Hey,

This question is meant for BCBAs and administrative staff who have experience working for both PE owned and Privately owned ABA Companies and can give some insight into the differences and similarities in working for both. What stood out as the most obvious difference(s) between the two and what are some things that were similar? Also, which one do you prefer and why? Thanks

TL;DR: I completed my master’s at Capella in 2020 and additional BCBA bridge coursework at FIT in 2024. Now neither university will complete my Pathway 2 attestation. FIT has a policy against attesting to combined coursework, despite my completing the courses before the policy was communicated. Has anyone experienced this or found a resolution?

I’m reaching out to see if anyone in the ABA community has experienced a similar situation or has any advice on how to move forward.
I’ve been working toward becoming a BCBA since 2018, and I’m currently feeling incredibly discouraged after spending years pursuing this certification.
I completed my Master’s in Psychology with a specialization in ABA through Capella University in 2020 under the BACB’s 4th Edition coursework requirements. I was previously approved by the BACB to sit for the BCBA examination.
In 2024, knowing that I needed to satisfy the updated coursework requirements, I enrolled in additional bridge courses through Florida Institute of Technology (FIT). I completed these courses successfully and paid for them out of pocket. My understanding when enrolling was that these courses, combined with my previous graduate coursework, would allow me to meet the updated educational requirements.
Now, in 2026, I’m preparing to submit a new application under Pathway 2 before the requirements change in 2027, and I’ve encountered a significant issue.
Neither university is willing to complete my Pathway 2 coursework attestation.
Capella has explained that because my original coursework was completed under the 4th Edition requirements, they cannot independently attest that I meet the current requirements. They have offered to provide the Inter-University Partial Coursework Communication Form to assist with the evaluation of my combined coursework.
FIT, however, has informed me that it implemented a policy in 2025 stating that it will not complete attestations for students who did not complete their entire coursework sequence through FIT.
The frustrating part is that I completed my bridge coursework in 2024, before this policy was introduced.
I specifically enrolled in those courses to meet the updated BACB requirements. Had I known that FIT would later refuse to evaluate or attest to coursework completed across institutions, I would have made different educational decisions.
I’ve contacted the BACB directly and was informed that either institution may submit the attestation, provided the institution is willing and able to evaluate the coursework.
I’ve spent the past several weeks communicating with both universities. Unfortunately, Capella continues to refer me to FIT, and FIT maintains that its policy does not permit exceptions.
I’m currently in communication with FIT’s academic coordinator and continuing to advocate for a resolution.
What makes this particularly difficult is that I’ve invested years of education, supervised fieldwork, and thousands of dollars toward this goal. I currently work as a Licensed Behavior Specialist and remain extremely passionate about the field of ABA.
I’m not asking either university to attest to coursework that doesn’t meet the requirements. I’m simply asking for my combined coursework to be reviewed to determine whether it meets the current standards, rather than being unable to move forward because of an institutional policy that was implemented after I completed my education.
I’m wondering if anyone here has experienced something similar:
Has anyone completed their original ABA coursework at Capella and later taken bridge courses through FIT?
Has anyone successfully obtained a Pathway 2 attestation using coursework from two different universities?
Has anyone dealt with a university changing its attestation policy after coursework was already completed?
Does anyone know whether there are additional avenues for requesting a formal review or escalating this situation?
I’ve worked toward becoming a BCBA for nearly eight years, and it’s incredibly disheartening to feel like I’m at a standstill over an attestation process after completing the additional education I believed was necessary.
I’m hoping someone here might have insight, guidance, or a similar experience to share. I genuinely want to find a way to move forward without having to repeat coursework I’ve already completed and paid for.
Thank you to anyone who takes the time to read this or offer advice.

I’ve memorized and thought I did well applying the concepts to the scenarios. I’ve attempted multiple mocks and scored above 80% on all of them but still managed to fail my first attempt.

I took my first attempt and managed to score a 356. Are there any advice or resources you guys can recommend before I apply for my second attempt?

