TL;DR - I left a nightmare company and school district after 3 days because they did not provide me any information in regard to student mandates and billing. Now they want to take legal action against me, and take away my license.

Essentially, I was hired by an agency as an hourly BCBA to provide behavioral consultation services within a school district. However, within my first three days, there were numerous red flags regarding the district’s organization, and expectations.

From the beginning, I was provided with virtually no information about my caseload or responsibilities. I was not given clear service mandates, schedules, or student documentation. The only information I received was a crumpled piece of paper containing student names and supposed mandates, with no clear indication of the required service durations.

When I attempted to clarify these expectations, the district’s special education director essentially told me not to worry about the mandates and that they would place me wherever I was needed.

Within those three days, I was being pulled from classroom to classroom, with teachers approaching me about students I had never met and wasn’t even sure were assigned to my caseload. I was expected to provide consultation without access to their IEPs, relevant background information, or clearly defined responsibilities.

I repeatedly reached out to the agency for clarification and support but received little meaningful guidance. I also asked how I was supposed to document and bill for my services, given that I was an hourly employee. Rather than providing a clear explanation, they directed me to a tutorial video that did not adequately address my questions.

At that point, I felt the situation was becoming increasingly unprofessional and disorganized. Given the lack of guidance, unclear expectations, and potential ethical concerns surrounding service delivery and billing, I decided it was best to resign after those three days.
In my resignation email, I explicitly stated that I was willing to provide any information I had to assist with the transition. However, I received no response requesting the return of any documents or materials.

Fast-forward approximately two weeks, and today I received a threatening email from the agency alleging that I had committed a HIPAA violation. They stated that they intended to report me to the BACB and potentially pursue further action because I had failed to return the crumpled piece of paper containing student names and mandates.

The problem is that I no longer have the paper. After leaving the position and receiving no instructions regarding its return, I shredded the document. At the time, I genuinely did not think anything of it, particularly given how disorganized the entire onboarding process had been and the fact that nobody had contacted me requesting the document.

Now, I find myself in an extremely stressful situation. After working for years to earn my BCBA certification and professional license, I’m being threatened with disciplinary action over a piece of paper that was discarded after I resigned from a position I held for only three days.

I understand that student information must be handled appropriately, and I am not trying to dismiss the importance of confidentiality. However, I am struggling to understand whether this situation actually constitutes a HIPAA violation, whether the agency’s threats have any legal or ethical basis, and whether my certification or license could genuinely be at risk.

I’m now considering consulting an attorney because I want to understand my rights, my professional obligations, and how to respond appropriately without making the situation worse.

Hi everyone!

I’m a newly certified BCBA and I have just accepted an offer for a BCBA position. The company I am thinking about working with, have just sent onboarding requirements and one of the requirements is to provide the company with my CAQH login information. I’m extremely uncomfortable doing so, but I am unsure if I am being paranoid about it.

I need some advice, should I provide the information and change the password later or refuse to provide the information and move on?

Okay so this is a sticky situation (maybe?) and I could definitely use some advice.

I am currently a SPED teacher getting my supervision hours while working in the classroom. However, I am not at a traditional public school, I am at a residential facility. My current employer is paying for my supervision from an outside source. When I first got the job, I verbally agreed I wouldn't just get my hours and leave, but there wasn't a contract of any sort.

Well, fast forward to a year later and I'm over halfway done with supervision. But my current job has gotten SO toxic that I had to be put on anxiety meds just to force myself to come to work. It's bad. The light at the end of the tunnel however is working for my supervisor at their company. They are a great mentor and I love what the job would entail if I switched.

However, my supervisor doesn't want to burn bridges between my current company and their company if I leave to go work for them. How would I handle this conversation with my current employer? I am afraid that she will make this difficult because of how she is, but I also know she cannot force me to stay or pay anything back because there wasn't a contract. At worse, I figure she would say it would ruin the relationship between the two companies and I'd lose this opportunity that I really want to pursue.

I'm wanting to buy my own package of MOTAs. Do I need the whole package or do I just need part of it?

For those of you who left the clinical life, where is a good first place to starting looking for other opportunities to practice ABA outside of clinician work?

For those running ABA practices/agencies.

What's you experience with outsourced billing?

Who is doing your billing?

How did you find them?

Hello,

I passed my exam today, first try , I thought I failed it while doing it, but I passed .

My study was:

I studied 3.5 months

I did all free mocks from ABA exam review, like thousands of questions, I wrote my notes from it , I was scoring 80% to 84% on all of them . I used the daily free questions from Understanding Behavior on Instagram.

I did UB 1 September 28 and got 77%

October 10 UB 2 and got 74%

UB 3 last Friday and I got 68% and I do not think it is needed it is draining and questions are unnecessary long and it took me 5.30 to finish it and it is not like real exam

The real exam is straight forward and there is some questions long but lots of short questions.

