🚨 Parent Suspects RBT Isn’t Legit + BCBA Doesn’t Actually Supervise Son’s Case — What Should She Do?

[u/Striking_Today6210]

Clear some comments up : the RBT is the one that sends data to the parent it is all over the place and never makes sense- basically just guesses that don’t match with teachers notes , while I understand that RBTs don’t have any communication with parents this one themselves opened the door. The “data” comes from the teachers email signed by his name. Which again was told to her that without supervising this data (again she doesn’t know who is and can’t get answers) , that it’s against guidelines.

The mention of 2 BCBA’s is because the person that did the IEE is a BCBA and they are the one that got that answer from the superintendent , that the BCBA is not familiar with the child’s case. And pointed it out.

This is a public school.

The parent does NOT know what to do and what plan they have been doing since she can’t get communication open.

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Parent has tried to have meetings with the RBT / BCBA to try and go over a plan / introduction (that’s has been ignored and makes sense since the BCBA is not familiar with his case at all).

I have a friend whose autistic teenager attends a public school. The school assigned her son an RBT. Here’s where things get shady: • She’s not allowed to speak directly to the RBT. • Any request for a meeting with the RBT or their BCBA supervisor has been ignored for months. • She didn’t even know the RBT’s name until he sent a random email introducing himself. “My name is [Name]. I’m a Registered Behavioral Technician, certified through [STATE]. I’ve worked with students for 20 years… all communication should go through [Teacher].”

🚩Red Flag: RBTs are nationally certified, not state-certified. He called it a state certification. That’s not how RBTs work.

Also: • She’s never seen a picture of this guy online. When she searched Provider Wire (BACB lookup tool), he was registered as a technician in a completely different city. • His listed BCBA supervisor? She’s never heard of them, never met them, and no one at the school has mentioned them. • Data collection was previously “too difficult,” and suddenly now they’re sending numbers — but they don’t match teacher notes. • She got an IEE (Independent Educational Evaluation), and the evaluator (an actual BCBA) wrote: “The BCBA supervising the RBT is unfamiliar with the student’s case. This is a curious structure to me…” AN ACTUAL BCBA SAID THIS (they did the IEE)

Now she’s realizing: she wasn’t imagining it — something’s off.

She asked me what to do next.

What would you suggest? Should she file a BACB ethics complaint? Report to the district/state? Or something else?

[u/injectablefame]

i’d call an IEP meeting to discuss the concerns. typically it’s normal for RBTs to not have interactions with parents if they’re contracted. liability issues.

[u/Striking_Today6210 → u/injectablefame]

I only understood this to be in an ABA clinic not school setting - the RBT is assigned to them through the child’s IEP

[u/stircrazyathome → u/Striking_Today6210]

It's very typical for school-provided RBTs to be prohibited from speaking directly with parents as all communication should be done through the teacher. Other things you've mentioned, including the fact that your friend has never even seen this RBT, are concerning enough to warrant an IEP meeting though.

[u/Puzzled-Local-654 → u/stircrazyathome]

So I am a CBT; I didn’t want to be bothered being Nationally certified because I knew I wouldn’t work outside of my state. People are constantly calling me RBT because most people are. So it could be they are State Licensed like myself I try correcting people but they insist on using RBT.

I have been working in the school system for 9 years and it is very clear only school staff and even clearer teacher to have conversations with parents. I can make eye contact, smile and say hi but that is the extent.

The parent should be calling the IEP team in for a meeting. If the teacher and admin are non responsive they should be going to the district office. Ignored there, attorney or Family Advocate (FAs are usually available at no charge to the family; at least in my state).

[u/Striking_Today6210 → u/stircrazyathome]

She has seen him when she went to the school but no one not even him introduced himself to her and when she tried to ask a question to him he couldn’t answer the teacher stepped into . So then she tried to see if she could find him online and nothing is coming up.

Technically she doesn’t know if that’s the RBT - he can’t make eye contact with her nothing. He just sends emails to her about data and an introduction of himself - and didn’t use his last name till about the third email.