Hello! Recently interviewed with ABA Centers of Puerto Rico. I am aware of the reviews. However, I'm interested in knowing anything specifically, about ABA Centers of Puerto Rico. Any insights?

To preface, I am not an RBT working with this client nor am I a BCBA, but I have spoken with their RBTs/BCBA before regarding this behavior and was curious on other's thoughts.

I am working in a clinic setting so there are other kids around in our group area often.

The client in question has one behavior where they take the small toys in their hands or sometimes varied non-toy objects or medium sized items like a larger toy truck with moving parts and throw them high in the air directly above them, usually close to hitting the ceiling, and wait for them to fall to the ground. They usually get their head as close to where the items will fall as possible without hitting themselves. From everything Ive observed and gathered from discussions with the client's team, it's purely a self-stimulatory behavior.

The client had a day where they were throwing a lot, often with a lot of these items being thrown coming close to hitting other kids. When I asked the RBT about if the behavior was being tracked or if the client had any replacements in place, I was told that the BCBA tried at one point to redirect the throwing or give the client an appropriate item to throw, but nothing worked so now they just let the client throw items unless it's something very large and then they block them.

My question is...is that ok? It feels like a pretty disruptive overall behavior even in the client's play and also could lead to the client or their peers getting hurt depending on what the client throws. I don't know if other BCBAs just stop after awhile trying to redirect behavior, but it felt like the window spent working on it was maybe a couple months?

I guess I'm just trying to better understand the reasoning behind the decision to drop working on it, bc I heard the same sentiment from the BCBA as well of "well we tried xyz and the behavior never stopped, so we just let them do it now".

I obviously don't know the full scope of this client's program, so I'm not trying to say it's wrong, as that's not my place to do so. I'm moreso just trying to understand the logic of such a choice from other BCBAs too. Just curious on your thoughts!

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I am a BCaBA in LA. I want to start school for my BCBA but I am nervous. I have been a BCaBA for 4 years and love my job. I just fear they are going to get rid of the BCaBA. What do you think?

I used Reddit to choose my study methods and wound up starting with bds. As I was studying it seemed everyone was saying that BAS was more like the test so I used them as well. With BDS it was sometimes wordy but it did a really good job of covering every possible topic on the exam. It made me really prepared since the questions were very similar format and the test was a little less wordy so it felt easier.

With BAS, I watched every single video and a lot of them were very surface level and did not cover a lot of topics. Their mock exam questions were also not clear at times and I did not find them similar to the test. Sometimes the lack of a comma really changed a question so I had to guess what they were asking. I think BAS would have been nice if the questions were more objective and if the videos were more thorough. The only advantage of BAS is that you get to listen to lectures instead of having to read the information. If you do BDS the way they recommend ( where you don’t answer the questions unless you know the answer, and click on the hint button when you don’t) it is good at teaching because they were very good at explaining the answers. But again- it’s a ton of reading if you complete the whole thing which I did about half.
( I also tried the study notes aba app for a short time but it wasn’t my thing )

Can you tell me about your first reauthorization ? I’ve had two at once I’m traumatized and have recieived little support from my company. I need someone to relate to help me feel better. Anybody want to share?

TL;DR

🧠 Question of the Day
📚 Domain B — Concepts and Principles
Difficulty: 5/10

Which of the following BEST illustrates an abolishing operation (AO) for water as a reinforcer?

A. Several hours without water increases water's reinforcing effectiveness and increases behavior that has previously produced water.

B. A visible water bottle signals that requesting water has historically produced reinforcement when that bottle is available.

C. Recent consumption of substantial water decreases water's reinforcing effectiveness and decreases behavior that has produced water.

D. Water is withheld after requests, and requesting gradually decreases because the response no longer produces water.

💬 Drop your answer in the comments — no peeking!
✅ Correct answer revealed tomorrow.

#ABA #BCBA #BCBAExam #BCBAPrep #AppliedBehaviorAnalysis #BehaviorAnalysis #DomainB #ABATaskList #BCaBA #RBT #QuestionOfTheDay

Has anyone attended UNC Charlotte’s M.Ed in applied behavior analysis before? If so, were you able to enroll for 9-12 credit hours per semester?