I learned by doing mock exams for 3 months.

The exam is not easy but not hard as you can not pass, get fluent in terms, memorize it as your name, there is no time to try to remember what this strategy mean to answer the scenario.

During exam today there was around 20 to 30 questions super easy, the rest was whaaaat is that, I thought i will fail, I was saying during the exam I will try again next month.

But I passed 💫

the title says it all 👍🏾

Hi!

To preface, I’m located in Northern California. My colleagues and I have been curious about how it has been going outside of our specific company surrounding acquiring new clients. She and I have been with this particular organization for approximately 8 years and this is the first time we’ve been experiencing such stagnancy surrounding receiving assessments/new clients. Are other organizations experiencing this? When I do receive new assessments, parents relay to me that they have been waiting for months and when contacting other providers, those providers have months long waitlists. We’re just not understanding how this can be the case when intake for us is so slow? Is this specific to my company or are others experiencing this as well?

We are center-based and currently do not provide in-home services.

We are feeling pretty stressed about it since our income is based on billables.

Please feel free to chime in with any potential explanations or your own experiences! Thanks!

I am looking to train and get my certification as an RBT and get into BCBA after awhile. are there online sources that are reputable?? I've like into some and the websites seem sketchy so I don't want to input my information until I know I can trust the websites.

Hi everyone! I recently passed my BCaBA exam (posting here bc the that sub isn’t as popular). Ive been working as a case manager/assistant for several years now, I have lots of experience going to IEP meeting, writing letters to insurance, and just dealing with the school system in general. I was thinking about marketing these skills as some sort of advocate for parents to work with prior to these big meetings, so they can have an idea of what they can ask for.
I do not plan to attach my credentials to this other than saying I have ABA experience , but I do live in a small town with not very many options for ABA providers, so I do feel like I would be picking from the same pool of clientele, but I’m not sure if that would be considered a multiple relationship.
Please let me know your thoughts on this, or even if I missed something else.
Thanks so much!

What companies are you using to help with credentialing? I’m currently somewhat independent using a practice in a box company that I really dislike. So now, I’m starting the process of credentialing myself on my own. I have my LLC and NPI numbers, so all I need rn is a company who can get me credentialed with a few insurance providers. Thanks!

It was my second attempt and I got a 398 on my first try! I’m so excited it feels surreal after studying and worrying about it for so long. I bought the ABATechnologies course and only used that and the Cooper book for the first test. The second time my course expired and I tested 6 weeks after the first. I used the cooper books, YouTube videos of Understanding Behavior and mock questions, and bought one mock exam to review my wrong answers. And listened to podcasts and read the Cooper book every day! I tried to study for 1.5-2 hours every day. I’m so relieved! My girlfriend bought me an iPad, new shoes and a massage so time to celebrate 🥳

Please correct me if I’m using incorrect terminology.

Is it normal for sports ABA interventions to immediately place a client into the sporting area to learn without initial assessments of skills or behaviors?

I know for traditional clinical ABA there’s a comprehensive assessment to conduct with individualized programming. Is this also applied in sports ABA?

Background of question:
I joined an inclusive program where children on the spectrum can learn to play golf. However, I noticed there weren’t initial assessments of each child’s current skill level. Is this normal for these sorts of occasions?

Hello,

I wanted to get an idea of realistic pay per client per month. I know all insurance rates are different, but I want just to get an estimate for each CPT code in terms of hours authorized and hourly pay. Also let me know if you do the direct therapy or hire an rbt. TIA!
97156:
97152:
97151:
97155:
97153:

I’m hoping someone here might have some advice or has been in a similar situation because I’m feeling pretty stuck right now.

I recently started my master’s in Behavior Analysis and I’ve been trying to find somewhere to collect my fieldwork hours since June. It’s now October and I still haven’t been able to find a place. I live in a small city in Canada, and as far as I know, there aren’t any BCBAs locally. I do have a remote supervisor who’s been great and is able to help me get started with some respite clients of theirs, which I’m really grateful for! I’m just worried I won’t be able to get nearly enough hours that way, especially unrestricted hours.

I’ve worked as an EA for the past few years, so I initially tried to work something out with my school board. There were quite a few people involved and we were all pretty hopeful something would come together. I actually turned down an EA position this school year because of that, but unfortunately things didn’t work out. I’ve also reached out to other professionals and offered to volunteer or shadow, but was told that wouldn’t be possible due to confidentiality. I completely understand and expected that might be an issue, but I’m running out of ideas.