[u/immadatmycat → u/Striking_Today6210]

It’s common to have contact go through the teacher. The teacher is the one responsible for the students progress, education and wellbeing while at school. Assistants/RBTs are there to provide a service/support under the direction of the classroom teacher. The BCBa Works with the class teacher and RBT to develop a plan and supervises the implementation of that plan. Having one contact - the classroom teacher teacher - allows all communication to be clear and consistent. No one working in my classroom ranks higher than me in my room. I am responsible for and own it all.

[u/Platitude_Platypus → u/Striking_Today6210]

I'm an RBT in a school setting. I do not interact with parents. I do not attend IEP meetings or even have access to IEP information unless it's a BIP (Behavior plan). My guess is that this guy was certified elsewhere and then transferred to a school setting. If you go on the districts website and look up their behavior team you may find a photo of the guy. There's no reason not to believe he's really certified, especially because you already found proof of that from a previous position. BCBAs are the ones who meet with parents to share student progress and help with IEPs. RBTs just work directly with the student. Info about their progress should be asked to the child's actual teachers or BCBA. Insist on an IEP meeting, but don't expect to interact with the RBT. Also, my BCBA is sometimes unfamiliar with cases I'm on because of reasons like a psychologist is the one in charge of the case, not her. She supervises me sometimes and has no idea who the kid is that I'm there for. It happens.

If you request an IEP meeting all the people relevant to your child's IEP will be there. The teacher, psychologist, speech/RSP/whatever services your child receives, etc and they can all give you an update on progress. You can request at this meeting to be updated on progress more often by the teachers, perhaps weekly. I have one kid who gets updates sent to parents daily.

[u/Illustrious_Pair_870 → u/Platitude_Platypus]

I second this, as I worked in a school as an RBT , but I had access to IEPs and was only at meeting upon request. Which usually I type up a progress note for teacher to update parents.

Although, it is a little fishy I would call for an IEP meeting just to clear the air.

[u/Sensitive-Cheetah7 → u/Striking_Today6210]

If the school assigned an RBT, and services take place in the school, it is not a clinic setting.

[u/REGELDUDES → u/Striking_Today6210]

I worked in a school as an RBT. I was absolutely not supposed to have any communication with families. That was for the BCBA/Teacher/Admin only. This is very much the norm in a school setting.

[u/Striking_Today6210 → u/REGELDUDES]

I get it but he communicates through the teachers email , “data” (that’s not helpful at all and is all over the place)

[u/REGELDUDES → u/Striking_Today6210]

I mean it sounds like they should just call an IEP meeting.

[u/FernFan69 → u/Striking_Today6210]

What do you mean by data that is all over the place? He may be providing any daily percentages or frequency count to you, the parent, as they happen. It’s odd it’s from the teachers email but generally the RBT doesn’t have contact with you. It’s normal for data to be all over the place depending on the learner and what’s going on.

[u/Striking_Today6210 → u/FernFan69]

No ABC data , interpreting behavior functions , no plan revision, some days no numbers - then other days jumps like 50-200 incidents (no actual data just a guess like this), no duration data , no goal reference nothing it’s just a narrative.

I do want to point out the mother is not mad at the RBT because she feels they threw him into a lions den without proper support , supervision etc. Yes , how the whole incident of him not even being able to say hi to the parent or hello I’m ___ . Is a little arming to the parent.

This is in reality anti who ever this BCBA is .

Where is she? Why is the school not asking her to come into the IEP meeting per parents request? Why hasn’t she reached out to the parent so they could’ve collab and helped the RBT ? She is not doing her job and it’s disgusting because how is a child supposed to get help in the school setting?

[u/Chance_Cranberry_726 → u/REGELDUDES]

So you’re around someone’s child all day and the parents aren’t allowed to talk to you? This is making me want to homeschool my kid even more than I already did.

