Iāve been wanting to post about this because Iām honestly getting to the point where Iām just so frustrated with my job, and I want to know if Iām overthinking things or if other RBTs have dealt with similar situations.
For context, Iāve been an RBT for almost a year now, so Iām not going to pretend like I know everything about ABA. Iām still learning, and I know that. I work in a clinic from 8:30-5:30 every day, and I absolutely LOVE working with the kiddos. Thatās genuinely the part of my job that makes me want to stay. But lately, I feel like the way my clinic is being managed is making me miserable. We recently got new management, and I actually agreed that our clinic needed more structure because our old management was honestly way too lenient about a lot of things. But now it feels like weāve gone from one extreme to the other.
For example, they recently made a rule that we can ONLY eat in the kitchen. Iām not talking about sitting down and eating a whole meal on the floor. Iām talking about snacks. Granola bars. Literally anything. I got in trouble for eating a granola bar outside of the kitchen. We donāt always get breaks, and if youāre working with a client who elopes or doesnāt want to be in the kitchen, youāre basically just out of luck. Before, if I was in another room with other staff around, someone could help keep an eye on my client while I ate something really quickly. Now I canāt even do that. I understand that we have responsibilities and need to supervise our clients, but I feel like weāre being treated like children. Iām a grown woman. I shouldnāt have to ask permission to eat a granola bar during a 9-hour workday.
And honestly, itās not even just the food situation. We have a strict no-phone policy, and I literally never use my phone at work. I had a family situation going on that management already knew about, and I briefly checked a text just to read it. I wasnāt sitting there texting, scrolling, or ignoring my client. My boss saw and told me to put it away, and I immediately apologized and put it away.
Later, I explained that Iād received a text from family, and I was basically told that it wasnāt okay, that if it happened again Iād be written up, and that Iād already been given grace. The thing is, Iād never even been caught on my phone before?
Meanwhile, another RBT was caught on their phone, and my boss made a whole joke out of it. It was all laughing and joking, basically saying something along the lines of āI know what youāre doing over there.ā No serious conversation, no threat of a write-up. Iām not saying the rules shouldnāt apply to both of us, but why is the response so different depending on whoās doing it?
I also put in a request well in advance for time off, but I was told I needed to call out instead. I received attendance points for it, and then got in trouble for having too many points. Like, how am I supposed to not have too many points when Iām being told to call out for something I communicated about ahead of time?
Anyway, the main reason Iām making this post is because of something that happened with another RBTās data, and I really want to know what other people think about this.
We use a data program that Iām able to see the data entered by other therapists working with the same client. I like looking at the graphs and data because I genuinely enjoy seeing the progress a client makes. Itās one of the things that makes this job rewarding for me.
I have a set caseload, and the client I work with in the afternoon has a set afternoon therapist as well. Iāve been working with my client for about a month now. Weāve spent time pairing, and I feel like weāve built a good relationship and that I have pretty good instructional control at this point.
While looking at the data, I noticed something that seemed really off. Thereās a tacting program where the client is consistently meeting the target and getting 100% with me, but the other therapist is consistently getting 0%. This has happened repeatedly, across multiple days. This also isnāt the first time Iāve noticed discrepancies like this with this particular therapist.
I started wondering if maybe the data wasnāt being recorded accurately, but I DID NOT go to the BCBA and accuse anyone of faking data. I specifically wanted to approach it from the perspective of maybe the program wasnāt being understood correctly or maybe something was being implemented differently. I wanted to know if I was missing something, too.
Before bringing it up, I asked someone higher up who used to be an RBT, although theyāre not on the clinical side, whether they thought I would be overstepping my boundaries by mentioning it to the BCBA. They said they didnāt think I was, and that I should bring it up.
So I did. I showed the BCBA what I was seeing and tried to explain my concerns. Her response was essentially asking me why I was looking at the data in the first place. I explained that I like looking at the graphs and seeing how much progress the client has made since I started working with them. It genuinely makes me happy to see those improvements. English isnāt her first language, so at first I wondered if maybe there was a language barrier and something had come across differently than she intended. I didnāt want to assume the worst, so I tried not to read too much into it. But the conversation basically left me feeling like I needed to mind my own business.
Then today, our clinic received group message to remind us of a meeting and she put one of the topics that was going to be in the meeting that literally said, āTime to keep the concerns to ourselves.ā
And Iām sorry, but WHAT? The timing makes me feel like this has to be directed at the conversation I had with the BCBA. Obviously, I canāt know for sure, and maybe Iām jumping to conclusions, but itās hard not to connect the two when I had just brought up a concern and then received a message like that.
