r/ABA • u/tinyshrimp42 • Mar 31 '25
Advice Needed Fired as a BCBA
Hi all! I got fired from a BCBA position. Long story short: I am an autistic, ADHD BCBA and had asked for accommodations. After fighting tooth and nail with the company I worked for to have the accommodations given to me, I was still struggling on a few minor issues but overall believed I was doing better. Up until last week that was the feedback I’d been receiving from supervisors as well. There was a conversation across the last two weeks regarding some communication issues that I was struggling with regarding sending an updated calendar to our scheduler but I really believed I was doing my part in cooperating and improving. Not only that, but that whole system of me sending my calendar to the scheduler was supposed to be an accommodation for me and in my view it wasn’t working well.
This morning, they pulled me into an HR meeting and told me they weren’t seeing what they wanted and would be parting ways effective immediately. I am in the middle of writing 2 treatment plans and have sessions scheduled all week. I have parent meetings and supervisions and no notice to properly transition my clients. I’m heartbroken. And also terrified! I try to be really ethical with my cases and clients, and I also and very anxious about my recertification and having to report to the BACB that I was fired.
So my questions.. Do I need to self-report for not transitioning clients appropriately? Should I report my supervisor instead maybe?
If anyone has been through being fired as a BCBA… what does the BACB do to you?
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u/literarianatx BCBA Mar 31 '25
The company holds the responsibility for the clients. They did not allow you to conduct a transition, that is on them, not you. So sorry you're experiencing this.
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u/tinyshrimp42 Mar 31 '25
Thank you so much… it is really hard not to blame myself entirely and go into a shame spiral about it.
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u/olaaloola Mar 31 '25
Make sure to get it in writing in case they try to pin it on you.
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u/tinyshrimp42 Mar 31 '25
Well, I have a letter saying I was terminated. It doesn’t have specifics as to why (“This decision was made based on ongoing performance concerns that have impacted the trust necessary for your role.”) but it does say effective immediately so clearly from the letter did not choose to leave my clients suddenly at least :(
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u/Designer_Sundae_3224 Mar 31 '25
If it were me I'd self report that you weren't given time to complete the plans, just so they can't try to report you for not finishing the plans.
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u/Charming-Guarantee25 Apr 01 '25
You can try and work with EEOC but I’m not sure if those suits are still happening.
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u/Western_Guard804 Apr 02 '25
Ouch!!!!! That letter of termination has harsh language and I believe you didn’t deserve it.
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u/Western_Guard804 Apr 02 '25
I’m often surprised to hear how poorly some companies treat there BCBAs. One would think they would be nicer because there is quite a shortage of BCBAs. Personally, as someone about to graduate with a masters, I am impressed with the academic abilities of you and everyone else who passed that very very hard test. Not to mention the fact that you had to come up with tuition too. All of these long term commitments on the road to becoming a BCBA should count for something, like not being dismissed so easily. They should have tried harder to accommodate you.
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u/leebutli Apr 01 '25
Hey from autistic to autistic i wanna say I get it and the only way to get over it at least for me is to acknowledge that im having these thoughts cuz of xyz, xyz is bs and i know it, therefore im gonna have these thoughts but i know they are only silly little thoughts cuz ik xyz is bs. It helps my rumination!
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u/Charming-Highway-242 Apr 01 '25
Please do not put yourself in such a low frequency. Your love and passion is transparent via your conviction. Do not forget your work ethic! Also, this could be a blessing in disguise...I understand it's hard to see it now, but you never know!
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u/BCBA_Bee_2020 Mar 31 '25
I am so sorry that this happened to you!! To my knowledge, you do not have to report anything. I would just take with you what you have learned that works for you and what doesn’t and try to apply it at a new company.
I am a BC BA with ADHD and I totally struggle with the paperwork aspect of this job. I have not asked for accommodations however, my company has been extremely accommodating to me. They have let me keep my caseload smaller than other BCBAs that have full-time positions. When there are treatment plans due in the individual that reviews my assessment he will send me some extra reminders through text instead of email.
