Who Is Working With Your Child? Get to Know RBTs and BCBAs

When you start looking into ABA therapy, you hear a lot of letters: BCBA, RBT, sometimes BCaBA. It can feel like alphabet soup! But knowing who does what makes it much easier to ask good questions and feel confident about your child’s care.

Here’s a plain guide to the people who usually work with your child in ABA, and how you fit in.

The BCBA: the person who leads the plan

BCBA stands for Board Certified Behavior Analyst®. It’s a graduate-level certification from the Behavior Analyst Certification Board® (BACB). To earn it, a person completes graduate training in behavior analysis, supervised practice hours, and a certification exam, and then keeps up continuing education to stay certified.

In your child’s care, the BCBA is the clinical lead. The BCBA usually:

• Does your child’s assessment and gets to know your family’s goals
• Writes the treatment plan, with goals that are specific and measurable
• Trains and supervises the therapists who work with your child and occasionally may work directly with your child themselves
• Reviews session data and changes the plan when something isn’t working
• Meets with you to talk about progress and answer questions

At Attain SLB, BCBAs give weekly supervision at minimum.

The RBT: the person your child sees most

RBT stands for Registered Behavior Technician®. The BACB describes it as a paraprofessional certification: RBTs complete required training, pass an exam and clinical skills competency, and must work under the close supervision of a qualified supervisor and meet certain standards ongoing.

The RBT is often the person your child spends the most time with. During sessions, the RBT:

• Builds a warm, trusting relationship with your child
• Works on the goals in the BCBA’s plan, often through play and everyday routines
• Records data during each session, so the BCBA can see what’s working
• Shares what they notice with the BCBA and with you

RBTs don’t design the plan or change it on their own. They carry it out, and the BCBA guides them.

What about a BCaBA?

Some teams also include a Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst® (BCaBA). This is an undergraduate-level certification. A BCaBA can help with some clinical work but must be supervised by a BCBA. Not every ABA team has one.

How the team works together

Think of it this way: the BCBA is the planner and coach, and the RBT does the day-to-day work with your child. The BCBA watches sessions, looks at the data, and gives the RBT feedback. That regular check-in is what keeps therapy on track and tailored to your child, whether sessions happen at our clinic for ABA therapy in Fort Collins or at home. Attain provides in-home ABA anywhere in Colorado, and families can choose the clinic, home, or a mix.

Where you fit in

You are part of the team, too. You know your child’s history, routines, and what matters most to your family. A good team will ask for your input, explain what they’re doing and why, and help you use the same strategies at home.

Caregiver training is available and an essential piece for collaboration.

For a step-by-step look at how getting started works, read What Happens in the First Weeks of ABA at Attain?

Good questions to ask any ABA provider

• Who will be my child’s BCBA, and how often will they see my child?
• Who will work with my child day to day, and are they RBTs?
• How will you share progress with me?
• How can I learn the strategies too?