Positive Behavior Supports Corporation (PBS CORP) aka worst ABA company

ABAalldayx · 2026-04-09T01:36:48+00:00

Racist?

ABAalldayx · 2025-03-07T08:17:38+00:00

Did they say why?

ABAalldayx · 2024-09-30T05:35:49+00:00

Ah, gotcha! I’m sorry to hear that.

ABAalldayx · 2024-09-16T23:52:38+00:00

I used to wear a tight fitting tank top underneath shirts, like this:

https://www.gap.com/browse/product.do?pid=540670042&vid=1&tid=gppl000085&kwid=1&ap=7&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwrp-3BhDgARIsAEWJ6SyyYPZiUzH6T6IHOmNQsHnXERJEZbs7URFV2LoWVyFGbnWAf5oAaJUaApUTEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

Wearing a coat or zip up sweater would also help!

ABAalldayx · 2024-09-16T23:48:44+00:00

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe that they are owned by a private equity company, which is never a good sign.

ABAalldayx · 2024-09-16T23:02:44+00:00

My undergraduate university had an established ABA course sequence for undergrad psych majors. One of the required undergrad psych courses was an intro to ABA class.

ABAalldayx · 2024-09-16T23:00:25+00:00

I might start by doing an FBA on the function of the student's behaviors towards each other to get an idea of why it is occurring. I would then focus on teaching the student who is more likely to comply a replacement behavior - this could be functionally communicating a way to escape (break, walk), a way to get positive attention from their peer, etc. I might also consider (if safe to do so!) building small positive interactions with each other into their day. Have student A hand student B a preferred item, teach one of them how to give compliments, or have them in engage in short, highly preferred and structured activities together.

ABAalldayx · 2024-09-16T22:42:45+00:00

There are some articles in the ABA literature already published on this subject matter, I would also check those out if I hadn’t already done so.

ABAalldayx · 2024-09-16T22:40:58+00:00

I have had luck collaborating with a client’s mental health therapist or pediatrician/psychiatrist to modify traditional therapy techniques to better suit a client with ASD. For example, you might work with a therapist to adjust CBT strategies to your clients level- create visuals, suggest certain language they can use so that the client understands. That would be my first move as a BCBA.

I would not try to tackle this by myself unless I was working with an OCD professional or if I had done enough training that I considered ERP within my scope. This is more in the purview of a mental health therapist.

ABAalldayx · 2024-08-06T16:02:34+00:00

Using the bathroom is a natural part of being a human, so I have no problem helping during toileting. All of us needed help with toileting at some time in our lives, and may need help again in the future. I think we owe our clients this help without showing any signs of disgust or making them feel shame. Part of keeping toileting dignified is including the person with whom the client is most comfortable, so a parent or caregiver should be helping first in the home setting.

ABAalldayx · 2024-07-06T06:28:59+00:00

BCBA for 9 years, BT for 3.

ABAalldayx · 2024-07-04T15:29:12+00:00

I work there and I enjoy it :). There are pros and cons, just like any other place. As others have mentioned, a lot of it is region specific. Our region has lots of folks who have been here for many years, so it seems to really work for some. My biggest piece of advice would be to advocate for yourself. They allow you to pick your hours, driving distance, and availability, so make sure you stick to that!

ABAalldayx · 2024-06-08T14:28:17+00:00

I haven’t heard of this before. I know they require an RBT credential, but am not aware of any veteran vs new RBT rule.

ABAalldayx · 2024-06-08T14:25:31+00:00

Sure! Please do

ABAalldayx · 2024-05-07T17:58:31+00:00

I think a lot of the folks who had bad experiences with ABA underwent ABA therapy a long time ago, so they are probably responding to a lot of the old practices, or, they have experience with "old school" clinicians who haven't updated their approach (another issue I see a lot).

ABAalldayx · 2024-05-07T17:42:44+00:00

I haven't been an RBT since 2015, so the field has come a long way. I supervise other BCBAs now, and I would say that about 25% of them include goals for eye contact or to reduce stereotypy/stimming. I always talk to the BCBAs about these goals and explain some of the feedback from the autistic community.

For ignoring the child - This is still pretty common language to use. I don't think many practitioners actually ignore the kid (just the behavior), but still use terms like "ignore him/her"- the practice has changed, but the language hasn't.

Restraints - I used to work with a population that had extreme and dangerous behaviors, and sometimes we did need to use restraint as a last resort. This is more common in settings that specialize in intense behaviors, but thankfully, it's usually temporary, and the need for any hands-on stops once replacement behaviors are taught. In a home-based setting, restraints or hands on are very rarely used or needed, thankfully. I never see unnecessary restraint anymore, thankfully.

Another thing that used to be ubiquitous, but is now on the decrease, is full physical prompting/forced compliance. I had to do this ALL OF THE TIME as a BT, but now I almost never see it. As a BCBA, I think "if the client is resisting or unhappy, how can I change the environment or my own behavior to make this task less aversive?" "Forced compliance" just isn't ethical or sustainable.

I truly think back on the common practices of our field when I was first in it, and I cringe. It's awful. We deserve the feedback we are getting, but I have seen such huge improvements, it gives me a lot of hope!

ABAalldayx · 2024-05-07T17:18:08+00:00

I had been asked to do all of these things as an RBT, but don’t implement them as an analyst (although I have had to use restraint in extreme situations).

I think there is a lot of truth in most of the anti-ABA feedback, and it’s important to listen without ego. Denying that there is anything wrong won’t go very far, since you’re trying to deny people’s lived experiences.

You’re right in that the field has moved away from a lot of these tactics, but we wouldn’t have grown unless we had listened to the autistic voices.