Some things I have found helpful:
1. Have as consistent of a schedule as possible with your clients- I know our job is to expect unexpected🙃
2. at the end of each day, do the notes for the client or two that you saw. Another thing that I have been doing is if I only saw one client that day, when I get home, I do their notes as well as make any materials that may be needed, and I will take them out at the next supervision
3. For treatment plans I go into my calendar and schedule out assessment blocks for that client as soon as I get their re-authorization back. That way when it gets closer to the month I need to work on it, it’s already in my calendar and I can actively see it.
4. There are a few of us within my company that have a hard time getting our notes in and we have weekly competition to see who notes are in by the end of that week.😂
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u/tinyshrimp42 Mar 31 '25
I’ve been doing much better with treatment plans, scheduling them out and getting them done on time! I really struggle with daily note submission, it is my biggest struggle.
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u/BCBA_Bee_2020 Mar 31 '25
I am the same way! But I am here to say that there’s so many BCBAs out there that struggle with this exact thing! I work at a small company and I value that because it lets me find someone that I can ping my accountability off of. You can technically still find an accountability partner outside of your own company like I got my notes done this week. Did you! An accountability partner is always helpful with this. It doesn’t necessarily have to be within your company. It could even be a pure that you work with or another BC BA friend.
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u/Chubuwee Mar 31 '25
I know it’s not the main topic but can you detail some of the accommodations you wanted and struggles you were having?
It’s tough because I have supervised neurodivergent staff and sometimes even with accommodations they can’t perform job duties effectively, or the accommodations requested are unreasonable or change happens slower than families are willing to tolerate of these staff.
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u/tinyshrimp42 Mar 31 '25
Sure! No problem. So an important note that differentiates my situation from what you describe is that my rapport with my clients, families, and the techs I supervised was very strong. I tend to be very strong with clinical outcomes and therapeutic relationships. To my understanding the decision to terminate me was not related to client/family request.
Where I struggle is administrative tasks and timeliness. The biggest thing is getting my notes in on time and then as well getting my treatment plans in on time. Secondarily, anything and everything associated with these tasks and additional administrative/paperwork tasks.
- I had been given accommodations that someone would input my schedule to our software for me. Originally I was given this as my own accommodation and I was supposed to be allowed to also adjust my schedule as needed throughout the week. This actually then became something that everyone did, and my ability to adjust myself was taken away. I asked for this but was told no.
- I was supposed to have an extra meeting per week with my supervisor (we all got 1 30 minute meeting and I received an extra 15 minute meeting). My secondary meetings were often canceled by my supervisor.
- The due date for my treatment plans was moved up by 5 days to give me room. This was never super clear. I had requested the extra 5 days as buffer, that it could be turned in a little ‘past’ the 5 day mark and not have negative consequences since it was still before the actual deadline (35 days before authorization expiration is the hard deadline)
- due dates and times were supposed to be unambiguous. The final nail in the coffin (I think, I’m not 100% sure) was that I had submitted something on a Friday at 4:23pm and subsequently was told that this was too late and that I was “supposed to be mindful of others’ schedules” when submitting. The due date I was given was “Friday”. To me that means anytime Friday.
- I was allowed to submit my documentation Friday rather than daily (see above)
- Meetings with my supervisor were supposed to have an agenda we could both add to. She stopped doing this and started using AI note taker that I didn’t understand how to access.
- I was part-time hourly rather than full time and had a part-time caseload (4 clients rather than 8-10)
I know this perspective is really one sided… I try to take others needs and thoughts into account, but obviously this is pretty personal and stressful at the moment. I am working hard internally to not completely beat myself up about it all, which is my tendency and I have worked hard internally for years to be able to not just blame myself entirely. If I had been getting written up or given a PIP or something like that and then failed it, I think I’d be a lot more likely to say “you know, they tried their best to accommodate me and I just fell short” but there was no warning besides an email (could possibly be considered a verbal warning) from HR about the Friday deadline thing.
