r/ABA

So I’ve been an RBT for about 1.5 years now and I’ve fallen in love with it since I started. I love celebrating the small wins with my kids; I love feeling like I’m helping a vulnerable population learn new skills, and this job is definitely the most rewarding I’ve ever had. I know that ABA has somewhat of a darker past though, and I’ve been reading (almost exclusively from folks on the spectrum) that ABA is an abusive practice. It’s easy to understand HOW ABA can be abusive, sure. Anything can be turned into a weapon in the wrong hands.

When I’m at work, I do try the least invasive interventions at all times, and I try to only intervene when it obstructs safety or learning for the patient or anyone else. However, I just can’t shake the feeling that there is some truth to what I’ve read.

Does anyone here feel the same? Why do people call ABA abusive? And where’s the line between helpful and harmful? My company says “above all, do no harm” a lot, and I take that to heart, but what if we’re doing harm without meaning to? How do you cope with that possibility?

Throughout my time in the field, I’ve learned that potty training is not my favorite nor my preference. There’s other areas I’d rather focus on and specialize in. As I’m finishing my fieldwork hours, I’m wanting to focus on cases that don’t require potty training. I’d favor focusing on FCT and social skills.

Would I be a terrible clinician if I say any cases where I’m being asked to do potty training would be better suited for someone else?

So I actually enjoy potty training. Granted there are a lot of goals that I like more (object imitation with discrimination is really fun) but potty training is one of the most satisfying successes, to me. I get to watch kids increase their independence in real time. I've also seen kids' behavior change positively after they've completed toilet training (e.g. fewer instances of crying during sessions because they find their wet pull-ups uncomfortable). If I have a client who hasn't completed potty training yet and I'm told they're starting potty training, I am happy to support them with that.

I’m resigning this week and I’ve never resigned from a job before. What documents do I need to be sure I have copies of and do I need to request these in my resignation letter? I just need some guidance on this! Thanks:)

Hi !!

I’m brand new to the ABA field and currently learning how to support autistic children. I have a bachelor’s degree in psychology and social sciences, and I’m about to begin my master’s program in ABA.

I previously worked as a BT for about one month before I was let go. It was discouraging, but I still want to learn, improve, and continue in this field. Since I only have about a month of direct experience, I know I have a lot to learn.

What advice would you give someone at the very beginning of their ABA career? Are there any skills, resources, workplace red flags, or lessons you wish you had known when you first started?

As someone who’s been an RBT for 3 years, just finished my master’s program and finishing up my fieldwork hours, there’s something I’ve come to learn and that is I don’t like using direct care sessions as the time to focus on potty training. And as someone who’s about to become a BCBA, I don’t wish to do potty training as a goal for RBTs to do but rather have that be a parent training goal instead. So let me ask you this: Do you think potty training should be a focal point of direct care sessions?

I’ve worked at previous clinics that had schedules made for what crafts we would do on certain days and group activities for the other, but I wanted to know (if possible) how does your clinics that you work at come up with these schedules? I recently got promoted to lead and I’m over also helping coordinate the arts & crafts and group activities. I’m thinking about creating a schedule where some crafts are repeated because honestly, it feels unrealistic trying to plan out different crafts for 5 days out the week for the entire year😭😭any tips or suggestions?

Preface:
I understand I’m possibly overcomplicating the situation but I think this is just my way of processing everything.

What I need help with:
I feel strongly that I should ask to be pulled off this case and placed somewhere else. Context is provided below but this part is really what I want responses on.

If you’ve switched clients before, specifically in home / in school setting, how did you bring it up to your BCBA or your agency? What reasons did you give? Did you get push back? How did you discuss it with the family?

If you’re a BCBA what’s the best way for an RBT to bring this up to you? Would you automatically handle communicating this to the family? Do you take any issue with RBTs asking to be pulled off a case?

Is there anything else I’m not considering?

Context:
I’ve been working for an agency as an RBT doing in school and in home sessions for ~3 months now. The whole time I’ve been working with one client. She was automatically assigned to me when I started this job. It’s been challenging and overwhelming for me the whole time but this past week I’ve started to feel completely burnt out.

About a month or so in to me working with this client I let my BCBA know I was feeling overwhelmed and she performed a fidelity check. The feedback I got then and since is that I’m doing everything right and doing everything that she (my BCBA) would do it’s just that my client is particularly challenging.

My client is almost 7 years old but tall and strong for her age, completely nonverbal with no access to speech services which is a separate rant about bureaucracy. It’s also her first time getting any ABA. The behaviors I’m having the most issues with are aggression, spitting, and property destruction. The intensity, frequency, and duration of them is what’s getting to me. As well as the function of behavior a lot of times is her seeking my attention but obviously I can’t ignore if she aggresses towards a peer or climbs on furniture or elopes when she sees an opportunity.

I feel pretty reactive to the behaviors and that I’m just trying to survive day by day. I try to show up with a positive attitude and made sure I gave an honest effort. I often struggle with asking for help but I’ve been trying to communicate different issues I’m having. It seems like this is how it’s going to be for however much longer and I don’t think I’m strong enough to handle it with no end in sight.