My advisor sent me a tentative schedule that shows me completing a 33 credit program in THREE YEARS with only 1-2 Classes a semester. That is way too long! I am about to complete my 36 credit hours masters that includes a thesis in two years.

I understand graduate level coursework is a lot and they may not want to overwhelm students but I love to be busy.

Someone anonymously posted the attached question on Facebook. I find it atrocious for several reasons, but the comment I made was, "if you did the assessment, don't you already know? This reads as incompetence." My comment got deleted and I was banned from the group for two weeks because it was "mean."

Do you know what's mean?

Assigning a BCBA who made the attached comment to work with any client, regardless of age. Their comment raises serious questions about their ability to conduct a thorough assessment, analyze the data, and use those findings to develop clinically appropriate, individualized goals. These are fundamental responsibilities of a clinician, and failing to meet them does a disservice to both the child and their family.

Looking for a company based in California, or in pacific time zone that has a fully remote part-time position available. I'm a BCBA based in NY and am available to take on more clients. I can work early mornings to late evenings (10pm).

If this is a company you work for or you know a company that offers out of state employment, would love a referral. thanks!!

Hey everyone,

My full time remote position is burning me out. My caseload is super high and I’m feeling like I can’t do it anymore. Has anyone quit a salaried job and gotten 2 part time hourly jobs? What did you think about it?

Hello fellow BCBA’s can I get your opinion on this post please ?

Hi everyone! I’m 18 years old and trying to start my career in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) as a Behavior Technician.

I recently completed SOAR Autism Center’s 40-hour RBT training and received my certificate. I also have approximately one year of volunteer experience supporting children, including children with autism.

I’ve applied to multiple ABA companies, but I’m struggling to get hired. Some employers never responded to my applications, and a couple of interviews didn’t lead to job offers.
I’m specifically hoping to gain clinical based experience so I can learn from experienced RBTs and BCBAs, develop my practical skills, and continue working toward my RBT certification.
I’m willing to learn and receive additional training. Ideally, I’d like to find an entry-level Behavior Technician position that accepts applicants without formal paid ABA experience and offers paid training or support with the remaining certification requirements. I’m located in South Jersey,
For those who have been in a similar situation:
How did you land your first clinic-based Behavior Technician job? Do clinics hire 18-year-olds who have completed the 40-hour training but haven’t obtained their RBT credential yet?

free study tool and track your hours for free with monthly forms! use mgmtracker its super efficient!! BCBAs can keep track and get reminders of when they're reassessment and assessments are due. Study by domain for the Bcba, take mock exams and so much more!!!

I just started my M.S. program and just bought the 3rd edition ABA textbook, which was suspiciously cheaper than what it’s supposed to be. It was from smartbookdeal.com. Now I’m wondering if there’s any reason for concern, and if it makes sense to return it and buy from a more verified seller or store, which would be more expensive. Any chance all the content remains the same and it’s just a counterfeit copy? If paper quality is the only thing different I’ll take the trade off.

TL;DR

🧠 Question of the Day
📚 Domain E — Ethical and Professional Issues
Difficulty: 5/10

Which of the following BEST characterizes culturally responsive service delivery in applied behavior analysis?

A. Applying empirically validated intervention procedures uniformly across all clients while incorporating cultural considerations into the reinforcer preference assessment

B. Deferring all goal-selection decisions to the family based on cultural preference while using evidence-based procedures to implement those goals without modification

C. Adapting assessment procedures, target behavior selection, and intervention strategies as needed to incorporate relevant client, family, and community cultural variables.

D. Consulting with a cultural liaison to ensure that standardized assessment tools are translated accurately and that procedural fidelity is maintained across all implementation settings

💬 Drop your answer in the comments — no peeking!
✅ Correct answer revealed tomorrow.

#ABA #BCBA #BCBAExam #BCBAPrep #AppliedBehaviorAnalysis #BehaviorAnalysis #DomainE #ABATaskList #BCaBA #RBT #QuestionOfTheDay