Top 5 Challenges of ABA Fieldwork and How to Overcome Them

ABA fieldwork is one of the most rewarding yet demanding parts of your journey to becoming a certified behavior analyst. Whether you’re pursuing your BCBA or BCaBA, fieldwork is your opportunity to gain hands-on experience, build professional skills, and apply your academic knowledge in real-world settings.

But let’s be honest—fieldwork isn’t always easy. Between managing supervision hours, understanding BACB® requirements, and staying organized, many candidates feel overwhelmed. At Ripley Fieldwork Tracker, we help future BCBAs and BCaBAs face these challenges with clarity and confidence.

In this guide, we’ll explore the top five challenges of ABA fieldwork and provide practical, actionable strategies to overcome each one.

Challenge #1: Staying on Top of Supervision Requirements

One of the most common struggles during fieldwork is meeting the supervision requirements set by the BACB®. These include:

• Supervision must occur in at least 5% of total monthly hours
• At least 2 supervisor contacts per month
• At least 1 client observation per month
• Proper documentation through signed monthly verification forms

Missing any of these requirements can result in lost hours—and unnecessary stress.

How to Overcome It:

• Use a tracking tool like Ripley that alerts you if you’re falling behind on supervision.
• Plan sessions ahead of time with your supervisor and build them into your schedule like you would a class or job.
• Set calendar reminders to prompt verification form completion before the month ends.

Challenge #2: Understanding Restricted vs. Unrestricted Hours

Another common pain point is distinguishing between restricted and unrestricted activities. The BACB® requires that no more than 40% of your fieldwork hours are spent on restricted tasks (direct implementation), while the remaining must be unrestricted (planning, training, analysis, etc.).

How to Overcome It:

• Educate yourself on BACB definitions and examples of each category.
• Log your hours daily and label them appropriately.
• Use Ripley to automatically visualize your restricted vs. unrestricted hour breakdown in real time.

Challenge #3: Managing Multiple Supervisors or Sites

Many fieldwork candidates work in multiple settings or under more than one supervisor. While this provides valuable experience, it can complicate hour tracking and documentation—especially when it comes time to generate verification forms and keep records audit-ready.

How to Overcome It:

• Keep separate logs for each supervisor or site to avoid mixing data.
• Track sessions immediately after they occur to prevent errors or gaps.
• Use Ripley’s multi-supervisor support to keep hours organized and ready for each verification form.

Challenge #4: Staying Consistent with Logging and Documentation

Fieldwork is a long-term process, and it’s easy to fall behind on logging hours—especially when juggling school, work, or family responsibilities. But waiting too long to enter your hours increases the risk of forgetting details, misreporting, or missing monthly deadlines altogether.

How to Overcome It:

• Set a weekly “fieldwork check-in” on your calendar to log hours and review progress.
• Use a cloud-based tracker like Ripley so you can enter hours on the go, from any device.
• Enable alerts and reminders in Ripley to keep you accountable and prevent missed deadlines.

Challenge #5: Feeling Overwhelmed or Uncertain

Let’s face it—there’s a lot to manage during ABA fieldwork. From meeting requirements to growing your clinical skills, it’s normal to feel overwhelmed. Many supervisees question if they’re doing it “right” or worry about falling behind.

How to Overcome It:

• Build a support network of peers, mentors, and supervisors you can reach out to with questions.
• Break the process into small, achievable steps instead of focusing on the total hour goal.
• Use Ripley’s dashboards and analytics to track progress and celebrate milestones along the way.

You Don’t Have to Do It Alone—Let Ripley Help

ABA fieldwork is supposed to be challenging—it’s preparing you to become a skilled, ethical, and effective behavior analyst. But that doesn’t mean you have to struggle through it on your own.

Ripley Fieldwork Tracker was built by professionals who understand what you’re going through. We’ve helped thousands of future BCBAs and BCaBAs:

• Track every hour accurately
• Stay compliant with BACB® requirements
• Manage multiple supervisors
• Generate monthly verification forms automatically
• Visualize restricted/unrestricted breakdowns
• Maintain audit-ready records at all times

Start your free trial today and take control of your ABA fieldwork with confidence, clarity, and less stress.

Final Thoughts

Fieldwork is more than a requirement—it’s the foundation of your career in behavior analysis. By tackling challenges head-on and using the right tools, you can turn this experience into a powerful journey of growth and transformation.

Let Ripley be your guide to mastering the process—one hour at a time.