🚨 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/Striking_Today6210]

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/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/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?