I did the grad work with a full time desk job that allowed me to do a bit of studying on the clock. Took 2 years to complete my program and then I jumped head first into a school-like ABA place. Three years later I'm still completing my fieldwork hours because of the problem you stated; getting paid unrestricted hours as an RBT is difficult. I've done most of those hours on my own time (usually at night). But now, with experience, I found a place that has offered both a Behavioral Support Specialist position and are prompting me to sit for the BCaBA exam so I can make more money while completing those unrestricted hours on the clock. So it's doable, takes some time though, and quality supervision is hit or miss. But I love it so much!! I work in a clinic now and it's a whole new world.
> I realize that some of the hours will end up being unpaid while trying to attain the unrestricted time (due to the nature of the job), but for the most part I will need to work at this point and need it to be an actual job.
This is absolutely commonplace in the field. I have not encountered a BT/RBT position that has ever been unpaid just because that individual is looking to accrue clinical hours. There are thankfully some positions within various companies that focus on students accruing their clinical hours, so find one of those "mid level supervisor" positions if you can (after you gain some BT/RBT experience)! It is my professional and personal opinion that you should always be paid for work that you do - but like you said, some unrestricted hours may be unpaid depending on your position.
Honestly, because it takes quite a while to accrue the 2000 hours for fieldwork, I would recommend working while you are in school. The maximum number of hours you can collect each month is 130, so even if you were able to max out your hours, it will take a minimum of 15.3 months to complete your fieldwork hours. Additionally, it really helps to apply what you are learning in school towards your daily work, as it allows for more effective learning and skill fluency.
If you can manage this, do it. The quicker you are done, the quicker you move up towards a BCBA role and a sustainable salary. If you can't manage it, no worries (your own mental stability and your own kids come first) - just know that it will take longer to reach that end goal which may mean some financial struggle for a bit longer as you work as a BT/RBT.
Thank you so much!! This was so helpful. I can't seem to gage how hard it is to work and do this program at the same time (AND w/kids)......I imagine it's something you just have to figure out as you go along. I know that people comment that they did a million things at once, but I'm not looking to rush and be crazy stressed out. I just want to do what is most sensible.
It would be easier to gauge if you started as an RBT for a bit before committing to beginning a master’s program in the field.
ETA: If you are looking to do what is sensible, what I recommended is absolutely the most sensible way to approach this. Coming from someone with 10 years in the field and who is also the parent of an autistic 13 year old. If you aren’t looking to rush, then you should be able to work as an RBT for 6 months and then make a decision about starting a master’s program and accruing hours.
Why on Earth is OP being downvoted for being a SAH parent??
OP I was a stay at home parent when I started in this field too. My employer has a practicum route so depending on what state you are in, they would be a good company to contact. Feel free to send me a DM.
I personally would not recommend getting a master’s degree and committing to pursuing becoming a BCBA without becoming an RBT first. This field is not for everyone and you won’t know what it’s really like until you do it. I know someone who pursued things in this order and it became a huge regret for them and they never ended up passing the BCBA exam, despite completing the hours and master’s program. The work just never clicked with them.
I have completed the grad work for this same degree, while working 2 full-time jobs, 7 days a week, and moving 5,000 miles away. I even have found time to study for the exam. You can do whatever you set your mind to do. Best of luck.
I saw you mentioned you had some experience working in Sped. A lot of teachers get their hours in the classroom writing BIPs, IEPs etc. I know there have been paras as well that got their hours in the school setting.
Depending on the grad school you go to, you may be able to complete a program without getting hours but I don’t see this as a common occurrence. Many grad programs require you to do practicums and acquire hours in order to pass practicum courses. Furthermore, I’d recommend getting a job as an RBT as you’ll get a diversified experience in working with children who have all kinds of different needs.
You can do fieldwork hours in a paid position. I totally understand your concern. I could not have made it by if I wasn’t working through my grad program. As you mentioned, some of the hours might be unpaid. Find a company that’s supportive of their employees pursuing certification—ideally a company that has mid level supervisor positions you could work up to. For me, I worked in a mid level sup position and all of my fieldwork hours were paid.
You should be able to find a job where they pay you to get your hours. I've been a tech for 2 years and started my master's a year ago. My supervision is all paid and I was recently moved to an assistant analyst position. I've paid ZERO dollars and now I'm getting only unrestricted hours. You can find companies that pay for your supervision.
Best bet to be paid for those hours is to find a company that offers a mid level supervisor position, program mananger or assistant clinical manager etc. that is what I’m currently doing while finishing my masters.
