Throughout your child’s ABA journey, one of the most important relationships you’ll have is with your child’s BCBA (Board-Certified Behavior Analyst). Even though you’ll see your child’s behavior technicians (also called RBTs) more often, your BCBA is responsible for the course of your child’s treatment. Building a strong and supportive relationship will lay the foundation for your child’s success.
Initial Meeting – Setting the Foundation
During that first meeting with your BCBA, you’ll have a chance to get to know each other. It’s a great time to discuss your goals for ABA therapy, ask any questions, or share any doubts or concerns. The initial meeting usually includes intake paperwork and clinical assessments. Assessments could look like answering questions about your child or the BCBA observing and directly interacting with your child.
Your BCBA will want to get to know your child’s medical and family history, much like at a doctor’s appointment. The BCBA will ask questions exploring what has worked for your child in the past and what hasn’t. You can help the BCBA get to know your child by describing what your child likes and dislikes – what does your child enjoy doing? Do they have any special interests? What are their favorite foods or games?
The initial meeting is a good time to bring up areas where you need help, such as potty training, behavior management, or figuring out how to teach your child to communicate. Setting expectations for things like therapy attendance, parent training attendance, and how often you’ll see your BCBA will be helpful from the outset of services.
Communication Outside of Sessions
Ask your BCBA which type of communication works best for them and let them know if you have any preferences. Usually, BCBAs will communicate with you by email, text, phone calls, or video calls. It’s important to check in with your BCBA to set up a communication method and frequency that works for both of you.
The BCBA’s Role – What to Expect
Your BCBA will wear many hats: therapist, team leader, teacher, problem-solver, and cheerleader. Your relationship with them will be similar to the relationship that you have with your child’s teachers or other therapists. The difference is that you may see them more often and in different settings than you see your child’s other professionals.
The more involved your BCBA is, the better. Often, they’ll get to know your family so well that they seamlessly integrate into your daily life. This is especially true if you receive in-home ABA therapy. Sometimes ABA therapy teaches your child skills through play, also known as NET (natural environment teaching). During NET, your whole family might join the ABA therapy sessions so your child can practice playing appropriately with their siblings, asking for what they want, and responding to social cues.
Because of this naturalistic therapy approach, it’s common for all family members to be playing outside or on the floor with your BCBA right alongside. At times, a close connection forms when the BCBA becomes like a member of the household, but it all depends on each family and what they prefer and need.
Parent Training
BCBAs also provide parent training. Parent training is one of the best ways to ensure that everything your child learns during ABA therapy carries over into daily life when therapists aren’t there. Your BCBA will teach you about ABA concepts, show you examples, and then observe you working with your child to give you some directions and ideas of things to try.
Sometimes it’s hard for parents and families to do exactly what ABA therapists do during formal sessions. Having a good relationship with your BCBA means you’re able to say what doesn’t work for you, what types of parent goals you like and dislike, and what’s realistic for you as the parent. When you have a good relationship with your BCBA, they’ll listen and adjust the goals and how they teach you as a parent.
Conclusion
There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to ABA therapy because each child is unique. In the same way, each parent-BCBA relationship is also unique. Open communication, mutual curiosity, and a willingness to learn from each other will carry you far and create the right conditions for your child’s success.
