behavior technician

registered behavior technician

board certified behavior analyst

special assistant

aba therapist

Comprehensive Autism Center

Comprehensive Autism Center offers hybrid (in home/in center) ABA programs for children with Autism and primarily offers services to military families. 

I began working for CAC as a Behavior Skills Trainer (BST...or Behavioral Therapist) immediately after graduating college. I had ample experience working with neuro-typical children, but had very limited knowlege Autism let alone of Applied Behavioral Analysis. 

My first two weeks were spent half in a classroom training setting and the other half in overlaps with actual clients and skilled BSTs. After the classroom portion ended, I continued to do overlaps with the clients that would eventually become my own and over time I had my own 1:1 caseload. 

At the time CAC did not offer a hybrid program and was exclusively "in-home." Going into clients homes always presents awkward moments and challenges, but most families were overjoyed to be receiving services for their children and were happy to help in any way they could. Now that the center is in play, it's nice to have a change of scenery and activities with clients, as well as the ability to avoid any conflicts the child has with family members.

Let me say, if you are a person who does not enjoy being silly, looking ridiculous in front of other adults, or does not have a high-energy personality, this job is not for you. Stamina, patience and creativity are key. This is also a job for the dedicated. The children and the families depend on you being reliable, but also invested in their progress and I have often seen that this type of commitment is overwhelming to some (which is why the work/life balance is not rated very highly). 

You will deal with tantrums that might consist of crying and refusing to do an activity, or they might consist of screaming, throwing things, biting you or themselves, kicking, hitting, etc.  Stress is part of the job, but you will have great days as well! You will have days when your kiddo makes progress that you never thought they could, and in those moments you will know you're exactly where you need to be. 

As far as upward mobility, CAC is looking to grow in a lot of ways. They now offer a BCBA program through Florida Institute of Technology, so eligible BSTs are able to work for CAC and earn an income while simultaneously pursuing their BCBA. They are hoping to be able to move BSTs into supervisor positions and continue accepting new clients. 

Tips: Always take initiative, consistently reach out to your supervisor to suggest ideas, bring reinforcers for your clients, show your creativity, build positive PROFESSIONAL relationships with all your coworkers and families.

starting out at the company was extremely pleasant but over the time working here you come to see that the “company culture” you see so much about is mostly a result of the employees in the center itself and not a product of any efforts from upper management in the company. CAC claims to offer several ways to promote within company, however, after leveling up through all their rbt levels (possible within a year) there are no options to promote forward and the only way to earn a raise is through a yearly bonus which is not advertised to employees. along with that CAC has extremely strict sick policies and caps on sick pay that do not bode well for people who work with children every day. things like that lead to rbts being reprimanded and potentially can cause a lapse in their ability to promote for simply being sick since CAC does NOT offer unpaid sick time. 

its a manageable job to have for a while but the burnout is something that happens regularly to everyone who works here because of company policy decided by upper management

The most enjoyable part of the job is definitely working with the kids and being able to see their progress in center along with the fact that management at the riverside location has managers and supervisors who do a good job of building relationships with their rbts

There is no such thing as a typical day at work due to the vast spectrum of behaviors we see our kiddos exhibit.  I have to be ready at all times to correctly identify these behaviors and provide support for parents giving proper antecedent modifications for each child's needs.  A good day consists of getting to see my children laugh, hear their first full sentence, watch them properly respond to emotional situations, all while collecting data on programs suggested as part of an IEP using Catalyst (iPod program) and implementing ABA (stimulus, response, reinforcement) style of teaching.  A bad day would consist of feeling defeated after 3 separate episodes of 20 minute long intervals (each) of violent tantrums where the child may engage in screaming, hitting, kicking, pulling hair, pinching, scratching the BST or having to prevent a child from engaging in self injurious behavior (SIB).  Either way, the best part of the job is all about serving the children and their families.

I worked as an RBT with this company for a little under a year, and I had a wonderful experience!

I was looking to break into the field of ABA, as I had just graduated with my Bachelor’s degree in a related field and was thinking about furthering my education.

I was initially interested in the company due to their hybrid program and drive time. I was placed at the Oceanside center and worked near Camp Pendleton. I was also interested in the company’s ethical values, and their emphasis on supporting their clients in home and in center. 

My supervisor really helped support me in implementing the behavior intervention plan to help my client with her behaviors, and my client was able to not only master her behaviors but exit out of therapy.
 
I enjoyed playing with my client, and brainstorming which toys would help motivate her to target her lessons and make the therapy session fun for her!

If you are looking to work with children, are playful, patient, and looking to break into the field of ABA I would definitely recommend CAC. 

They go to great lengths to support their RBTs and offer 6 month raises and bonuses. 

Everyone in the company is very positive and willing to answer questions. 

I enjoyed my time helping my client decrease her behaviors, and help change not only her life but her family’s life as well.


The best part about working at CAC is the client interactions. The people are nice and so are the families! You learn to find joy in the little things which are both rewarding for you, the client, and the families.

Unfortunately, If you are looking for a job that also has a steady schedule and benefits that are active immediately after your probation period; then this is not the right company for you. 

