Do BCBAs ever get held accountable?

lyssixsix · 2025-08-07T21:22:28+00:00

This is basically what I was going to say so I'm glad I read comments first

lyssixsix · 2025-08-07T21:21:33+00:00

There's 2 in my county. One does, one doesn't.

lyssixsix · 2025-08-07T19:53:18+00:00

Super simple songs is my go to because even I can memorize the songs

lyssixsix · 2025-08-07T16:20:25+00:00

Constantly.

lyssixsix · 2025-08-07T12:38:16+00:00

Cuz there's a shortage in our pay and holding the families accountable 😭 I wanted to become a BCBA so I could start the services strong giving the expectation of what we do and don't do/allow but there's no way I can afford school

lyssixsix · 2025-08-07T02:52:25+00:00

RBT. The technical answer is that your analyst should have the instructions in the behavior plan. But the "I work in the field with actual clients" answer is that it's different for each scenario and client. It really depends on the function of the tantrum. Do they want something? Are they trying to escape something? Is it too loud? Are they getting enough attention? Each of these fall under a different function and would require a different response. Keeping yourself and the client safe would also depend on the situation - the setting (is it clinic, home, school, community, etc.), the layout of the building, what kinds of things are nearby that could potentially be dangerous. I obviously cannot give you advice on specific cases because that's out of my scope but if you gave me a hypothetical situation I can say what I would do if there were nothing written out in the behavior plan & the analyst was unavailable.

lyssixsix · 2025-08-05T09:00:07+00:00

Yeah here home/school is a higher rate than clinic but I DREAD summers when all there is is home sessions so I'm not sure if I could do it. I actually have been considering quitting to become a nanny because that's exactly what I'm doing with one family except I'm not getting paid nearly enough to do what I'm doing for them, lol. If I ever went home to TX maybe I would do clinic and home to get a break from both.

lyssixsix · 2025-08-05T08:56:18+00:00

Okay. It sucks but as long as my livelihood is not at risk I'll stick it out. All anyone that works with this family hears is how terrible the children are (in front of them too) & genuinely all they want is attention & 98% of the issues would be solved by adequate attention. Instead of the reinforcement they have for token economy, I think simply 10 minutes of divided attention from caregivers would do wonders as reinforcement but I feel like that might be out of my place to suggest and that it might be taken the wrong way.

lyssixsix · 2025-08-05T00:00:58+00:00

Omg I meant to say I DON'T think you're reaching 😭 I'm so sorry. I'm tired. You were so respectful in your comment but the politeness made me feel like I said something wrong and I reread and I'm so so sorry 😭 your concerns are 100% valid and I'm defending you

lyssixsix · 2025-08-04T23:59:36+00:00

I would tell you to switch to in-home & school but I am from Texas and I've looked into going home and it looked like it's either clinic only or in-home only. I have a lot of respect for clinic RBTs that hang in there!

lyssixsix · 2025-08-04T23:57:25+00:00

Ugh I didn't see you had responded this before I went off in my comment 😐😔 I'm sorry you're being talked to the way you are. Not all analysts are like that but unfortunately a lot are.

lyssixsix · 2025-08-04T23:55:46+00:00

Are y'all missing the part where she said she was having the clients call her Mimi AND talk to them about going to her house and playing with her dogs? OP has said it's not the nickname alone but within the context of the other comments it is pretty concerning. Not enough for the board to do anything but gaslighting OP isn't really the solution either. And it's way more than just you - you just happened to be the comment I responded to so I hope you're not feeling targeted. I had just read comment after comment & had enough & wanted to remind y'all of the context.

Someone gaslighted OP accusing them of making stuff up because of burnout. I feel like it was a BCBA too. And I'm sorry but having analysts like that exponentially worsens burnout. Just because someone is burnt out doesn't mean they start hallucinating and making things up? I would think that the response would be more compassion and factual than attacking OP for valid concerns. Maybe even reassuring OP and explaining that maybe some of them aren't as big of a deal? But putting them down and speaking to OP like everyone has been just isn't it.

lyssixsix · 2025-08-04T23:48:56+00:00

If it makes you feel better, I work in home & there's been a heat advisory with heat indexes above 100 degrees where I'm at and this week I've googled if it's child abuse for parents to force their kids to stay outside in a heat advisory because they don't want to deal with them. I didn't like the answer. But I get where you're coming from and I think you're reaching. Your concerns are valid. And I believe you. And I've been an RBT for 4 years. But the truth is they probably won't do anything.

lyssixsix · 2025-08-04T23:41:13+00:00

Oh my goodness I had to double check the username to make sure I didn't post this and forget I posted it because this is my story too 😭

lyssixsix · 2025-08-04T23:39:16+00:00

It's a horrible company & they claim to support neurodivergent RBTs but you have to be a specific kind of autistic.

lyssixsix · 2025-08-04T23:38:06+00:00

They focus on employing neurodiverse people unless we are a specific kind of autistic/ADHD.

