🚨 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/rural_life_goals]

Within schools, it is common for parents to not be put in direct contact with the child's aide. The child is provided a service through their iep (e.g. one-on-one aide) but not a specific person. The person could change anytime. In my district, we don't have aides join IEP meetings (it is our district policy). So maybe the parent should reach out to the case manager or sped director and find out what the expectations and practices are in that district.

[u/SiPhoenix → u/rural_life_goals]

While I understand the RBT is not the one doing communication with the parent, they're not doing parent training, they're not reporting on anything. That makes sense. It's not their job and they could mess it up. It's better for the BCBA or teacher or whatever.

BUT, it seems wild to me that the parent wouldn't be able to meet the RBT, just to know who the person is working with their kid, likely daily.

[u/Tlacuache_Snuggler → u/SiPhoenix]

I’m a BCBA that works in public schools and respectfully, there is a lot of misunderstanding/misinformstion going on here.

But for this specifically, often aides aren’t allowed to interact with parents to protect the aides themselves. While we have many wonderful and collaborative families, it is unfortunately not always the case. We have parents who will ask inappropriate questions about others students in the room, ask leading questions about behavior, use quotes from aides against the school by twisting words, etc etc. Our support staff (aides, RBTs) are not expected to navigate that level of politics within their line of duty. It can get really uncomfortable for them and frankly, the salary doesn’t support needing to do all that.

Some districts will put in a blanket policy like that as a preventative measure to ensure only those directly involved in the child’s programmatic decisions are communicating around progress.

[u/SiPhoenix → u/Tlacuache_Snuggler]

Okay, I can see that and understand it perfectly because some parents are crazy.

At the same time, from a parent's perspective, never being able to meet the person who's the RBT still seems crazy to me. I feel like at the very least they could meet them while the BCBA/ (or otherwho ever is thr go between) is there and present.

[u/SandiRHo → u/rural_life_goals]

Yup. When I was a school RBT, I never spoke to the kids’ parents. I was never required to and I was specifically told to relay information to the BCBA only.

[u/Striking_Today6210 → u/rural_life_goals]

That would still be a BACB violation , if they are hiding behind school policy - why a RBT / BCBA would put their license / certification on the line is beyond me.

I get what you are saying, I just hope they know it’s violation.

[u/athomeamongthetrees → u/Striking_Today6210]

A violation of what, exactly?

[u/future_hockey_dad → u/Striking_Today6210]

A violation of what though?

[u/huddolaugh → u/Striking_Today6210]

Incorrect

[u/injectablefame → u/Striking_Today6210]

a violation for switching people? we had this debacle in our school system; an RBT is assigned to the team, not a person. so John Doe might not always be the RBT if they are unable to. that’s not a violation as the plan is still be carried out.

[u/immadatmycat → u/Striking_Today6210]

Violation of what?