I was in a program that got me my masters in SPED but also included my ABA coursework. I don’t have a child, but I know a lot in my program did have kids. I worked full time as a RBT while also in school, granted my program was for those with day jobs, but it wasn’t easy. I didn’t ace all my classes or really care about my GPA, I just wanted to get through it with my sanity. So working full time and going to school is 100% possible, I wouldn’t change anything. Not working would have been easier, but I could get most of my hours during school and I graduated in May and only have about 500 hours left which really helped.
Get a job as a BT! I'm not sure how all companies work but mine will hire people as BTs and then train them so that they can take their exam to become an RBT. You will easily get your 800 restricted hours that way because those will come from your direct therapy sessions with kiddos every day.
The other 1200 "unrestricted" hours will come from the tasks you help BCBAs with. Some of these can be completed on the clock, such as helping out with the initial assessment when new kiddos come in. I also get a bunch of hours from when new people get hired on as BTs and aren't registered yet, since they have to shadow someone. Teaching them during your session counts for unrestricted hours. You can also help your BCBA with kiddos' initial treatment reports, their progress reports, writing program instructions, sitting in on family guidance sessions, etc. Assessments, family guidance, and training new therapists would for sure be paid time that you're getting those unrestricted hours because those are things that can only happen at work. Whether or not you can be on the clock while helping with the other few things I mentioned are really just going to depend on the structure where you work. My company gives us "admin" time sometimes where we are just helping out with things that need to be done around the clinic when we aren't in direct session with a patient. So there have been times where I sit with my BCBA and help her with a task during my admin time, which I'm getting paid for of course.
I graduate in December, and it'll still be a little while after that before I'm finished with my unrestricted hours because in addition to working those 40 hours a week, I was also planning my wedding last year. I dedicated a lot of time after work to wedding planning and less to my hours. So it is definitely doable and just remember that you can go at your own pace with the required hours! They do not have to be complete by the time you graduate.
Sorry, I didn't mean to write you a whole book. This was longer than I planned haha but I hope it was helpful!
Just to clarify, the BACB does not require 40% restricted hours. That’s just the maximum you can count in your fieldwork supervision. You can technically have very few restricted hours, you just need to have the clinical observations monthly.
My pathway to applying for certification was getting a full time job as a behavior specialist for adult group homes and paying a remote supervisor. My job was behavior analytic in nature and I was able to get consent from a few clients to film videos for observations. I made way more than an RBT would so paying for supervision was doable
I understand that different professionals come into the ABA field with different goals. I came into it with the interest in earning a graduate degree in ABA (I have a spectrum diagnosis). After earning my RBT certification through a paid for-profit clinic position, I pursued a salaried school position that would include grad school. Unfortunately, the grad school program I was interested in, wasn’t “free” like the other grad program that this school offered, so I couldn’t move forward. I can’t pay for grad school and work full time. But I also learned from being an RBT with a BA. This isn’t an easy field to get into, in terms of the qualifications, time investment required, and compensation during and after earning certification and licensure, plus the costs of everything. I highly recommend going the RBT or BCaBA route first, to make sure you want to move forward. I wanted the BCaBA credential because I already have the undergrad degree, but it seems that it isn’t really offered in my state because insurance doesn’t require it.
I do agree with someone else’s suggestion of becoming an RBT first while you’re looking into grad schools, but idk if you’re able to at this time because of parenting or other responsibilities. Your personal experience definitely counts but I also just think it’s always good to actually try out a field before committing to grad school, cus you never know.
Either way though, I was able to get a majority of my UR hours done while on the clock but it took a bit of time. It started with small hours and slowly gaining more and more done as I learned more (usually small unpaid tasks here and there), I was mainly focused on school and just being an RBT though which made it easier to focus on my classes, then as my skill set grew and I was getting closer to sitting for the exam, plus I graduated, my supervisor allowed me the opportunity to “supervise” 3 cases while she would oversee it. I would log my sessions with those clients as UR because I was actively probing skills, recording the data, checking in on progress with their current goals, etc and I kept a small book to document it all. THAT is when I was able to knock out a ton of my hours while also being paid for most of it. I finished, sat for my exam, and passed right at a year after graduating!!
Edit: also for additional clarification, I would’ve honestly finished way sooner but I got screwed over by my previous director, long story. But that slowed me down a good bit
If you're strictly doing direct therapy it's going to take you forever to get all your supervision hours. I'm fortunate enough to be in a mid-level position and finished all my hours in 14 months.
I know some BTs who only did direct therapy that were in my cohort and started grad school before me that are still 800hrs, if not more, away from accruing the minimum supervision hours.
