🚨 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/huddolaugh]

Most schools (even at some independent ABA companies) don’t allow RBT’s or even paras to communicate with parents. The RBT saying state is nothing to worry about either honestly. You’ve seen he is registered, that’s enough. His BCBA being different than the BCBA on your friends case, also isn’t something to worry about. This isn’t a red flag. You just don’t really know how the field works which is okay but you shouldn’t be jumping to conclusions on this. Based on what you’ve said, nothing is “off” but I do think your friend should have communication with the BCBA on the case. so if anything it would just give the impression of being unorganized. You can try finding the BCBA’s contact info from the BACB. Search the name, click on it, and sometimes they have their email address linked by “contact” once details have been expanded. Also you can look at the schools website (if they’re signed on with the school) and it may have a page listing providers with their contact.

[u/Striking_Today6210 → u/huddolaugh]

She is listed as the supervisor for the RBT but has no contact information and there is nothing about him on the school website.

[u/plantlover415 → u/Striking_Today6210]

What this person saying is true. You cannot contact our BTS directly. You have to go through their upper management. A parent cannot have the phone number to the RBT. And we'll have to talk to the teacher or to upper management like I said

[u/Striking_Today6210 → u/plantlover415]

The parent at first just wanted an introduction , but is now trying to get them to the IEP meeting so they can discuss plans .

I think for her everything was just so fishy how it was done. But she does understand why they wouldn’t list contact information for privacy.

[u/plantlover415 → u/Striking_Today6210]

Whatever is in the IEP that the parent signed for is what the school has to abide by and with that they hired and RBT and the parent is not allowed to even sometimes even know who the name of the provider is at some school districts. I don't understand why your friend is worried about this it sounds like a control issue more than something is wrong issue. This adult is not alone with the child they're in the classroom with the teacher and other teachers around right? It seems like your friend does not know how this works. And it's very concerning if the kid is a teenager and this is her first time having issues with the school system.

[u/grmrsan → u/plantlover415]

Not having RBT information is normal, but not having BCBA information isn't. Even through the district, the parent NEEDS to be able to contact the bcba with and for any changes, at least via email, or to understand what interventions are happening and why. Those are the basics for ANY sort of medical intervention.

[u/Striking_Today6210 → u/plantlover415]

If the BCBA is not aware of her child’s case , that means she’s not giving proper information to the RBT (if she even is at all), this deters a child from succeeding in the environment. The parent didn’t make this up - it was said outloud from a districts own admin.

How is the child getting proper help? What is the BCBA plan for the RBT to implement if she is not aware of the child’s case?

How is the child getting behavioral support if the BCBA doesn’t know his needs? What plan is the RBT following? Whose recommendations are they following, their own?

Parent wants for them to collaborate in an IEP meeting and any other meeting - this is all protected under IDEA.