behavior technician

registered behavior technician

board certified behavior analyst

aba therapist

board certified assistant behavior analyst

Abs-Kids

I am a new RBT.
The training program was decent and fairly consistent. 
The system seems fairly smooth, once you get the hang of it. 

However, the biggest concern I have is the amount of time I have spent off the clock.. This time adds up (especially with the very low pay), and there doesn't seem to be any willingness on the company's part to facilitate a process to compensate. In fact it is almost suggested by other employees, management etc. that it is all on you if you spend extra time trying to fulfill your duties. 
Here are some of the issues I have come across in my first few weeks:

Center BA: You are asked (required) to show up 10 minutes prior to your session time. You need to obtain a tablet, check it in, sign in to your clients session, etc. This can easily take more than 10 minutes, though you have no choice since you need to be ready for your client.   The time spent preparing for your session is unpaid-and on a daily basis, that adds up.
If your client is late being picked up, you are able to request a modification. However, I find the response from staff and management is almost an annoyance- as if you have no right to ask for pay for your work time. And, as time goes by I am starting to realize, most don't. So you are "encouraged" not to as well.

Home BT's:  Take 10-15 minutes to review the session plan prior to your arrival with client. That is unpaid time. You need to start the session timer upon arrival, and can't read the notes while in session.

As a new BT, you will spend a LOT of extra time learning to maneuver through the systems, to properly use them, write session notes, etc. 
I have a new client who requires full attention from start to finish. The best I can do is close the session at the end. I do notes at home, which has been taking me 20-30 minutes each day. This is due to a combination of being unfamiliar with the direct application, unsure of how to report, new client and tech issues.
I have spoken to other BT's who say they do notes at home. 
It is very common to work unpaid hours (with no complaint) in this company.

TECH issues, emails, chats, etc.  These are considered ADMINISTRATIVE hours which should be logged and compensated for.  
Since I have spent hours exchanging messages, chats etc. with others who are on the clock (while I am not) regarding my schedule, work, system issues, apps, etc. I have attempted to ask HOW I would go about seeking compensation. However, I am unable to find any clear policy about this, and am basically told by others...either it's not in the policy or I shouldn't bother.
Currently, I am dealing with TECH issues for company programs affecting my PC and personal phone. I have spent hours following complicated processes as directed by IT, added, removed, deleted, readded, repaired, etc. to no avail. The company software is not working as it should.
This was unpaid time OUTSIDE work, but instead of being paid I am increasingly stressed about somehow compromising my performance or job over THIS. 
That is how the company seems to feel. It's the BT's responsibility to handle their issues and correspondence on their own time.
And the BT gets paid ONLY for the session- that is, what insurance pays for.

If I logged the amount of hours outside my actual paid time, it would be at least the same-maybe even double. I have had to go through a lot of red tape to simply schedule work! All the extra messages (reminding schedulers/supervisors, etc. to fix errors or add hours) take up SO much time and energy. 


I am a current ABS employee (going on 2 years now) and I love working at ABS. I would, and have recommended this job to many people. it is an amazing place to work and the clients/families are amazing. 
The only thing is RBTs are treated as less important and don't always get treated fairly. - now let me explain. 
RBTs are a KEY roll in this company (they are the actual therapists/implementing all treatments/interventions and working directly with the clients) - however there is NOTHING in place to compensate for cancellations (which do happen frequently) you are just out of luck if a family has to cancel, and you don't get paid (staffing is okay to work with, if you reach out to them they can usually help you pick up a Saturday to cover one missed session or something... but not all my weekends are free and I would like to be paid for the time I have to be available for the sessions).... we still have bills to pay, and not having consistent hours makes working here difficult at times... it is a VERY rewarding job,  and the pay is good (when your families stick to their scheduled time) 

Another thing is PTO. consultants and admin staff get tons of PTO where as RBTs get about 5 days a year, and without having sick days offered that is usually taken to cover those days you are sick, and cannot work (working with kids, you WILL get sick haha) They do offer tuition reimbursement (which is awesome!) I am using it now, finishing up my masters degree from BALL State- and then will be able to sit for the BCBA exam and get the benefits I need as a consultant. 
Consultants and directors are amazing and all very friendly and helpful for anything you need. the culture has gotten so much better with meetings/company parties/virtual office to keep you connected to coworkers - you no longer feel SO isolated, which is a change that I LOVE. 

over all, I love this company - and have plans to make it my forever career. I couldn't see me doing anything else and I wouldn't want to work anywhere else :) 

ABS has been making positive changes lately (meetings, higher pay for drive time, milage reimbursement, tuition reimbursement, etc) and I am hoping they continue these changes for the better - if they take anything away from my review (and the other 45 on here that I read) I hope it would be these two main points.