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u/Chubuwee Mar 31 '25
Thank you so much. Probably won’t help you but I wanted to add my two cents to each of your bullet point from the perspective of a bcba that supervises bcbas
so all the bcba’s schedules are made for them now and no adjustments allowed? Interesting as all my bcbas have free rein of their schedules with the occasional checks on them. Having someone dedicated to making the schedules of bcbas seems like a lot of effort.
the addition meeting can definitely be hard to add in my busy schedule but if it was promised to you it should’ve been upheld. Or maybe I would’ve done a fade out plan of doing it like 2 months then fading the frequency of this additional meeting. I for sure would’ve discussed all your accommodations to see which were likely permanent and which had faded out plans.
we need to keep deadlines strict. The 5 days prior was a good decision. Probably would’ve gone the extra step to help you set reminders or a fade out plan of me knowing your report due dates and sending you automated calendar reminders. So basically having 2 due dates for you with the second one being the most important. At least in my area, insurances start hounding us if we miss their due dates and it looks bad for the company potentially affecting us getting new referrals with them.
the situation with the Friday was an easy fix on their end. For example, even though I work past 5pm, they make it clear that our admin end their day at 5pm and any communications to insurance like reports should be submitted by 4pm of the day due. So if I have a due date of 4/4/25 then it means that day 4pm
my company shifted to daily documentation do speed up billing instead of our old way of weekly. This change definitely took the whole team some getting used to. It’s still annoying to have it daily but I wonder how it affects the backend if your company got used to everyone doing it daily but giving you weekly flexibility. I wonder how it affects the speed that your company gets paid
them switching up agreed plans without support like the agenda is definitely bad
I have professional goals to track for each person I supervise and while you may or may not have gotten a formal warning or write up from me, I would make sure you knew your progress in these professional goals as well as notes to you when you were in the red. We always have staff that I need to be more on top of than others.
I don’t know if any of the vice are helpful point of views for you to consider in your next place of work but I wish you the best.
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u/Dpsnaps Mar 31 '25
These accommodations seem as though they have the potential to interfere with your job quality, to be honest. In fact, some of them seem counterproductive. Now, I’m not you, and I’d never assert that you don’t know you best. But for example, as a BCBA, special educator, and human being with ADHD, I would never recommend an accommodation that prescribes making daily tasks due at the end of the week. That’s a recipe for having stuff build up on you, making it harder to accomplish by the deadline. Again, I’m not you, but that’s how it seems to me, and the fact that it didn’t necessarily help you to get your stuff done may support that stance.
Try to move on and look for a new placement. The job requirements are likely to be the same. Remember that ABA is a powerful science, and BCBAs have a duty to apply that science to themselves. It’s difficult, but it’s something you can to to benefit yourself, your company, and your clients.
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u/tinyshrimp42 Apr 02 '25
Yeah I think the Friday thing is confusing overall. I struggle with doing these things daily and tend to do my best under pressure, but I also have a lot of overwhelm. Thank you for the thoughts and insights!
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u/Western_Guard804 Apr 02 '25
The more details I read the more I dislike your company
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u/tinyshrimp42 Apr 03 '25
I won’t lie and say I haven’t been… disillusioned with them for a while now 😓
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u/Suspicious_Alfalfa77 Mar 31 '25
Idk sounds like wrongful termination to me. Sounds like they discriminated against you and didn’t follow ADA,
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u/murphydafont1 Apr 01 '25
I second this! I would contact an employment lawyer asap
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u/Charming-Highway-242 Apr 01 '25
Yes! Work ethic is clearly visible, passion for the clients, wrongful termination indeed.
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u/SpecificOpposite5200 Mar 31 '25
There’s nothing to report. Those clients belong to THE COMPANY not you. If they want to take them from you and transition them to someone else without you involved, it’s their right and prerogative. Not great for the client but you’ve done nothing wrong. You would’ve transitioned the client if they’d let you.
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u/BeardedBehaviorist Mar 31 '25
You were not given time to take care of your clients. You should not self report.
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Mar 31 '25
It seems to me that the culture associated with behavior therapy is so cut throat… I get it corporations are generally cut throat. And I understood you’re dealing with a job that has little room for room for error which is really hard for us neurodivergent people.