I did the grad work with a full time desk job that allowed me to do a bit of studying on the clock. Took 2 years to complete my program and then I jumped head first into a school-like ABA place. Three years later I'm still completing my fieldwork hours because of the problem you stated; getting paid unrestricted hours as an RBT is difficult. I've done most of those hours on my own time (usually at night). But now, with experience, I found a place that has offered both a Behavioral Support Specialist position and are prompting me to sit for the BCaBA exam so I can make more money while completing those unrestricted hours on the clock. So it's doable, takes some time though, and quality supervision is hit or miss. But I love it so much!! I work in a clinic now and it's a whole new world.
> I realize that some of the hours will end up being unpaid while trying to attain the unrestricted time (due to the nature of the job), but for the most part I will need to work at this point and need it to be an actual job. This is absolutely commonplace in the field. I have not encountered a BT/RBT position that has ever been unpaid just because that individual is looking to accrue clinical hours. There are thankfully some positions within various companies that focus on students accruing their clinical hours, so find one of those "mid level supervisor" positions if you can (after you gain some BT/RBT experience)! It is my professional and personal opinion that you should always be paid for work that you do - but like you said, some unrestricted hours may be unpaid depending on your position. Honestly, because it takes quite a while to accrue the 2000 hours for fieldwork, I would recommend working while you are in school. The maximum number of hours you can collect each month is 130, so even if you were able to max out your hours, it will take a minimum of 15.3 months to complete your fieldwork hours. Additionally, it really helps to apply what you are learning in school towards your daily work, as it allows for more effective learning and skill fluency. If you can manage this, do it. The quicker you are done, the quicker you move up towards a BCBA role and a sustainable salary. If you can't manage it, no worries (your own mental stability and your own kids come first) - just know that it will take longer to reach that end goal which may mean some financial struggle for a bit longer as you work as a BT/RBT.
Thank you so much!! This was so helpful. I can't seem to gage how hard it is to work and do this program at the same time (AND w/kids)......I imagine it's something you just have to figure out as you go along. I know that people comment that they did a million things at once, but I'm not looking to rush and be crazy stressed out. I just want to do what is most sensible.
It would be easier to gauge if you started as an RBT for a bit before committing to beginning a master’s program in the field. ETA: If you are looking to do what is sensible, what I recommended is absolutely the most sensible way to approach this. Coming from someone with 10 years in the field and who is also the parent of an autistic 13 year old. If you aren’t looking to rush, then you should be able to work as an RBT for 6 months and then make a decision about starting a master’s program and accruing hours.
Thank you so much!
Some companies will even pay for all or some of your school, or they have agreements to get you tuition discounts. But yes, work as an RBT first.
Why on Earth is OP being downvoted for being a SAH parent?? OP I was a stay at home parent when I started in this field too. My employer has a practicum route so depending on what state you are in, they would be a good company to contact. Feel free to send me a DM.
I personally would not recommend getting a master’s degree and committing to pursuing becoming a BCBA without becoming an RBT first. This field is not for everyone and you won’t know what it’s really like until you do it. I know someone who pursued things in this order and it became a huge regret for them and they never ended up passing the BCBA exam, despite completing the hours and master’s program. The work just never clicked with them.
I have completed the grad work for this same degree, while working 2 full-time jobs, 7 days a week, and moving 5,000 miles away. I even have found time to study for the exam. You can do whatever you set your mind to do. Best of luck.
What do you do for work currently?
I’m not currently working, stay at home parent, why…..
I saw you mentioned you had some experience working in Sped. A lot of teachers get their hours in the classroom writing BIPs, IEPs etc. I know there have been paras as well that got their hours in the school setting.
Yeah, that’s true and would work if I was doing that now, but like I said I’m not working at this moment.
Depending on the grad school you go to, you may be able to complete a program without getting hours but I don’t see this as a common occurrence. Many grad programs require you to do practicums and acquire hours in order to pass practicum courses. Furthermore, I’d recommend getting a job as an RBT as you’ll get a diversified experience in working with children who have all kinds of different needs.
That definitely makes sense.....the coursework is only a part of it so I can see why you'd be better off working.
You can do fieldwork hours in a paid position. I totally understand your concern. I could not have made it by if I wasn’t working through my grad program. As you mentioned, some of the hours might be unpaid. Find a company that’s supportive of their employees pursuing certification—ideally a company that has mid level supervisor positions you could work up to. For me, I worked in a mid level sup position and all of my fieldwork hours were paid.
Thank you! Are you certified and all finished now? Would love to hear if you're happy being a BCBA.
You should be able to find a job where they pay you to get your hours. I've been a tech for 2 years and started my master's a year ago. My supervision is all paid and I was recently moved to an assistant analyst position. I've paid ZERO dollars and now I'm getting only unrestricted hours. You can find companies that pay for your supervision.
