Knowing When You Are Ready to Pursue the BCBA Path
Scotty C.
As an RBT, it can be hard to tell when you are truly ready to commit to the BCBA track. Some days I feel confident and motivated, and other days I wonder if I am rushing into it. I also see BCBAs who took very different paths to get there. I am curious how people knew the timing was right.
Looking back, what helped you decide when to take the next step?
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When I first got into ABA, my overall goal was to become a BCBA. The first supervisor that I had told me that I would never become a BCBA. I stuck it out, found a new job that I loved (before they changed companies), and the regional director in an in-person supervision with my clien,t told me that I need to switch my degree (I was in school for my MS in mental health counseling with children and adolescents) get it in ABA, and become a BCBA. So I did. That helped me so much with the motivation, confidence, and purpose of what I wanted to do. I still feel defeated at times, especially if my client had a hard day and so did I, but having the support from the right supervisor and team helps.
Hey Scotty,
I hope that all is well. I wanted to comment. Basically, I knew I was ready to take that next step to pursuing my BCBA license when I realized that I had substantial experience in the behavioral health space. I felt that I could make the higher-level decisions as long as I had adequate supervision to bounce my ideas off of.
I was in a session and I realized that how I adjusted my approach with my client was acceptable to the point where my BCBA told me that she would have done the same thing. There I was in the session with my client engaging in maladaptive behaviors while my BCBA was on the phone with me. She did not give me any directives almost like she trusted my clinical judgment. Once the client regulated herself, my BCBA checked in with me emotionally and then said “great job de-escalating. That’s what I would have done if I was there”. This really encouraged me to go back to school and study ABA.
Good luck with everything! You got this 🙂
-Sade