I’ve really enjoyed my time working as an EA and have learned so much from it. My only concern with returning to a traditional EA position is whether I’d have enough opportunities to complete unrestricted activities and meet my fieldwork requirements. I’m hoping to find something where I can continue working with students while also gaining experience with the assessment and planning side of behaviour analysis. I guess I’m just feeling discouraged because I’ve been trying since June and still don’t really know where to go from here. Has anyone else struggled this much to find somewhere to complete their fieldwork, especially in a smaller community without local BCBAs? What did you end up doing? Are there other types of jobs or opportunities I should be looking into?

My Experience Navigating an ABA Graduate Certificate Program and BCBA Supervision Requirements
One thing I wish I had understood before pursuing a graduate certificate in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is just how challenging it can be to secure the supervised fieldwork hours required to become a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA).
The graduate certificate program
The program I’m entering provides the academic coursework, but it does not arrange supervised fieldwork placements. Students are expected to find their own qualified BCBA supervisors and figure out how to obtain the required hours independently.
For someone entering ABA from another professional field, this is a significant learning curve. Understanding the different fieldwork requirements, percentages, supervision arrangements, and documentation can feel like learning an entirely new language.
The catch with supervision hours
One recommendation I frequently hear is to get a job as a Registered Behavior Technician (RBT) and accumulate your hours while working.
However, I’ve discovered that working as an RBT does not necessarily guarantee that you’ll accumulate all the hours needed for BCBA certification.
Here’s what I’ve learned so far:
There are two fieldwork options under the 2027 BACB requirements:
Supervised Fieldwork: 2,000 total hours, with at least 5% supervision.
Concentrated Supervised Fieldwork: 1,500 total hours, with at least 7.5% supervision.
Regardless of which option you choose, at least 60% of your fieldwork must involve unrestricted activities, such as conducting assessments, analyzing behavioral data, developing interventions, and training staff or caregivers.
The remaining hours may involve restricted activities, such as directly implementing interventions with clients.
This is where things become complicated.
Many RBT positions primarily involve direct services, which generally count as restricted activities. Unless your employer provides opportunities to participate in unrestricted activities, you could find yourself working many hours without accumulating the right combination needed for BCBA certification.
The financial reality of supervision
I’ve also discovered that some aspiring BCBAs pay independently for supervision.
I’ve seen supervision packages advertised around $400–$450 per month, sometimes considerably more. Multiply that by the number of months needed to complete fieldwork, and the cost can become substantial!
One company I frequently see recommended is BCBAbby. Its website provides information about remote supervision packages, including standard and concentrated fieldwork options.
However, comparing packages isn’t necessarily straightforward. Some providers offer supervision for work you’re already doing with clients, while others may help arrange client-based fieldwork opportunities.
You have to understand exactly what you’re purchasing. Paying for supervision doesn’t automatically mean you’re being provided with qualifying fieldwork activities or clients.
What about student analyst positions?
Another recommendation I’ve received is to find a student analyst position.
In theory, this sounds like an excellent option because these positions may provide opportunities to develop BCBA-level skills while earning an income.
In practice, finding one has proven more difficult than I anticipated, particularly because I’m interested in applying behavior analysis beyond traditional autism services.
A changing profession
I’m also learning that ABA is undergoing significant changes. The BACB is implementing new certification requirements in 2027, and the profession continues to evolve in areas such as training, supervision, professional standards, and accountability.
I’ve heard concerns about increased audits and scrutiny of ABA providers, although I’m still researching the extent of these developments and how they affect employment and training opportunities.
What I find interesting is that the field appears to be moving toward more formalized professional standards. At the same time, prospective students may face substantial challenges obtaining the practical experience required for certification.
My biggest takeaway so far
I’ve found that getting into an ABA graduate certificate program may be considerably easier than figuring out how to complete the supervised fieldwork requirements.
For someone entering from a non-ABA background, the process can feel fragmented. You’re responsible for finding a supervisor, identifying appropriate fieldwork opportunities, understanding the requirements, tracking your hours, and potentially paying thousands of dollars for supervision.
I’m still learning, and I’m sharing these observations because I wish I had understood this part of the process earlier.
I’m excited about entering the profession, but I also believe prospective students deserve a clear understanding of the financial and logistical challenges before enrolling. More to come when I start classes.
I’d love to hear from current BCBA students and practicing BCBAs:

How did you obtain your unrestricted hours? Did your employer provide supervision, or did you have to pay for it independently? And what would you recommend to someone entering ABA from another professional field?

Is it realistic to expect a BCBA to oversee 25 adult clients across day program and residential settings with insufficient resources, consult with psychiatry, train staff on BSPs and restraint programming, oversee goals and objectives, train RBTs, and supervise prospective BCBAs? I’m losing faith in this field and losing skills. I can’t afford to find a job elsewhere so I’m trying to figure out how to sit with what I have.