What’s the difference between unrestricted and restricted experience hours for BCBA and BCaBA supervision?
Before beginning supervision, it is important to understand the nature of supervision including the difference between unrestricted, and restricted experience hours. It can be tricky to understand until you relate it to your applied setting. This post will give you an overview of experience hours and provide examples of unrestricted and restricted activities. I wish I had this type of breakdown when I began! I hope this helps.
What are unrestricted activities?
Unrestricted activities are those that resemble what a BCBA does on a day to day basis. These unrestricted activities include a variety of tasks such as observation and data collection, training staff and caregivers on behavior-analytic programs or content, conducting assessments such as the VB-MAPP, FA, preference assessments, meeting with clients and families about behavior-analytic progress, graphing, and researching the literature relevant to a current client’s programming. See the BACB 2022 Eligibility Requirements for the most current guidelines.
You cannot count school assignments, conferences, university courses, meetings, or any other workshops unrelated to ABA.
What are restricted activities?
Restricted hours are the delivery of direct therapy and instruction procedures with clients. Basically, anytime you are with your client directly and are not participating in unrestricted activities like analyzing data or researching literature.
How much of each do I need?
If you are applying to test under the 4th edition task list (Before December 31st, 2021), at least 50% of total supervision experience hours must be unrestricted activities. If you are applying for the exam under the 5th edition task list (After January 1st, 2022) you must acquire at least 60% unrestricted hours of your total supervision. There is no limit to unrestricted activities, technically, you could have all more if you wanted to but typically students find it easier to work in an ABA agency to balance both restricted and unrestricted. There are no minimum restricted hours, however, no more than 50% (4th) and 40% (5th) can be restricted or direct therapy hours.
Click here for our quick guide to supervision.
What are the acceptable activities for experience standards?
Unrestricted activities:
For the 4th edition exam, at least 50% of total experience hours must be composed of the following unrestricted activities. For the 5th edition exam, at least 60% of your hours must be unrestricted. There is no limit to unrestricted activities.
- Conducting assessments related to ABA (preference, FA)
- Design, implement, systematically monitor skill-acquisition and behavior reduction programs
- Writing behavior treatment plans, progress summaries, clinical notes, transition summaries
- Oversee the implementation of behavior-analytic programs by others
- Training others
- Communicating with caregivers and other professionals
- Attending planning meetings, researching literature that is relevant to current client’s programs
Restricted activities:
No more than 50% (4th) 40% (5th) of total experience hours can be restricted
- Direct therapy/working directly with clients
How does this apply to my current setting?
School:
In the school setting, there are many opportunities to gain unrestricted hours under the direction of your BCBA supervisor. Here are a few ideas for gaining unrestricted hours in the classroom setting:
- Observation and data collection on problem behavior
- Composing a behavior intervention plan with ABA principles for a specific student
- Conduct a preference assessment for a student and take data, graph and analyze
- Graph behavior data and analyze
- Research literature for problem behaviors you are seeing from students in your classroom
- Train paraprofessionals on ABA strategies, treatment plans, and oversee these programs being implemented
- Write transition summaries related to ABA
- Meet with parents and train on specific ABA topics
Home:
If you work in an in-home setting as an ABA therapist, here is a list of unrestricted activities that you could participate in to gain the indirect hours all under the direction of your BCBA supervisor.
- Train parents and caregivers on specific ABA intervention
- Conduct FBA or parent and caregiver interviews to evaluate the function
- Observe the caregiver implementing a strategy and record data, graph and analyze
- Write clinical notes, treatment plans, or progress summaries
- Research literature related to home-based services specific to your client’s behaviors
- Graph behavior data, and analyze trends
- Compose and/or edit behavior intervention plans with your BCBA
Clinic:
There are numerous ways to gain unrestricted hours if you work in a clinic setting. From my experience, the clinical setting provided me with the most options for unrestricted activities. Here is a list of unrestricted activities to do in the clinical setting:
- Create task analyses, preference assessments, behavior tracking sheets, or other data collection sheets for acquisition targets
- Conduct a preference assessment
- Assist in the implementation of the VB-MAPP
- Conduct an FBA with caregivers, other therapists, and analyze the hypothesized function
- Train new hires on ABA principles
- Research literature related to specific clients
- Meet with parents, caregivers, and teachers and train on behavior-analytic programs
- Assist with progress reports, reauthorization reports, and treatment plans
- Observe other staff members implementing specific ABA interventions and provide feedback
How do I track supervision?
The BACB provides an excel experience tracking form that you will utilize to help track unrestricted/restricted activities. I would also recommend watching the 30-minute video on how to track supervision before beginning.
Here is another resource from the board answering frequently asked questions on the monthly tracking system.