 It took me about a year to receive PTO and health benefits. Yet, my aviablity said I could work full-time hours throughout the work week. In the beginning I did not receive enough hours to work a consistent 6 months, in order to receive full- time benefits. Also, the driving can be a little ridiculous for the BT's and is very rough on your car. 
(You might need to fill up twice a week) 

They NEED more people within the Scheduling department because the company is growing. There is always some type of miscommunication between the scheduling team, to the BT's, to the clients or vise versa. Simply, because they are overloaded with work. If management were to  hiring more people within the scheduling department, this would benefit the company dynamics tremendously! 

Don't get me wrong this company has so much potential to grow but they underpays the BT's (especially for the type of work they do)  and some concerns are often placed under the rug by management.

I was an RBT at CAC for almost 2 years and I really enjoyed my time here! I was always familiar with the world of ABA, but did not have any experience of my own. I loved working with kids, but I wanted to further my experience and find a way to help children on the spectrum in my community, so I applied for the Temecula center at CAC. The center based sessions were one of the main reasons I was interested in CAC.

The training process was also another reason I was looking into CAC. I loved that they provided the training at the center and helped you through becoming certified as an RBT. I really enjoyed the training program that was offered, I feel like it really helped prepare me for being in the field. I learned so much in the training, and continued to learn throughout my time as an RBT. Everyday was different, which made it so interesting. I always felt supported by my supervisors, who were always willing to help in any way that they could. They were all great about making sure they came out with me to my sessions to offer that support during my time with the child.

Overall, I really enjoyed my time as an RBT at CAC. They really embrace their values and ensure that they are remaining ethical, generous, playful and relentless in every situation.


The work itself is ok, if you have any sort of babysitting experience, you’ll be fine. You’ll have a set of goals per kid that you need to work on, so it’s never a mystery what you’re there for. Of course, they are kids on the spectrum, so never assume they will even remotely have similarities from one kid to another. You will have to provide proof of transportation and car insurance. You can go from a full 40hr week, to not even 20hrs in the same day.  You could be down the street from a client’s house and the office will call you to say they canceled. If you are not local to the area, you only get mileage reimbursement if you’re driving from one client’s house to the next. They don’t count the drive from your home, to your first client, or from your last client, back to your home. Keep in mind, you are rendering healthcare inside of someone’s home, and will provide proof of your sessions with each client, sometimes 2 for the same client if there’s a scheduled break in your same day sessions. If your end goal isn’t to be a BCBA or a teacher of some kind, be gentle to yourself and keep yourself part time. 

I loved how professional this company was. They really helped me with training and were always giving me support and feedback while on the job. I also loved working with the kids and watching them grow. However after I while, I started to feel immense pressure to do better when I made mistakes and I felt that if I did not perform well it would be reported immediently to my manager. They are watching you like a hawk. I did not enjoy that feeling. Also the parents are watching you and if they feel like you are not good enough, they will report you as well. I almost got fired because of a false claim a family made against me. The managers were on my side and agreed that I did nothing wrong but they still gave me a written warning. That was it. I quit on that day. 

I felt that I had no real support from my managers or control over my situation and that I could lose my job at any moment just because someone didn't like me. 

I'm not coming back. There are better jobs out there that are not as stressful as this one.

This company stands apart from other ABA centers because they value work culture, and the support team is amazing. This is not an easy field to work in, and there are a lot of options out there. I encourage anyone to seek a company who will provide emotional support and continued feedback on the job to advance your growth and knowledge. 

I feel valued for the work that I perform, and constantly receive praise and even other incentives to push myself at work such as prizes, contests, potlucks, and spirit days. 

Scheduling team takes the pressure off having to coordinate between parents or other parties involved. All I need to do is come to work and give 100% of my energy to these amazing kids.

If you are looking for a job that will give you meaning and value, I highly recommend. Even if you don’t have a strong background with this field, it’s ok. The training team will support you through everything from day one, and you will never feel like you don’t have the support or help you need. 

If you are looking to become a BCBA they have just started an amazing program to provide supervision. There are opportunities to advance and grow in the field! 

Overall you receive a lot of support at this company from your supervisors and fellow coworkers. However, management is terrible and scheduling is awful. They expect you to keep your availability open if your client cancels a session, but you will not get paid in the event no other client needs a fill-in. So essentially, you are expected to be ready on-call, but not compensated for it. You will also be "punished" for not taking fill-ins for clients you've never worked with before.

This is a problem, because there is a high expectation for an unrealistic amount of data taken (programs run) with a small child. And when you take a fill-in with an unfamiliar client, you have little-to-no idea how programs are supposed to be run, but still required to take the same amount of data. Totally unrealistic.

I will say this though: its a rewarding job. At least it was for me. Was the compensation fair? Not really. But both the families and the supervisors are appreciative of you. You have to deal with tantrums but also the kids' triumph.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Behavior technician 84 salaries reported	$24.34 per hour
Registered behavior technician 24 salaries reported	$22.14 per hour
Board certified behavior analyst 53 salaries reported	$87,368 per year
Special assistant 2 salaries reported	$21.88 per hour
Aba therapist 2 salaries reported	$20.25 per hour

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