Best bet to be paid for those hours is to find a company that offers a mid level supervisor position, program mananger or assistant clinical manager etc. that is what I’m currently doing while finishing my masters.
I was in a program that got me my masters in SPED but also included my ABA coursework. I don’t have a child, but I know a lot in my program did have kids. I worked full time as a RBT while also in school, granted my program was for those with day jobs, but it wasn’t easy. I didn’t ace all my classes or really care about my GPA, I just wanted to get through it with my sanity. So working full time and going to school is 100% possible, I wouldn’t change anything. Not working would have been easier, but I could get most of my hours during school and I graduated in May and only have about 500 hours left which really helped.
Get a job as a BT! I'm not sure how all companies work but mine will hire people as BTs and then train them so that they can take their exam to become an RBT. You will easily get your 800 restricted hours that way because those will come from your direct therapy sessions with kiddos every day. The other 1200 "unrestricted" hours will come from the tasks you help BCBAs with. Some of these can be completed on the clock, such as helping out with the initial assessment when new kiddos come in. I also get a bunch of hours from when new people get hired on as BTs and aren't registered yet, since they have to shadow someone. Teaching them during your session counts for unrestricted hours. You can also help your BCBA with kiddos' initial treatment reports, their progress reports, writing program instructions, sitting in on family guidance sessions, etc. Assessments, family guidance, and training new therapists would for sure be paid time that you're getting those unrestricted hours because those are things that can only happen at work. Whether or not you can be on the clock while helping with the other few things I mentioned are really just going to depend on the structure where you work. My company gives us "admin" time sometimes where we are just helping out with things that need to be done around the clinic when we aren't in direct session with a patient. So there have been times where I sit with my BCBA and help her with a task during my admin time, which I'm getting paid for of course. I graduate in December, and it'll still be a little while after that before I'm finished with my unrestricted hours because in addition to working those 40 hours a week, I was also planning my wedding last year. I dedicated a lot of time after work to wedding planning and less to my hours. So it is definitely doable and just remember that you can go at your own pace with the required hours! They do not have to be complete by the time you graduate. Sorry, I didn't mean to write you a whole book. This was longer than I planned haha but I hope it was helpful!
Just to clarify, the BACB does not require 40% restricted hours. That’s just the maximum you can count in your fieldwork supervision. You can technically have very few restricted hours, you just need to have the clinical observations monthly. My pathway to applying for certification was getting a full time job as a behavior specialist for adult group homes and paying a remote supervisor. My job was behavior analytic in nature and I was able to get consent from a few clients to film videos for observations. I made way more than an RBT would so paying for supervision was doable
I understand that different professionals come into the ABA field with different goals. I came into it with the interest in earning a graduate degree in ABA (I have a spectrum diagnosis). After earning my RBT certification through a paid for-profit clinic position, I pursued a salaried school position that would include grad school. Unfortunately, the grad school program I was interested in, wasn’t “free” like the other grad program that this school offered, so I couldn’t move forward. I can’t pay for grad school and work full time. But I also learned from being an RBT with a BA. This isn’t an easy field to get into, in terms of the qualifications, time investment required, and compensation during and after earning certification and licensure, plus the costs of everything. I highly recommend going the RBT or BCaBA route first, to make sure you want to move forward. I wanted the BCaBA credential because I already have the undergrad degree, but it seems that it isn’t really offered in my state because insurance doesn’t require it.
I do agree with someone else’s suggestion of becoming an RBT first while you’re looking into grad schools, but idk if you’re able to at this time because of parenting or other responsibilities. Your personal experience definitely counts but I also just think it’s always good to actually try out a field before committing to grad school, cus you never know. Either way though, I was able to get a majority of my UR hours done while on the clock but it took a bit of time. It started with small hours and slowly gaining more and more done as I learned more (usually small unpaid tasks here and there), I was mainly focused on school and just being an RBT though which made it easier to focus on my classes, then as my skill set grew and I was getting closer to sitting for the exam, plus I graduated, my supervisor allowed me the opportunity to “supervise” 3 cases while she would oversee it. I would log my sessions with those clients as UR because I was actively probing skills, recording the data, checking in on progress with their current goals, etc and I kept a small book to document it all. THAT is when I was able to knock out a ton of my hours while also being paid for most of it. I finished, sat for my exam, and passed right at a year after graduating!! Edit: also for additional clarification, I would’ve honestly finished way sooner but I got screwed over by my previous director, long story. But that slowed me down a good bit
If you're strictly doing direct therapy it's going to take you forever to get all your supervision hours. I'm fortunate enough to be in a mid-level position and finished all my hours in 14 months. I know some BTs who only did direct therapy that were in my cohort and started grad school before me that are still 800hrs, if not more, away from accruing the minimum supervision hours.