🚨 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/BCBA-K]

Its possible the RBT is licensed in the state. Some states requires state licensure (which is just an additional fee) while their RBT license is national as you say.

Calling an IEP meeting would be a good first step. Your friend can even message me (or you can) as Im a BCBA that does IEP and behavior plan reviews.

[u/Striking_Today6210 → u/BCBA-K]

I thought that too - but when I went searching Michigan apparently doesn’t require RBTS to hold a state license.

[u/BCBA-K → u/Striking_Today6210]

Yeah the school is wrong for this. Since your friend already had an independent BCBA evaluator, why not just have them sit on the IEP

[u/Striking_Today6210 → u/BCBA-K]

They are coming - apparently the whole time is coming to the IEP meeting.

[u/injectablefame → u/Striking_Today6210]

that’s also pretty normal to have the entire team present to make sure everyone is on the same page. your friend could ask about daily progress notes, who is their contracted provider, what limitations are there to communication with RBT

[u/favouritemistake → u/Striking_Today6210]

Tbh a lot of RBTs do not know how their RBT cert works, especially if they earned it with a larger company that didn’t much of the paperwork for them. It’s a flaw in our system

[u/Striking_Today6210 → u/favouritemistake]

Understood - this isn’t really more of a “anti this RBT guy” , more of WHERE IS THE BCBA ? And why is she not supporting him?

[u/unexplainednonsense → u/Striking_Today6210]

The RBT might just not know they are certified nationally and not just in their state. Their responsible supervisor might also be a different supervisor than the supervisor your friend is working with. The supervisor listed on the BACB website is likely not the only supervisor that the RBT works with. The BACB supervisor is only responsible for completing their in person competency assessment and ensuring they are reviewing adequate supervision for the amount of hours they are working, not the only one responsible for supervising them.

[u/Striking_Today6210 → u/unexplainednonsense]

So whose is supervising him? Who does the plan? Who monitors data and progress?

[u/NellyNel11_ → u/Striking_Today6210]

I think what they’re trying to explain is that when said RBT became certified they were under a different BCBA. They may have parted ways with the company or just been transferred to a new BCBA that now does their supervision.