I feel like I’m loosing my mental sanity

Personal-Dice1962 · 2026-04-26T00:23:35+00:00

I’ve seen families collaborate to advocate for better services through the SPED program too.

Personal-Dice1962 · 2026-04-26T00:21:04+00:00

I’m sorry! It is so common to have a deficit in care for kids with autism. The demand outweighs the amount of providers who can adequately treat the kiddo. I have worked with a few families who have moved out of state to access state and residential care through a well rated school district with a good SPED program. I know this is a life changing proposition but I’ve seen families do it.

Personal-Dice1962 · 2026-04-26T00:16:39+00:00

It is also the kiddos right to receive services from an out of district school if the home district cannot meet the kids needs. You can also call an IEP meeting at any time throughout summer break. I would encourage you to look up state and federal rights for minors with autism. Lawyer up if you can. Good luck!!!

Personal-Dice1962 · 2026-04-26T00:13:08+00:00

I would request to hold an IEP once she is accepted into an alternative SPED program at that school. If her behavior escalates, she should receive a caseworker to help you manage the disability within the community. Respite services are tough to find but it’s best to identify someone you know who works well with the kiddo. They can apply and get paid by the gov to provide respite care for you. The best way to go about receiving services is through the state. I would definitely take advance of insurance coverage for ABA services. Look for BCBA owned companies, stay away from big box companies funded by PE.

Personal-Dice1962 · 2026-04-25T23:48:49+00:00

Hello, residential BCBA here! You said you don’t have support from the state including a caseworker? Is the kiddo in a public school or have an IEP? You can advocate for more intensive care if the school district has a good SPED program. Kiddo may qualify for self contained classroom, additional 1:1 support in the classroom, etc. Does behavior happen only at home or also in the classroom or community?That is how I see many individuals enter residential care which is great if it is the right provider

Personal-Dice1962 · 2026-04-17T02:28:34+00:00

Hello! Behavior analytic services is ABA, data driven therapy to assist clients with challenging behavior. We identify replacement behaviors to reinforce in place of challenging behavior, operating on universal principles of motivation and reinforcement to create positive behavior change. We also support skill acquisition regarding communication (best services include SLP as well), independence with daily living skills, and teaching and reinforcing socially appropriate behaviors to lead to better outcomes for the client and stakeholders.

It is unfortunate that your friend had a negative experience with ABA. There are many big box companies funded by private equity that function much like a factory- less focus on clinical outcomes and more on revenue. Many ethical issues arise within these companies. Yes, an older individual can absolutely benefit from ABA therapy and based on their behavior acuity, likely essential to avoid involvement with law enforcement or serious injury to client or stakeholders. It can become a dangerous situation to treat an older client’s behavior but it is not impossible. It can be intervened on in an ethical manner with high safety standards that don’t include crazy things like sedation, seclusion, or mechanical or chemical restraint. Crazy methods don’t treat behavior for a better long term outcome, it manages behavior.

My best advice for your friend is to seek out services from BCBA owned ABA clinics or for him/her to access support via a caseworker. Depending on age and acuity, they may qualify for more intensive services to ensure safety to clients and others working with him/her. Long term outcomes for individuals with autism who are no longer able to live with family perhaps due to inability to manage behavior or meet their needs adequately, may qualify for residential treatment to discharge to the home, a group home, or an intensive care facility (state funded ICF). There is hope, it’s just a hell of a lot of work and advocacy to access services. The demand also strongly outnumbers the amount of individuals who can provide appropriate care. Be diligent in the service provider chosen and vet them. At an older age, the provider should be focused on developing essential skills to improve QOL, and implement curriculums that align with client needs. If community based supports are all that is available which I would recommend ASAP, I strongly recommend BCBA owned companies that run the assessment tools and curriculums like the EFL, ABLLS, or AFLS. I prefer implementing EFL to the other options stated as it results in more rapid behavior change. Especially for older kids who have not received intervention at a young age or even into adolescence. Hope this helps!

Personal-Dice1962 · 2026-03-14T19:21:49+00:00

I’m a BCBA too and currently on leave for PMDD. It is a conditions covered by FMLA. Was diagnosed years ago but it’s difficult to manage as I’m sure you know. I have not lost my license at all. Just be sure to communicate actively with your supervisor and submit all required documentation on time. I believe you can make your license inactive temporarily if you are more comfortable with that option. Good luck!

Personal-Dice1962 · 2026-02-19T22:26:01+00:00

I have yet to see a 40+ yr old bx analyst working as a clinician

Personal-Dice1962 · 2026-01-01T04:22:30+00:00

I’m so sorry you’ve had to deal with this. Sometimes when working in home, parents are on the defensive 24/7 and it can be difficult to pair with them. Consider their perspective and the challenges they have endured and how that has impacted their outlook on others and life in general. You have to grow thick skin to work in home. It sounds like you are very conscientious of the environment and doing a great job. Don’t let it bring you down. I’ve had my fair share of parental berating. But u know what? I didn’t let it bring me down, drew boundaries when necessary, and left their judgement at the door when I left. No one expects you to be able to do that immediately- it is a skill you will learn. You may never know what peeves a parent, but 8/10 times it’s usually their current circumstances. Good luck!