1.) Help your RBTs with some kind of compensation for client cancellations (this is 100% out of our control and effects us terribly - sometimes struggling to pay bills/rent due to something we cannot change.) 
2.) Add sick days (or even just more PTO) - working hands on with kids every day it is almost guaranteed that we will get sick at some point and there is nothing to help us out there except using our only; very limited, PTO. 

if you are considering a job here - DO IT. There will be tough days, but I promise you it is worth it to see the progress these kiddos make and the amazing connections you form with families, your clients, and co-workers.

Thank you ABS for the best 2 years and I cannot wait to continue to grow with this amazing company :)

This job was my first experience in ABA & it's made me very passionate about the field & in many ways felt fulfilling & given me purpose. Working with kiddos on the spectrum they really do steal your heart.
My experience was in center & I found that I really enjoyed being around my fellow BTs for the most part & can speak very positively about a majority of the BCBAs that I worked with. 
I feel like no workplace is without its drama & while I was never directly involved, I did often hear BTs speaking negatively about their peers & about specific BCBAs. Personally the frustrations I had with other BTs came from their work ethic, with some of them being incredibly lazy, only really stepping up or doing their jobs when a BA was around or in session. It also seems to be the case that it's pretty difficult to get fired even if you suck as I'm personally aware of BTs who have been given an excessive amount of chances & some who have had an immense amount of complaints towards them who managed to stay there longer than I feel they should've. Things like this can create what feels like a frustrating work environment to be in, coupled with the fact that as BTs we don't get paid nearly enough for the amount of work that we do. 
I think ABS could benefit from a stricter hiring process because one thing for certain is that this was the easiest job I'd ever been hired at & coming into it, it was clear that they'll hire quite literally anyone & everyone.
Without a passion for working with kiddos on the spectrum you can get easily burnout as the pay isn't worth it. Some cases are far more difficult than others and while I can largely speak really positively about the BAs, support isn't always available at a moment's notice because of how busy they are. 
While this position is one considered incredibly flexible, it is also one that rarely, if at all, offers consistent hours. Scheduling & HR are not in-house but people that you have to communicate with externally or remotely. The lack of that interpersonal communication makes it really difficult to get what you may need at that time. While the clinical director or your BA may advocate for you, they are ultimately too busy to be able to take on supporting you fully. 
Also to cancel a single session, there's a total of up to three different platforms that you have to use, which to me is not just inconvenient but feels ridiculous. 
I've largely had a positive experience here, I feel like I can walk away having learned a lot. However, my commute & the low pay isn't worth it. While they do offer pay raises & bonuses, they both seem like a joke to me given that the raises are only in $.50 increments & the $250 bonus after taxes is only around $160. There's also some pay disparities with some BTs who were hired a year early making a dollar more than RBTs who have been certified. 

Overview:
Typical work day is from morning to late evenings because of my choice. I get my patient and talk to the parents for updates. Most of the time you're are playing and interacting with your patient while running interventions. The patients are the star of the center and brings the inner child of your personality. Employees there usually get a long with each other.
Recently, policies changes to better more company oriented then giving back to employees. Recent hires of employees are not as well trained as it used to. The culture around the center shifted from being a fun environment for employees to different personalities of employees not mashing well. Newer employee's are not fully trained well and when working with patients are not engaging with patients. Most employees when listening to update policies do not incorporate into their practice at work.
Overall:
It's sad that working at one of the highly rated facility of ABS Kids hasn't improve for employees or patient intervention. Some changes help patients consistency for attendance, but not by much. Over the last year, it hasn't improve on providing additional benefits for employees who are with the company more than a year, and encourages new employees to interact with patients more. One improvement was the raise in pay due to inflation, but considering from other ABA facilities are on the lower end. The stars of the facility are the patients, BA's and state director. The environment shifted from expressing personality to requirement of uniforms and restriction t shirts and jackets. This job is a dream come true for me, but the company itself keeps stating "the employees are the stars of the facility". However, it doesn't feel like we're being treated star dignity it feels. More of like a cough up from the company themselves saying good job and moving on.

I think for the right folks, ABS can be a really good fit. But there's also a lot of toxic positivity in the sense that good-faith criticisms are discouraged or glossed over. Yes, the nature of ABA and insurance payouts means that certain constraints are placed on how ABA companies can pay RBTs and BCBAs (but especially RBTs).