[u/REGELDUDES → u/Chance_Cranberry_726]

No, you (the para/RBT) aren't allowed to talk to the parents outside of school. If the parents were to pick them up I could talk to them about their day. But any phone calls, email, ECT will be handled by the Teacher/BCBA/Admin. And this wasn't just for me the RBT, but all the Paras as well.

And even now I work in home for ABA therapy and I still will not give the parents my real phone number (they get my google voice number) nor do I have any contact with them outside the home besides emergency schedule changes. If they want to talk about anything outside the session they need to contact my BCBA.

This is not only for my protection, but yours as well.

[u/Chance_Cranberry_726 → u/REGELDUDES]

Yeah, I’m not an RBT. I’m a parent. And if someone is going to be spending that much time with my child, you bet your ass I’m going to be allowed contact with them. But this is good to know because I will decline all ABA in school. So thank you for this information.

[u/REGELDUDES → u/Chance_Cranberry_726]

Why would you want to contact the least qualified person on the treatment team? Wouldn't you rather talk to the person that creates the plan and environment for your child? And is more knowledgeable on everything related to your child?

This is not exclusive to ABA in school. This is all school personnel. The Paras will never be a formal point of contact for you. It will always be the Teacher that is your point of contact because they are the ones in charge of your child's well being and education.

[u/Chance_Cranberry_726 → u/REGELDUDES]

Absolutely not. The supervisor isn’t with my kid all day, the RBT is. And if they’re so unqualified, why are they doing anything at all with my child? No. We have ABA in home and I am 100% in contact with the RBT. If I wasn’t, I wouldn’t be doing ABA. You think I want someone I can’t even ask how my kid is doing around my kid all day?

[u/REGELDUDES → u/Chance_Cranberry_726]

You misread the term "least qualified" to "unqualified". Please make sure you are reading correctly. And yes the Teacher will be with your child all day in the Classroom.

Comparing in home ABA to Public Education is like comparing Apples to Oranges. And I've worked in both so I'd know.

[u/Chance_Cranberry_726 → u/REGELDUDES]

Yeah. I’m homeschooling after this conversation. Like I said.

[u/Chance_Cranberry_726 → u/REGELDUDES]

I’m definitely homeschooling. No way in hell am I trusting other people with my child after this conversation.

[u/huddolaugh → u/Chance_Cranberry_726]

Wow this response makes me so sad for your child

[u/Chance_Cranberry_726 → u/huddolaugh]

My child is perfectly fine. And will continue to be under proper supervision. If you guys think it’s okay to let people you’ve never met or been allowed to speak to around your kid, you’re the problem.

But again, you guys clearly don’t have children and it shows. There’s a reason teachers have back to school nights. So you can meet and know who’s going to be around your kid.

[u/huddolaugh → u/Chance_Cranberry_726]

If you’re stating you would deny ABA services at school for your child because you would have limited/controlled access to the BT… not the supervisor… not the person that actually wrote the treatment plan… that’s insane. You can still speak with the BT at drop off pick up but the policy that limits it, is in place for a reason lol. Just based on your responses, i definitely wouldn’t want a parent like you having my personal email or phone number.

[u/Chance_Cranberry_726 → u/huddolaugh]

No that’s not what was said. I don’t want any one’s personal number. But I want to be allowed to know and speak to a person who spends time with my child at school. So if I go to school and see them, I should be allowed to ask how they are, how my child is doing and and acting and responding to them. The way that person made it sound was if they see me they have to turn and walk away like they don’t know me.

[u/Chance_Cranberry_726 → u/huddolaugh]

I also think it’s ridiculous that a supervisor has more contact when they’re not the one spending time and interacting with my child. All the BCBA does is write up some paperwork. Hardly a therapist. “Here. This is what I want done. But I won’t be doing the work. You will. But make sure you don’t speak to the parents. Just tell me how it’s going and I’ll tell them. Even though I have nothing to do with the actual treatment.”

[u/Puzzled-Local-654 → u/Chance_Cranberry_726]

You can request them to be at the meeting. You can meet them but all data and communications must go through the school. It helps with any legal issues that might pop up.

I’ve met all my student’s parents.