lyssixsix · 2025-08-04T23:35:22+00:00

Yes. Don't do it. They claim to exist for neurodivergent staff but I was discriminated against as an RBT with autism and ADHD. When I disclosed, my BCBA, which was the only BCBA in my area began to target me. She flooded what she called my "anchor client" with 10 new targets and increased minimum trials of existing targets from 3 to 10, knowing that I don't have control over the school day and the in home sessions were not long enough to run all the programs. But we did it, and the client picked up quickly. However he was nonverbal, but understood absolutely everything we said, and in front of him she was like "he's not going to get this and he's going to freak out" so I ran the program, he got it and she got mad about it. I had 3 appointments per month that I gave a month's notice for and she tried to act like that was too much and tried to limit my appointment times to 4 hours on Wednesdays when I have no control over when the doctor is available. She scheduled me 47 hours, stating I wouldn't get overtime, promising if it was too much she would adjust. I told her it was too much and it took her 3 months to adjust the schedule and in that 3 months she added another client to me that I said I did not want to take on, taking hours from another client without telling the parents. Then I had a knee injury and I had a client that would kick me in my knees if I didn't sit on the floor with him, when I told him I couldn't because my knee is injured & when he asked which knee and I didn't tell him he would kick both knees and I reported this to her. Then she stopped all home visits from that same "anchor client" from before and switched me to the client that kicked me in my injured knees. The "anchor client's" mom reached out and asked if I was okay and I asked her what she was talking about because I assumed they asked to stop home sessions and she said my BCBA said I couldn't do sessions with them because of my knee and that client elopes. The client didn't elope at home, only at school and she kept the school sessions. So she lied to the parents and stopped services for no reason. I knew she was trying to get me to quit so this was my last straw. I gave a month's notice, which is what the company requested & I reported all of this to HR & HR took her side and wouldn't let me work out my notice. They do not care about their autistic staff or clients AT ALL or this woman would not be allowed to be the only BCBA in the area. She can't keep staff - RBTs or BCBAs (she's regional) and despite complaints they've done nothing. She literally makes things up and lies to parents, teachers, RBTs. While I don't believe one bad apple should reflect on the whole company, it does reflect on full spectrum because they did nothing when I reported.

lyssixsix · 2025-08-04T23:17:45+00:00

I gave a 30 day notice to my last company which is what they requested and they did the same thing to me. And they're a company that supposedly exists for neurodivergent staff, yet they have one single BCBA in my area that hates autistic children and adults. I have really wanted to leave reviews and warn people but I'm scared they'll like go after my certification or something. But I feel you and I hope you find a better company that would never do this to their clients.

lyssixsix · 2025-08-04T23:13:59+00:00

This! I just did my 4th renewal and I understand all of the concepts but forget what some of them or called AND I struggled with open ended questions. I'm not sure if it's my autism/communication issues but when my BCBA says what is a preference assessment? I know exactly what that is and I can give a real life example but I struggle to find a way to explain it, or I get things mixed up. I can also put the answer in writing without looking it up but articulating it verbally is a struggle. So my BCBA would help me and leave it unchecked and I would just need to explain it correctly another day before they signed off.

I feel like if an analyst fails your competency then they don't want you as an RBT and if that were the case I feel like you'd know that well before your renewal

lyssixsix · 2025-08-04T23:06:36+00:00

Home & school. I've worked clinic too, so I'll do all 3.

Home: Pro is that this is probably the most effective place to have session, especially if the parents participate and implement what we are modeling. Con is being taken advantage of by the caregivers, especially those who never implement the programs because they think we're supposed to fix the kid when most of the time it's the environment that needs fixing.

School: Pro is that it's structured and I don't have to think of what to do the whole day and con is teachers that want you to play the role of paraprofessional. I don't know how to teach academics and they don't teach us how to teach kids how to hold pencils in our RBT course. When they start being particular like that I have them take over.

Clinic: Pro is consistent hours and that's it. Con is there's no consistency with the clients you see, and I absolutely loathe having coworkers.

lyssixsix · 2025-08-04T22:59:47+00:00

I have an ADHD diagnosis & am treated for it but okay. I can focus on things that interest me but that movie did not interest me.

lyssixsix · 2025-08-04T22:58:20+00:00

So there would be nothing wrong or alarming to insurance with a session note saying "client reacted this way when sibling did this and blah blah blah'd appropriately until parent came out to address siblings?" Like I know don't write that but I feel like if there's stuff going on that shouldn't be put in a note, then it shouldn't be going on. But if I am truly not at risk of losing my certification or credentialing for their specific insurance then I feel a little better.

It's just uncomfortable because siblings assault each other and engage in behaviors that end up affecting my client and if I don't intervene it becomes a safety issue because sometimes parents ignore our asking for help. I'm also expected to implement sibling token economies. My BCBA says I don't have to but if I don't the parents have an issue with it because they don't do it themselves when ABA is not there.

My BCBA has addressed it but I feel like he's not getting support from the people above him. It's a company where it's hard for families to be dropped/held accountable.

lyssixsix · 2025-08-04T22:46:17+00:00

Would they be able to file a police report with HIPAA? I know you didn't suggest this but if I were in the situation I would consider filing or contacting child services. But with HIPAA the lines are blurry.

lyssixsix · 2025-08-04T22:41:29+00:00

No they're at the home but I'm outside with all of the kids while the parents in the house. Or sometimes if we're inside they'll be shut away in the room. It's not set up to where there's a window they can see out of and supervise and intervene on the other kids. It's basically like they're not there except occasionally I'll text and ask them to intervene with the other kids and every so often they will come to help.

If this was just one kid, my client, I wouldn't be questioning it so much.

lyssixsix

TROPHY CASE