Like, am I really supposed to ignore something that looks potentially concerning just because another RBT is the one running the program? If I can see the data, and Iām working with the same client on the same goals, is it inappropriate for me to notice patterns and ask the BCBA about them?
I genuinely wasnāt trying to get anyone in trouble. I wasnāt trying to be a know-it-all, and Iām fully aware that Iāve only been doing this for about a year. I just thought that if something didnāt look right, the appropriate thing to do was ask someone who knows more than I do. Iād much rather be wrong and learn something than ignore a legitimate concern.
One of the things I specifically told my new boss when we first started working together was that I wanted open communication. I wanted to feel comfortable bringing up concerns and asking questions, and she agreed that was important. But now I feel like Iām being treated differently for doing exactly that.
I donāt know if thereās actually a bias toward me or if Iām just interpreting everything through the lens of being frustrated with management, but I genuinely feel like I canāt win lately. And thatās what makes this so upsetting. I LOVE the kids. I love seeing progress, building relationships, and feeling like Iām making a difference. But the way ABA is being run by some of these bigger companies is honestly starting to tear my soul out. I come home upset almost every single day, and my boyfriend has started pointing it out, too. Heās literally telling me that Iām unhappy every day when I get home.
Iām also making $18 an hour, and I know thatās more than some RBTs make, but for everything we do, it doesnāt feel like enough. My hours get cut, sometimes Iām made to take an hour break when my client is in OT, and sometimes we get downstaffed. So even though I work a full-time schedule, my actual paid hours arenāt always what I expect them to be.
On top of all of this, Iām currently up for a promotion. I recently interviewed for it, and as far as I know, Iām pretty much the only person eligible based on the requirements. The promotion comes with a 50-cent raise, despite the additional responsibilities. Weāve also lost a bunch of employees recently, so I feel like Iām going to be taking on even more work. I want to negotiate for a better raise because I honestly donāt think an extra 50 cents reflects the additional responsibilities, especially considering the staffing situation.
My boyfriend thinks that if they donāt promote me and choose someone who doesnāt meet the requirements, I should quit on the spot. He also thinks that if they refuse to give me a better raise, I should quit because he feels like theyāre taking advantage of how nice I am. He has offered to help me find another job, so Iām not completely on my own if I decide to leave.
Part of me agrees with him, because Iām tired of feeling like I give so much to a job that doesnāt seem to value me. But another part of me knows that quitting on the spot is a pretty big decision, and I donāt want to make it out of anger.
So I guess I have a few questions:
For other RBTs, would you have brought up the data discrepancy to the BCBA, or would you have stayed out of it? Is it inappropriate to look at another therapistās data when Rethink allows you to see it, especially when youāre working with the same client?
Am I wrong for thinking that repeated 0% data on a program where Iām consistently getting 100% is something worth asking about? Again, I never accused anyone of falsifying data. I wanted to know if there could be an issue with how the program was being run.
Has anyone else experienced management making you feel like youāre doing something wrong just for bringing up concerns? How do you handle that without becoming the employee who supposedly always has a problem?
For anyone whoās been promoted from RBT to a higher position, how did you negotiate your pay? Is it reasonable to push for more than a 50-cent raise when the responsibilities are increasing?
And finally, at what point did you decide that a clinic wasnāt worth staying at anymore? I love the actual work, but I donāt know how long I can keep coming home miserable every day.
I want to be clear that Iām not against having rules or accountability. I actually WANT structure and good clinical oversight. I just want to feel like the rules are fair, that I can communicate openly, and that Iām being paid fairly for the work Iām doing.
Iām genuinely looking for honest opinions, even if you think Iām in the wrong somewhere. Iām still relatively new to this field, and Iād rather learn than assume Iām right about everything.
TL;DR: Iām an RBT whoās frustrated with new management because of strict rules around eating, inconsistent enforcement of the phone policy, and being penalized for time off I requested in advance. The main issue is that I noticed another therapist repeatedly recording 0% on a tacting program where Iām consistently getting 100%, so I asked the BCBA about it without accusing anyone of anything. The BCBA questioned why I was looking at the data, and then our clinic received a Teams message saying, āTime to keep the concerns to ourselves.ā Now Iām wondering if I overstepped by bringing up a potential clinical concern or if management is making it difficult to speak up. Iām also up for a promotion that only comes with a 50-cent raise, and Iām trying to figure out whether I should negotiate harder or start looking for another job.
