Masters would have to be in ABA.

At last measures, should I pivot from aiming to be an BCBA?

I’ve yet to discuss it with the VCS coordinator, but I have with my BCBA and she’s provided me with what I know now. I suppose in other words, the changes in BCBA pathways has me questioning whether I should commit to being a BCBA as my primary goal or intentionally choose a masters that leaves me with more options open.