But the work is not structured well. Benefits are there if you get the hours, but the health insurance almost isn't worth it. When I was onboarded, certain things weren't made clear to us, such as: you can be hired for full time work but not get full-time hours for months after being hired. The stability of your schedule is always in question, and your flexibility is assumed to be endless. The possibility of tuition assistance is touted as a benefit, but very few RBTs hired by ABS will receive that benefit. Currently, the job listing ABS Kids has posted just says "Get paid while you earn your Master's with 100% tuition covered, and free supervision hours to become a BCBA!" The giant caveat to this sentence is that only a few people get into the program that covers your tuition.

I will say that the company leadership, in recent months, seems to be trying to improve morale among RBTs. Lots of town halls have been held and are being held to discuss issues we face. But personally, I didn't find them useful, because no interest was shown by leadership toward investing in policy changes that would genuinely improve morale and the quality of services that RBTs provide. Company gatherings in person also felt weird most of the time, because my dietary concerns were never really met or even directly brushed aside when I attempted to request some better food options for required company gatherings.

I met some AMAZING kids during my time at ABS, of course. I got to be proud of the kids I worked with and see some of them fade services. But while I will always have immense respect for the clinicians and technicians I met personally and for the children we worked with, I will not miss this job. It is emotionally and mentally draining to a degree that it's hard to explain.

This place is a joke! Yea the pay is decent but it really should be more for all they want. First the training is three weeks long and it’s mostly virtually with 50+ slides of powerpoints full of information daily they want you to know for a in person verbal competency test that you have to take and pass two and a half weeks into training in order to continue working there. In addition to that virtual training there is some in person trainings as well at the same time plus some online relias trainings that you have to do at the same time as well, that are all due by a certain time before you can take the verbal competency test. You have all this to focus on in the matter of about 2 1/2 weeks plus some in person shadowings to do as well. It’s way too much information to learn in two weeks especially virtually. I think with a job like this the training should be in person (hands on) daily and longer than 2-3weeks because there was just so much information I don’t know how they expected a person to actually get it all done, some people had other jobs as well. When you do go in for shadowing the co workers make you feel like you shouldn’t be there. They look at you like why are you here. None of the managers come over and introduce themselves even if they come over to work with the kid you’re shadowing they don’t even speak. The workers aren’t too friendly at this office at all they have a few that are but most aren’t which ruins the work environment and makes others feel uncomfortable. The higher ups should give a training class on how to treat new hires. They don’t tell you upfront that you can’t change your schedule for 90days so if you have another job and you can’t work the schedule you picked with Abs kids for the first 90 days then after training they can’t assign you a client basically saying you can’t work there. But they were aware upfront that you had other employment and what the hours were. The hours were inconsistent if a family canceled then you were just out of hours and pay for that session unless it was enough notice where you could pick up an open shift. I love the kids but this company/location needs to do a lot better. 

I really loved working at ABS, the clients were great and it was a fun job. There were a few problems, though

PROS:
-I loved working with the clients
-ABS helps with tuition reimbursement (but don't expect it to happen right after you get hired)
-Fair pay for RBT

CONS:
-The hours are very inconsistent. I asked for full time (30 hrs) and I usually only had about 15 to 20. 
-If a client cancels a session, it means you don't get paid. When clients cancel all the time, you don't get compensated.
- They treat consultants way better. RBT's don't get the same benefits. RBT's only get paid for half of their time off, the rest is UTO whereas the consultants get full PTO.
- I know several consultants that got offered a salary and then got that taken back after a few months and got put back on hourly rates.
-Lot's of driving, which I don't mind but it is very frustrating when you are driving over 30 minutes for an appointment and then the family cancels. 

Recommendations for future employees:
-Don't expect a lot of hours. If this is your main source of income, you may want to reconsider this job.
-Plan on driving a lot! A car with good gas mileage is a MUST!
- Be prepared for some dirty houses. This is just part of the job and those families with dirty houses deserve therapy too. Don't take this job if you're afraid of a dirty house.
-Don't plan on having any friends at work. The nature of the job is that you are in clients housed without co-workers. It can get a little lonely not having anyone to talk to all day.
-Overall, I would only recommend this job to someone that is serious about the field of ABA. If you are wanting to become a BCBA, this is the perfect job for you and the company will take you more seriously. If this is just a job for you, it might not be worth it.