I didn’t want to “give up” but at this point I’m anxious all day and my nervous system is trashed. I’m frustrated to the point of tears. To be clear I’m not placing blame or fault on my client or BCBA. Despite being told by supervisors that I’m doing a great job I do not feel I am the right person to work with her. For my own mental wellbeing which in turn affects the level of care that I can provide my client.

Hello I am brand new to the ABA field. I completed my bachelor’s in general psychology and began looking for jobs. Behavioral technician jobs kept popping up. I am supposed to start as a BT soon but my question is how does one fully prepare for the RBT exam? So far I will complete a 40 training that gives you a certificate, then at some point I will be observed for a competency assessment but how could I make sure I will pass the actual RBT exam on the first try ?

i am newly officially diagnosed, so i cant fully make a discrimination claim since i wasnt **officially* diagnosed at the time. but i knew, so i disclosed to a lead being neurodivergent/on the spectrum. that lead began to treat me differently than others. very noticeably, my pattern recognition is off the charts. she had a very condescending, rushed tone with me. wouldnt explain things in direct terms, very little praise and only criticism. rude comments, criticizing me in front of others, and clearly assuming i was being slower on the training checklist on purpose. i wasnt. i even asked please give direct answers, i may need more prompting, and struggle to catch onto things. all of this she knew from day one.

i have walked in on her gossiping about me to another coworker. i could tell in this situation because she was laughing, talking quickly, and when i walked into the room they both fell completely silent then laughed again when i left the room. as a lead this is extremely unprofessional . i have now reported her over 3 times. i dont know how much has been done, but now because i am asking to switch locations they are launching a full investigation because they realize the severity of the situation has escalated to harassment/bullying.

my coworkers arent nice to me or other autistic coworkers. i am frequently ostracized. when i say things, im completely ignored. other times, i have a coworker who will interrupt me when trying to speak and shutting me down for no real reason. i have been yelled at and embarrassed in front of coworkers. when i do something wrong, i am then treated poorly the next couple of weeks. multiple callouts in person, then on teams with passive aggressive comments attached to it. people are more rude to me than others. and they are ALL people this lead is close to so it cannot be a coincidence it is so obvious she talks about me.

i have a diagnosis of vestibular migraines w/ episodes of severe vertigo. on top of that, anxiety disorders. i went years without having really bad panic attacks to daily panic attacks. my heartrate skyrockets to 145+ when resting. i have to take panic attack meds almost daily. the vertigo only gets so severe at work ive had to go home multiple times and had to take a small LOA so the symptoms subside. unfortunately, it appears these episodes are only happening at work.

i go back monday and have no idea what to do. if my symptoms begin again, i am going to tell them switching locations is a necessity and that there is absolutely no way i can continue working at this location, the situation cannot be remedied.

if this is the wrong subreddit for this let me know. when i go on autism subreddits, they are mean/invalidating/victim blamey to me simply for being a RBT.

im also considering reporting this to the BACB because bullying a coworker as a superior is extremely unprofessional and a clear violation of ethics

I've worked with a few clients that engage in this behavior. I asked a BCBA about it and they said the best option would be to ignore it.

I recently worked with a new client (3 y/o M) who did this as well, but it wasn't listed as one of his behaviors.

Is there a formal strategy that's been used to target perservative manding? And how would you address something like this if a parent brought it up as a concern? I'd also like to know if there are any articles published about this topic. I have looked but I haven't found many.

I seem to be getting a bit confused. ". Emits 2 words, signs, or PECS, but may require echoic, imitative, or o er prompts but no physical prompts (e.g., cracker, book) " Do gestures count? Like pulling a caregiver towards something they want?

I am extremely frustrated and just need to put this somewhere. So my recertification was due yesterday, 7/1. I took my competency test with my preceptor on 6/22 then honestly didn't stress too much about it anymore since I figured I had enough time to upload my documents. Well Monday the 29th comes around & I go to upload my documents, not knowing there was going to be a change to the website, aaaaaaand I can't upload. At first I couldnt get in because I was using the wrong email. My bad. I get that. Then when I did get in, I simply couldnt select the recertification option. It told me that I couldnt start until 5/17.....which is a date that's passed! So now its Thursday and my certification has lapsed. I then get told that I will be put on corrective action due to letting this happen and that I have to take a pay cut due to it. I understand I probably should have gotten with my BCBA sooner to start my recertification but its my first time doing this & I had no idea the website was going to go crazy! I feel like im being punished for their error and it's taking such a toll on me. Sorry for the rant! I just needed to get it out somewhere. I hope no one else runs into this & they figure this mess out soon.

i’m currently looking to get into a new field as i’m trying to leave my fast food job i’ve been stuck in for a while now and im very interested in RBT, i’ve been applying and a job finally got back to me and recommended the autism partnership foundation 40 hour course, ive been watching the videos and also reading reviews of what people have been saying and i haven’t heard the best theses. AND THE SITE IS VERY GLITCHY!! does anyone recommend better online training courses i don’t mind price i just want to know other options that people enjoyed

Clinic based employees, has your company been getting more strict, anal, and micromanaging like mine over the years?

