What is an RBT and How Will They Work With My Child?

Your child is just starting ABA therapy and you are meeting your ABA team for the very first time, but who is part of this team? As many families first begin ABA therapy, there are many questions that arise. One of those questions being, “who is going to be working with my child and what are they going to do?”

Meet Your ABA Team

Because ABA therapy can be an intensive intervention with weekly hours ranging from 10-40 per week, you will need a strong team of committed individuals that know your child’s motivations, loves and goals they are working on closely.

On this team there will be a BCBA (Board Certified Behavior Analyst), who is essentially the team leader or the “coach.” There will also be one to three Registered Behavior Technicians (RBTs) on the team. An RBT is a trained professional who is primarily responsible for direct implementation of behavior analytic services under the supervision of a BCBA.

Requirements to be an RBT

To become an RBT, each person must complete 40 hours of training and then pass a competency assessment administered by a BCBA which involves knowing and implementing ABA strategies and concepts. ‘Once the competency assessment is completed, the RBT must take and pass a written exam which is given by the Behavior Analytic Certification Board (BACB).

Supervision is then provided multiple times monthly or as needed by a BCBA. Each year, the RBT completes their certification renewal by completing the competency assessment with a BCBA.

What will an RBT do with my child?

The RBTs on your team will meet with your child one on one for every direct ABA session. Depending on how many hours your child is receiving ABA therapy, the RBT will work with your child either in your home, in the center, at their daycare, or in a variety of settings. The RBTs are the people you will see most regularly with your child. During the initial sessions, the RBT begins a pairing process and building instructional control.

Pairing is building a trusting relationship between your child and the RBT, as well as with you. It is important that you are comfortable with the RBT being in your home and working with your child. Your child needs to see the RBT as a fun and trusting person so that they will want to work with them! To begin this relationship, the RBT will play with your child and engage in all of your child’s favorite activities. Through play, your child begins to see the RBT as a fun person who enjoys doing what he or she enjoys doing.

RBTs also work on building instructional control which continues building a positive and trusting relationship with your child. The RBT will take the time to get to know what your child likes and dislikes. They will use those “likes” to help motivate your child to following instructions and complete activities as they learn new skills through ABA therapy.

RBTs and BCBAs Working Together

Once your child and their team have bonded and built this relationship, the RBT will ask a little more from your child as they begin to work on goals and interventions created by the BCBA. The RBT will follow the interventions taught by the BCBA and implement those strategies with your child as they work together to increase skills such as communication and social interaction.

They collect the data on each program created for your child to ensure skills being worked on are also improving. The RBT will also implement behavior reduction interventions, which are created by the BCBA using data collected by the RBT and scientific evidenced based practices. The BCBA then trains the RBT on how and when to implement these behavior reduction strategies.

These are strategies that decrease unwanted behaviors while increasing replacement behaviors, or put simply, behaviors that we want your child to do. The RBT has been trained to manage difficult behaviors that may occur such as tantrums, physical aggression, and property destruction. The RBT works with your child to learn coping skills and provides support for your child through these more difficult situations. They will also help you learn what to do during these difficult situations.

Parent Training

Parent training is a necessary and important factor in your child’s ABA therapy. The RBT assists the BCBA with helping you learn the ABA strategies that are being implemented. After training from the BCBA, the RBT will show you how to, for example, implement behavior reduction strategies or provide the appropriate reinforcement for positive behaviors.

During your child’s ABA therapy sessions, it is extremely important that you, as the parent, participate and observe what the RBT is working on with your child and learn how to implement the same strategies so that success and generalization is possible amongst multiple caregivers. Consistency across all people will provide faster progress of skills learned for your child.

The RBT role is one that is extremely important for your child’s growth and progress through their time in ABA therapy. They are loving caregivers and therapists who are passionate about teaching your child communication skills, social skills, daily living/adaptive skills, pre-academic skills and so much more through play based interventions!

Learn More About Our ABA Intervention

As part of your child’s therapy team, the RBT becomes a person that your child is drawn to and trusts. To schedule an ABA assessment and learn what differentiates our ABA intervention from others, call Chicago Pediatric Therapy & Wellness Center today at 773-687-9241 to inquire about our services and set up an individualized tour!