Recommendations to the company: 
- Your full-time RBT's deserve just as much as your full time office staff or your full time consultants! I recommend that you treat your full time RBT's better. I personally would have LOVED a salary even if it meant I would be taking home less money overall. The inconsistency of hourly pay was horrible and I never knew if I would be able to pay rend.

Look elsewhere. This company is terrible. They will say anything they need to say to get you in the door, but then never follow through. 

Benefits - Unless you're a full time admin worker, you can guarantee you won't get benefits. Not only do you have to average FT hours, which is hard enough given the number of cancellations you will experience, you have to do it for 90 days but they don't become effective for another 30 after that. Plus, they use a High Deductible plan which means you pay about $100 a paycheck for coverage but then have to hit a deductible of $3,000 before the insurance even pays for anything. HORRIBLE. As an hourly employee, there is no way I can go to the doctor because of what I got paid and the amount of cancellations I experienced. 

Compensation - A JOKE. They bring you in as low as possible, and make up for it by making promises of when you will get a raise then don't come through. They don't even do yearly reviews and compensation increases. Its bad enough 30-50% of your paycheck will be gone because of parent cancellations but now you have no promise of a pay increase. People literally get told that there are no advancement options or we are on a pay increase freeze. 

Management - There are NO leaders at this company. Everyone in a management position got there because they sucked up or were hired because they were with the company from the start. None of them have leadership experience and are more of a baby sitter than a leader or manager. They never take accountability for themselves but shift the blame to others.  Lets just say that there is a reason all the employees in NC are leaving.  

Culture - Terrible. Everyone talks about quitting but no one really does. Creates such a negative atmosphere to be around when you can tell people are not happy and are way to high-strung because company leadership adapts an intimidating approach to leadership do it or you're fired and have unrealistic expectations. Gossip and rumors are also a problem here.

The first month was great. The BT training classes were interesting and informative. It’s a lot of information to learn in a short time period. I think they need to set that expectation from the beginning. Some training was in person but there were a couple of days of online module training and it was hard to keep track of all of the information. The modules were also awful because they didn’t allow you to move forwards or backwards. If you missed something or didn’t understand, you just had to start over. 
After completing training and passing the practical competency, it took two weeks for them to assign me a client. It kept getting pushed back over and over again. When I finally started, it was challenging to jump back into the skills and information I learned. On what was supposed to be my first week, the family cancelled twice. On one of those days it was two hours before session and I had stayed home from a big family activity so I could be at work. It was very frustrating. It feels like the client cancellation policy isn’t very strict. It’s no big deal for the family not to have the session, but for the BT, that’s pay they don’t get. During training, it sounded like family cancellations were few and far between. That has not been my experience. 
It seems like there should be a safety net (that isn’t last minute picking up someone else’s shift) that allows some kind of compensation for the BT. Behavior Technicians are basically at the mercy of the family. 
The client I was assigned to didn’t have their own bedroom or play space so it was a very awkward 3.5 hours as we tried to find places to play. Guardian was asleep on the couch in the living room. That made me super uncomfortable. I don’t expect the guardian to be part of the session but if I had needed help with something, I didn’t want to wake her up. 
I had been thinking about a career in the field but this job has shown me it’s NOT the right fit for me. 

When I first started working here, I genuinely enjoyed it. The training was thorough, management was supportive, and there was flexibility when it came to sick days, doctor’s appointments, or personal matters. It felt like employees were trusted and treated like people rather than just numbers.

Unfortunately, that changed over time. The environment became increasingly focused on metrics, productivity, and meeting targets, to the point where it often felt like those numbers mattered more than employee well-being. There was a lot of micromanagement, and flexibility became almost nonexistent. Taking time off when sick, attending a doctor’s appointment, or handling something personal became unnecessarily stressful.

One of the biggest cons is that the pay simply doesn’t align with the expectations placed on employees. The company holds employees to very high standards and closely monitors performance, but the compensation doesn’t reflect that level of pressure, responsibility, or accountability.

That being said, the people are what kept me here as long as they did. My coworkers are amazing, supportive, and always willing to help each other. The Leads are also empathetic and genuinely care about the staff. Unfortunately, they are often put in difficult positions and have to enforce decisions coming from upper management, even when they don’t personally agree with them.

Overall, this company started off as a great place to work, but over time it became a much more stressful and rigid environment. The employees and leads are the best part of the job, but the lack of flexibility, constant focus on metrics, micromanagement, and low pay for the expectations required make it difficult to recommend long-term.

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