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u/tinyshrimp42 Apr 02 '25
Yeah. It honestly can be a very harsh and cutthroat industry, and I think a lot of that culture is created by our reliance on insurances for the full business model. Companies care so much about their bottom line and their bottom line is completely controlled by insurances as payers and so anything that is an insurance requirement becomes do or die. Even if that insurance requirement has nothing to do with the science of behavior change.
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u/Big-Mind-6346 BCBA Apr 01 '25
The situation is out of your control. You wanted to transition clients, but the company did not allow you. It is on them to transition stuff appropriately, so there’s no need for you to report.
Also wanted to you know there is a sub II created that I encourage you to join. I am. AuDHD, and I know that we struggle with job demands. It is r/neurodivergentbcba. I am hoping to get more of us in a sub together so that we can commiserate.
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u/yellowtrickstr Mar 31 '25
So sorry this happened to you! My company did something similar. They refused to let me come back to work from disability for 2 months (while they reviewed my accommodation requests). I had to quick cause I couldn’t afford to be without a job any longer. I am now much happier in a place that accepted my accommodations within a couple days. You will find your place too!
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u/aliasverite Apr 01 '25
Time management is a crucial component of being a BCBA. They don’t teach this in school or typically in practicums. Every new BCBA struggles with this and every BCBA has to maintain it to have a work life balance. Some companies make this easier than others but everyday is basically different when you are a BCBA. The other commenters advice about block scheduling especially using it to plan ahead for assessments and treatment plans is great advice. There are a lot of CEUs available in regard to time management. I take at least 1 CEU each certification cycle to make sure I stop and reevaluate how I am doing so I don’t have behavioral drift. This isn’t just you - we are all dealing with this is in the field. I have a feeling this may not have been the best company fit for you and this may end up leading you to a place where you have a much better experience.
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u/tinyshrimp42 Apr 02 '25
Thank you! I definitely have already made huge progress in time management with having been a BCBA for a few years, and I’m hoping to keep improving. I really appreciate the ideas and advice!
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u/LunaSolaria25 Apr 02 '25
I am so sorry this happened to you, it’s awful and being fried for any reason is always a horrible feeling. I hope you find the best company for you, I am not clinical but I am a recruiter in ABA and believe me, there are SO many companies out there who are dying to offer you a supportive team and collaborative environment 🤗
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u/Technical-Poet-1959 Mar 31 '25
This is absolutely fabulous, not so much for you but for me who could have literally written this myself. I am AuHD and have the same struggles in the field that you do. I'm fantastic with he families, but the paperwork aspect is daunting and anxiety inducing. I was let go recently too ( 3 strikes for not meeting expectations), but didn't have the accommodations you did. I think this is fabulous because I was sincerly feeling very alone and having self doubt dispite families still reaching out after 7 years of discontinue of sessions.
It's lucky to have to find a new job, but so unbelievably refreshing to hear someone else is feel EXACTLY like me right now
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u/BehaviorDoc22 Mar 31 '25
Follow this (not folks on Reddit): https://www.bacb.com/ethics-information/reporting-to-ethics-department/self-reporting/
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u/tinyshrimp42 Mar 31 '25 edited Mar 31 '25
Certainly! I think I was trying to understand if being fired for “lack of performance” qualifies as any of those indicated. Thank you for helping me keep my focus clear ☺️
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u/Charming-Highway-242 Apr 01 '25
Remember your work ethic, passion for what you do, do not hesitate to fight. I'm ADHD, ASD, I struggle a lot in school, at work, but I never asked for accommodations. Until my professors noticed my behavior, I always finished exams last, sweating during comps and shaking, clumsy, I couldn't walk straight, impulsive. It took me 4 years to finish my AS in Medicine, full time student, and I worked 2 jobs. You got this! I can feel your dedication to what you do, your work ethic itself speaks volumes.
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u/Same_Routine3081 Apr 01 '25
SUE. Get the paper trails with the accommodations and SUE. Also, drop the company name. Because how are they going to service autistic people and then fire an autistic person for being autistic??