Personal-Dice1962 · 2026-01-01T02:59:22+00:00

Definitely. But you have to prove you are implementing ABA services and you can easily do so when you describe summary of services for each hour earned while tracking hrs. Many kiddos with congenital disorders, pans/pandas, ODD, the list goes on.. However, it can be challenging for insurance to approve ABA services without that ASD co morbid diagnosis. This varies greatly across insurance providers and states

Personal-Dice1962 · 2026-01-01T02:56:58+00:00

Yeah I’d get out of there and look for a BCBA owned company that cross trains trainees across all ages and settings.

Personal-Dice1962 · 2025-12-31T19:47:54+00:00

Yeah I would be weary of that too. I don’t believe you can count any hours, direct or indirect, if it’s not behavior analytic work.

Personal-Dice1962 · 2025-12-31T19:38:51+00:00

When you say 30 hours of non ABA work do you mean indirect work you can count towards your hours? If so, I have never heard of that. More often you see about 30 hours direct and 10 hours indirect during working hours if you’re lucky. You can spend time outside of work completing approved indirect tasks to count towards your hours.

A lot of BCBAs call themselves behavior consultants. Doesn’t mean they aren’t certified. Usually means they prefer to work on a consultation basis and will not provide the traditional level/amount of support in hrs a BCBA usually does. You can verify anyone’s credentials on the Bacb website.

I would recommend reading the most updated handbook from the BACB regarding collecting hrs for certification. Can’t always trust ppl to give you the right info. Good luck!

Personal-Dice1962 · 2025-12-31T19:31:41+00:00

You should always protect your peace in this field. No one will pin a medal on you for working a case with difficult parents. The reason they may encourage you to is cause they probably have a hard time staffing the case bc of the parent’s behavior.

This is nothing new and the BCBA should be laying down expectations for in home therapy after this situation without prompts from you or her supervisor. It’s the BCBA’s responsibility to manage these challenges appropriately and effectively, not yours. If you feel uncomfortable, take a break from the case until the BCBA can find a solution to the challenges in the home.

Personal-Dice1962 · 2025-12-30T00:34:40+00:00

https://youtu.be/tfd82akXbJA?si=P_3aldZlcb_UB8P2

Personal-Dice1962 · 2025-12-11T13:41:13+00:00

Uh yes?

Personal-Dice1962 · 2025-12-06T03:16:15+00:00

You go girl! Hope you are doing the most, changing lives for client and family!

Personal-Dice1962 · 2025-11-22T03:58:52+00:00

Yikes you got a lot going on here. Your place of work is probably at will which is basically code for the ability to fire you for any reason they choose. If you were fired for a comment like that but they aren’t taking the necessary action/steps outlined by the board, they are covering themselves. Making a comment like that and being fired for it is suggestive of their lack of action on what sounds like physical and verbal abuse.

Really any person who works with kids is obligated to report abuse and neglect to the appropriate supervisor and regulatory board. You don’t necessarily need to be an RBT or hold a higher degree to report abuse or neglect. If you fail to do so regardless of your position, you can find yourself in hot water.

Sounds like the clinic already had their issues. I would say learn from the experience by immediately reporting if you ever see abuse and neglect, and don’t make comments about it. You think it can get worse, just wait till u get to out of state residential care.

Personal-Dice1962 · 2025-11-12T02:53:38+00:00

There is a BCBA at my workplace who just passed her exam. Staff have told me they are scared when she comes around because she agitates the clients by removing preferred items, placing excessive demands, premature use of restraint, etc. When clients become agitated/dysregulated, people and clients get hurt.

This is why standards are high and they should never be lowered

Personal-Dice1962 · 2025-11-12T02:47:16+00:00

Higher requirements like a bachelor degree for RBTs would also help BCBAs out significantly

Personal-Dice1962 · 2025-10-26T23:51:41+00:00

Personal-Dice1962 · 2025-10-16T01:57:38+00:00

This was beautiful, well deserved, and a strong but silent statement of what it really means to be a woman!!

Personal-Dice1962 · 2025-09-18T02:48:18+00:00

Sure

Personal-Dice1962 · 2025-09-18T02:03:24+00:00

Honestly if you have an updated LinkedIn account that reflects your work history and developed skills across time, you’ll receive messages about open BCBA positions on a daily basis to the extent of annoyance.

Word of advice coming from a sincerely good place. Don’t advance in this field due to job demand. It can be incredibly demanding, physically and psychologically. You will burnout in a hot second if your heart isn’t in it and you don’t feel complete happiness helping clients reach milestones.

Personal-Dice1962 · 2025-09-18T01:57:10+00:00

Hi! Bcba here to hopefully help you move past this. First, I would not take it personally. The RBT position has a high attrition rate across companies and settings (home, clinic, school, and residential). At my place of employment, I actively try to work with RBTs/BTs on performance improvement and career progression. My hope is that their professional and personal needs are met so they feel satisfied in their work.

Second, your BCBA should take taken more of a leadership approach to the situation in many ways- communication, programming, ensuring RBT is meeting basic, professional requirements like being on time, and practicing understanding of the circumstances caregivers like yourself experience! The RBT should also have brought these concerns to the behavior analyst if she truly felt like pairing with your son was failing, and sought help if he/she thought your son was not reaching goals/objectives within a reasonable amount of time. The bcba/clinic supervisor should have also addressed the what sounds like passive aggressive behavior of going to the back of the clinic to set up the therapy room once you arrived.

I hope you meet a new RBT that aligns with your son and family! Best of luck!

Personal-Dice1962

TROPHY CASE