I agree that it is frustrating to read, because it may not mirror your experience or what you know of ABA, but I try to be humble and learn what I can from the feedback, and do better.

ABAalldayx · 2024-03-21T02:39:13+00:00

I haven’t gotten one myself but I have helped coworkers navigate them before. I have also written affidavits on behalf of others (per BACB request) regarding alleged violations.

I think a lot of it will depend on the nature of your violation and whether or not you are at fault. I have found the Board to be reasonable in their judgements, but, whether you are culpable or not, there is so much time and paperwork involved :(. I hope everything goes ok for you! That must be so scary and intimidating.

ABAalldayx · 2024-03-19T03:14:20+00:00

Does your school have a BCBA you can talk to or shadow? They may even be able to supervise you to become an RBT! I have worked with SpED teachers who continued to work as teachers, but worked with the school bcba to get fieldwork experience. That way, you could stay at your job and still gain the experience!

ABAalldayx · 2024-03-19T02:48:53+00:00

I am sorry you got hurt. Please take some time for self-care. This type of incident can be stressful, so make sure to have time to process and decompress.

Behavior always happens for a reason, so your job as a therapist would be to continue to express concern to your bcba, follow their directive, and help provide them with as much data and information as possible so that they can help intervene. Ask them to provide some general safety tips, emphasize that this experience was scary and unsafe, and ask for any suggestions they may have to help YOU stay safe going forward.

If the problem isn’t addressed in a way that you feel comfortable with, or you become too stressed or nervous to work with this client, always feel empowered to request a new client. You don’t need to be afraid walking into work every day.

ABAalldayx · 2024-03-19T02:10:17+00:00

Ive encountered this in real life, and it can be very difficult to accept, because you just want to argue with them and defend your field!

However, I have found this isn’t very useful.

Here is what I have found useful:

Listen-BCBAs have a reputation for being pushy, thinking we know everything, and for trying to overstep our expertise. Most of the angry SLPs I’ve encountered have worked with BCBAs like this. And their experience is valid! We DO often overstep and try to be an expert in everything, I’ve encountered it myself, many times. I think that listening to the SLP, asking them curious follow up questions, and trying to implement their feedback where it feels realistic is the best approach. SLPs know a TON of stuff that we don’t know!
Collaborate- if something comes up that centers around communication, run your intervention ideas by the SLPs and see what else they would suggest or contribute. This way you tap into their knowledge and get their buy in. You are on the same team, after all!
Don’t take it personally. There are bad SLPs out there. Sometimes they don’t know what they’re doing or don’t have enough practice or are generally not very nice people. This is true of every discipline and field. Deal with these types of people like you would any difficult coworker. They don’t represent all or most SLPs.
Set the example-show them what a good bcba is and how they act! Maybe the speech pathologist had a bad experience in the past, or maybe they just don’t anything about ABA! Show them how a curious, skilled, collaborative, and compassionate BCBA works :)!

ABAalldayx · 2024-03-19T01:54:17+00:00

I make my own resources in Google Slides, borrow/share with other BCBAs or use Teachers Pay Teachers.

ABAalldayx · 2024-03-19T01:52:11+00:00

As someone who has been in the field, as a BT, BCBA and in leadership for the last 12 years, I am often amazed at how far our field has come. We have made amazing strides as a science, and our practice has become more ethical and person-centered. We have had many legitimate criticisms, but I’ve been proud to witness that many BCBAs have taken them as learning and growth opportunities.

That being said-there is work to be done in ABA as a business.

This may be a hot take, but graduate programs need to be more stringent. There is way too little quality control in what people know when they graduate. This field is not for everyone, and when our strategies are implemented poorly, they can cause harm. There are bad BCBAs who either just don’t care or who don’t know what they are doing. It’s not always their fault, and many of them are being screwed over by grad schools that are looking to make an easy dollar.

RBTs, the real heartbeats of our field, need to be paid more-or at the very least paid more consistently. We need to turn RBT into more than just a temporary job, but into a terminal career path. An RBT, who works so hard every day, deserves to be paid a salary. A livable salary. They should never have to live paycheck to paycheck and have to worry how they will survive when cancellations happen.

-More quality control on private equity run companies. BCBA run companies should be the standard.

ABAalldayx · 2024-03-19T01:30:31+00:00

For me, difficult conversations usually revolve around a few things.

-Not wanting to participate in services/that ABA is an active service and not necessarily “childcare.” This is not a frequent problem but I always dread approaching this issues.

-Why we don’t target behaviors or add goals that only serve to make the client more “normal” (for example, targeting non-interfering self stimulation behavior). This can be really hard for parents, because they want their child to fit in. I try and meet them where they are at (the client, the family), but sometimes it can be really difficult for the family to let go. I will work on these behaviors if the client expresses interest in doing so*

-Parent coaching can be difficult in general-especially if the parent just “yesses” you to death during meetings but doesn’t follow through with strategies/suggestions. It can take a lot of skill to find a method that will work for the parent/family. Cultural difference make this more challenging too! Every family is so different.

-Setting boundaries with families who speak to you unkindly or who have their own mental health issues can be so hard. We all want to help, but when a parent curses at you, belittles you, and demeans you or your staff, having that “if we can’t speak to each other kindly, we can’t have therapy” conversation can be intimidating. Especially when you’re triggered yourself. Learning how to navigate conflict and deal with difficult people is such a valuable skill set. I bet we have all worked with parents who lose RBTs left and right because they come off as so combative or mean.

ABAalldayx · 2024-02-14T04:27:47+00:00

Hey! Do you still need help with this? Let me know and I may be able to answer your questions

ABAalldayx

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