My former employer made the news, and not in a good way. I found out not from a coworker who likes to send me updates about the ABA situation in Indiana while I’m still, for a couple more months, in North Carolina. I didn’t find out through LinkedIn, even though it seemed to blow up across the entire field in the days following. I didn’t find out from any direct outreach or legal complications or from seeing the Wall Street Journal article itself…

I found out when their former and current RBTs put them on blast on social media.

The responsible and supervisor-type thing I’m supposed to say is that the posts and comments weren’t professional. But I get it. As positive of memories as I have working in that company, I get the outcry, especially from the hourly direct staff who felt betrayed and angry. I felt humiliated myself when I came across comments about how middle management, of which I had been a part, must have known, was also only out for profits, engaged in unethical practices with both clients and staff, and must also be part of the problem. But again–do I sense and honor the grief in the things being put out there? 100%.

Not everyone feels empowered to speak out about unpleasant or even dangerous experiences as an RBT. One of my RBT interviewees expressed that she felt anxious. As awful as some of her experiences were in the company she worked for, she, like many, was afraid of social or legal repercussions. But ignoring the things that leave lasting impressions on RBTs–bad environments, lack of supports, terrible or absent leadership, even just the inherent challenges of being a behavior technician–wasn’t going to make them stop. Instead, companies held the power to continue doing what they were doing.

So what’s a BCBA to do? Apparently stir the pot.

I have been interviewing–and continue to interview–behavior technicians past and present to learn more about their experiences. I have used a series of 26 questions, all trying to get to the root of where BTs come from before ABA, what they walk into, what problems exist, what things actually set a tech up for success, and what companies and leadership can do to retain staff.

Because when you find yourself under intense public scrutiny, the last thing you want to see is this:

This is a series in progress, but, as I post updates, I’ll link them here for continuity:

Part 1: Welcome to ABA

Part 2: You Carry It With You

by Britt Bolton, BCBA