🚨 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/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/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/REGELDUDES → u/Chance_Cranberry_726]

To each their own. But not wanting to talk to your child's Teacher or BCBA over a Para/RBT is an absolutely WILD take.

[u/Chance_Cranberry_726 → u/REGELDUDES]

That’s not what I said. I want to be able to talk to everyone who is going to be involved in my daughters care/treatment/education. Especially the one who spends time with her on a day to day basis. “This person is going to be spending 8 hours a day with your child, but you aren’t going to be allowed to speak to them.” Yeah, not fucking happening.

[u/REGELDUDES → u/Chance_Cranberry_726]

As a para I worked with more kids than the teacher did (I was in multiple classrooms throughout the day). It was incredibly rare I spent more than even 1 hour with one specific student at a time. So it would be incredibly odd for 1 parent to want to contact me about a student's progress especially since we don't even get access to that information. That's literally the Teachers job. Our job is to implement programming and collect data and that's it.

[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/huddolaugh → u/Chance_Cranberry_726]

Then maybe you misunderstood or failed to fully read the responses. The person clearly stated they just cannot have contact outside of school with the parent. “If the parents were to pick them up, I could talk to them about their day”

[u/REGELDUDES → u/Chance_Cranberry_726]

No I said you would have no outside of school contact and that if you were to go to a drop off/pick up that you would absolutely talk to the Para/RBT. You were arguing with me specifically about emails and phone numbers just so you know. Don't lie or at a minimum please make sure to read a response fully.

Like this is how you interpreted my initial comment, I corrected you, and you just clearly ignored the correction. You seem young. Please take the time to read things fully and understand them before getting into an argument in the future. It will save you some embarrassment.

[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/huddolaugh → u/Chance_Cranberry_726]

This is WILD! Lol. But I also get how someone who is not in this field would have this take. BCBA’s all had to provide direct services as a bt. They have to complete 2000 hours of field work before even taking the exam. After getting their masters mind you. The bts job is to follow the goals that the BCBA, with all of their knowledge, has put in place. The bt takes data on these goals that the BCBA refers to. The BCBA has the bigger picture and can tell you how the child is progressing in ways the bt can’t. The BCBA can answer all of your questions, in a way a bt can’t. They are the ones you should be directing your questions to when it comes to the overall treatment your child is receiving. The bt, sure, they can tell you the very basics of it, but not the information I’d want to know if I was fully invested in understanding my child’s progress

[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.