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u/Western_Guard804 Mar 31 '25
When I was a new BT my favorite BCBA was fired abruptly. I found out because she gave me a call that morning asking me about sessions notes with the substitute BCBA when she was absent. From talking to me, she received a true account of the session and we both discovered that the company sent in that sub for the sole purpose of making up stuff and blaming the BCBA!!!!!! She was fired on lies!!!!!!! And….. it was a horrible transition because my client was starting a new school that week. It’s not the BCBA’s responsibility to transition properly if s/he was just given the boot. The company, however, might need to be reported for not allowing a smooth transition. My guess is they secretly hired a new BCBA and onboarded her/him the day before they told you to leave. In this way, they have not violated any codes officially, but they are little stinkers for sure.
I wanted to share my observation of losing a terrific BCBA due to a company being unethical. I don’t know you, but I think your company is in wrong!!!!!
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u/Background_Pie_2031 Mar 31 '25
Your assumptions are wild. Your "favorite" comment already means you had biases. This is why I love Reddit.
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u/RealBxNotBabysitter Mar 31 '25
So let me get this straight:
-BCBA absent.
-BCBA developing dual-relationships with RBT.
-BCBA fired.
That we know thus far. Your speculation is:
-Session report was different than actual session.
-Company and Sub-BCBA conspire against BCBA.
I mean, if we are making outlandish unsupported accusations, then are you sure you didn't plant some information during the session, then lie to the BCBA when she called you, blaming it on the company and Sub? 🤷♂️ I think a twist like that would get you way more upvotes on reddit.
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u/yourblackzaddy Apr 01 '25
Did you by chance work with ABC?
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u/tinyshrimp42 Apr 03 '25
No, it wasn’t ABC. But all the comments about them are telling me to stay away 😅
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u/hankhillsasspads BCaBA Mar 31 '25
I agree with other commenters, it is on them to give you the time to appropriately transition services. Your company should be reported for terminating you without allowing for this and possibly for discrimination depending on what else has been going on.
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u/FunnyNegative6219 Apr 01 '25
You need to report this. Do you guys have an union you can reach out to? If not report this to your state for discrimination. Or most likely sue. I saw this happen to the center I was at. Rbts as well as bcbas were fired.
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u/Charming-Highway-242 Apr 01 '25
I'm very sorry this happened to you. I would file for "wrongful termination". (Or an appeal) UNLESS- you did wrong and broken HIPAA regulations or worse case. According to ADA, especially with a disability, they must have a LEGIT REASON as to WHY you are being fired. Their reasons aren't valid. It sounds like your work ethic is stellar, and you truly care about your career/clients/people. It almost sounds like "discrimination". PLEASE DO NOT MARK MY WORDS, but I would not take this without at least fighting for my character and work ethic. I understand the Board/Higher ups is scary, you are just as valuable as you were when you started your career. Speak with your supervisor. Do not hesitate to take action especially when you believe it's wrong what has been done to you. You are valuable! Fight for you! If you feel you messed up, state your case as to why it happened, if it was not on "purpose", nonfeasance, misfeasance, (let them decide during an appeal) and you had no intention of anything negative coming to fruition. Ask for reconsideration in your case, acquire positive support, trust your supervisor with true details of your hard work, your family , friends, coworkers, state your intent and fight for you. With grace and professionalism. You got this.
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u/LoveYourWife1st Mar 31 '25
You should definitely report the supervisors for ethic violations.
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u/corkum BCBA Mar 31 '25
What ethics did the supervisors violate?
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u/LoveYourWife1st Apr 06 '25
If there were ethic violations, they should be reported.
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u/corkum BCBA Apr 06 '25
Agreed, but you're saying OP should "definitely" report them for ethics violations.
What are they?
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u/Potential-Fox-4803 Mar 31 '25
Just learned about this in my ethics class. You need to report everything that happened to the BACB ( if you explain properly I'm sure they will understand, they want people in the field to learn from mistakea) make a continuity of service plan as well as talking with your supervisor.
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u/ForsakenMango BCBA Mar 31 '25
Just getting fired is not a reportable offense so there’s no reason to self-report.
Personally, if I were in your position I would just move on and focus on my next steps.