Literally every other meeting our lead RBTs and BAs are forced to regurgitate a new company wide memo about "yeah you can no longer do xyz" with like little to no explanation when those things were never an issue a few years ago. So why are they an issue now?

We jokingly refer to the upper echelons of the company as the Sky People because they'll take a pass through the center occasionally and reorient entire therapy rooms because they think "it's better this way" and it annoys tf out of the whole clinic. We had those layouts for a reason due to client needs and behaviors. The desk that you just moved within a foot of the door is the eloper's bro 😭😭😭. We figured out to "just smile and wave boys" (IYKYK) and change it back once they leave.

Anyway, has anyone else experienced your company just becoming more draconian overtime? If so, why? Is it changing insurance rules? Leadership change? Culture change?

Hi everyone, I’m currently an RBT and I just finished my hours to become a BCBA (woohoo!). I’ve been on vacation this past week with family and needless to say, I’ve found out I’ll need to move back in with family due to some health complications on their behalf. I don’t mind doing this, but it means I’m going to have to put my two weeks in as soon as I get back. I still need my supervisor to sign off on my final verification form and putting in my two weeks will come as a surprise to many of my coworkers. A lot of us are jumping ship right now for various reasons, but I’ve never been one to complain so I don’t think people will expect this. My question is, who do I give my two weeks to? I’d like to do it in person as well as email, as I wouldn’t be opposed to working for this company again if I moved back that way. My supervising BCBA is also the CD and I want to tell her in person, she’s done so much for me. However, I know I probably need to inform the operations manager/hr too, and don’t know what I should be doing in person vs. over email. I don’t even want to think about telling my client’s family 😭 I’ve been with them for a year and a half. This is my first “real” job and first job in ABA, so I want to keep it professional but also polite. This is not a “screw you guys I’m out” scenario at all, this is a very unexpected “I loved working here but I have affairs elsewhere and it literally just happened in the past 7 days but I need you to sign my forms and I’ll miss you guys” scenario lol

Hi! I’ve been going back and forth on something and would love to hear from behaviour analysts or anyone who’s completed (or is completing) their master’s in ABA.
I’m in Ontario (just mentioning that because of the recent regulatory changes with the College of Psychologists and Behaviour Analysts), and I’ll be starting my master’s this September. Since the new pathway requires post-graduate supervised practice, I know I won’t be completing my registration hours while I’m in school anyway.
Before my current job, I worked as an ABA therapist for about six months. Right now, though, I’m working as an ECE (early childhood educator) in a community-based program that’s a little different from a typical childcare role. I work with children, but I also spend a lot of time supporting parents, families, and the community. It’s a position I worked really hard to get after graduating, and I genuinely enjoy it because of how much I’m learning.
I know ABA is a science and that there’s a lot to learn beyond the coursework, especially when it comes to terminology, clinical thinking, and practical experience. That’s why I’ve been wondering if I’d be putting myself behind by staying in my current role for my first year instead of trying to get back into ABA right away. My program also has a placement in second year, so part of me wonders if that would be a better time to transition back into an ABA role.
Has anyone else taken a similar path? If you worked in a related role with children or families instead of directly in ABA during your master’s, did you feel behind afterward? Or did you find the experience in an adjacent field was still valuable?

So, here is what is going down with an agency contract right now. I billed a family for 1.5 hours (which is 50% of a 3-hour session) because the client had two consecutive, last-minute cancellations (less than four hours’ notice)

The agency coordinator responded by saying they want to put a policy in writing to make things "fair" between therapists and families. However, their idea of fairness is a total double penalty.

They proposed that if I ever cancel on this specific client twice with less than 4 hours' notice, I will be forced to "give back" 1.5 hours of pay. For example, if I work 30 hours in July but have two late cancellations, the agency will actively claw back 1.5 hours from my invoice, allowing me to only bill for 28.5 hours.

Now, I have worked with multiple companies and this just sounds unfair to me. When families cancel a booking, I am left with no pay for that 3-4 hour window. However, the family is not losing any money while I cancel. Idk if this is common practice at other companies?

For context, I am an independent contractor at this particular agency.

Hi everyone,

I’m currently in school working toward becoming a BCBA, but I have never worked as an RBT before. I currently work with children in a different setting, and I’m starting to realize that while my experience is helpful, it doesn’t fully translate into the ABA/BCBA world the way I need it to.

I’m looking for a bridge between what I’m learning in my coursework and what ABA looks like in real practice. I’m considering part-time RBT work, but I’m unable to leave my current day job because RBT pay alone would not support my household. I may be available for a few hours on weekends, especially Saturday afternoons or possibly Sundays.

For those working in ABA, is weekend-only or very part-time RBT work common? Are there companies that hire RBTs for just a few weekend hours?

I’m also wondering how helpful RBT experience is for someone becoming a BCBA. Did working as an RBT help you understand the language of ABA better, learn how to take data, read programs, graph progress, understand behavior plans, and apply what you were learning in school?

I’m still fairly new in my coursework and supervision, and so much of it is reading and learning concepts. I think I would benefit from seeing ABA in action so the material starts to make more sense.

Any advice would be appreciated. Thank you!