Feel free to reach out with any questions!
katherine@readysetaba.com
-Katherine
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I’m new to supervision, and I need a sample of a weekly “unique documentation form” that supports the new online system. I have a monthly verification form, but not one that I can use for each individual observation. Have you created one that fits the new requirements?
Hi Vicky,
Thank you for your comment. The students whom I work with and myself use google docs to track restricted, unrestricted, and each supervision meeting topics. We also keep track of unrestricted tasks each month in a list form. Since the board does not give specific instructions, we have found this sufficient in our second documentation.
I hope this helps!
Katherine
Hello,
Thanks so much for the clarification. My question is: if you can technically have 100% unrestricted hours, how do the 2 client observations/ 2 client contacts come into play each month? Wouldn’t you have to be directly seeing them (or obtain restricted hours) in order for your supervisor to see you working with your clients? Do you mind providing examples with your answer? Thanks so much.
Hi Monica,
Great question. Even if you have all unrestricted hours, you still have to have at least 2 contacts with a client that are observed by your supervisor. These will count as supervised hours.
For example, “Jill spends 120 hours on research articles, writing treatment plans, and training staff on ABA techniques then has her supervisor observe her working directly with a client (non-family member) for 2 hours one day and 1 hour another day. They also meet for 7 hours later in the month across a few days to discuss direct observations and discuss unrestricted assignments and applicable principles”
I hope this helps!
Katherine
Dear Katherine,
Thank you so much for the information.
Monica
Hello,
For meetings with my supervisor where were are discussing unrestricted activities, that in itself is an unrestricted activity correct? Also, when you are looking at the BACB tracker, would that meeting be a “face-to-face” supervision or “no supervision session”. Not sure if meetings would count as a supervision, or if supervisions only occur with a client.
Thank you,
Hello Alexandra,
Great question! You are correct, meeting with your supervisor is an unrestricted activity if without the client present. It would be face-to-face supervision and this meeting discussing unrestricted activities would count as supervision. As long as you have at least 2 client observations per month, you meet the requirements.
Experience Standards Info
I hope this helps!
Katherine
Hi Katherine,
In regards to supervision, if I am observing my supervisee work directly with our client, does this count toward restricted hours? I know it is supervision but when she is tracking it, does she track is as restricted or unrestricted?
Thank you,
Hi Kiersty,
This would count as restricted hours. Great questions!
Katherine
Quesstion: under unrestricted hours you list VBMAPP as an acceptable activity. Isn’t the VBMAPP a diagnostic assessment. If so, it would not count. Can you please clarify? Thank you.
Hi Lenora,
Great question! The VBMAPP is considered a criterion-based assessment focused on skill-acquisition, not a diagnostic assessment. According to the BACB Experience Standards, “Designing, implementing, and systematically monitoring skill-acquisition and behavior reduction programs” The bolded text would fall under VBMAPP assessment, whether it be an initial evaluation or ongoing assessment since skill acquisition is the focus here. BACB Experience Standards
I hope this helps!
Katherine
Hi Katherine!
First off, thank you for the information it definitely helps clarify some of my questions. Can you provide some examples of what a “Client” could be? I am currently working for a clinic and we do not currently have any “clients” enrolled ( we just opened at the beginning of the month). If I am helping with training new staff ( potential RBT) would I be able to count this as unrestricted?
Hello Eve,
According to Baer, Wolf and Heward, “Behavior analysts have defined the client as the individual who is the focus of the behavior change, other individuals who are critical to the behavior change process (Baer et al. 1968; Heward et al. 2005), as well as outside individuals or groups who may have a stake in the target behavior or improved outcomes (Baer et al. 1987; Wolf 1978).” ABAI The Evidence-Based Practice Article
So, a client is primarily the person to which you are changing the behavior and the family/caregivers.
To answer your second question, yes- you would be able to count training new staff on ABA principles as unrestricted hours. Great question!
Katherine
So confused on these unrestricted hours. Would creating stimuli for programs count as unrestricted? Would a BCBA watching me provide mock supervision over a client (something a behavior analyst would do to make sure client is progressing) and I changed the goals on programs would count as unrestricted hours? And would parent training count as unrestricted? A behavior analyst implements this as well so I think it should count as unrestricted.
Hi Amanda,
Creating stimuli for programs does not count as unrestricted typically, but it is up to your supervisor. Yes to your second question, something a behavior analyst would do that is being observed often counts as unrestricted. Changing and updating goals also usually counts. Check with your BCBA!
Katherine
Hey!
In the board tracker, do you fill in the notes section every time? If so, how detail do you make the notes section?
Hi Danielle,
Great question. The board does not require that you fill out the note section every time; however, I require each of my students to fill out the notes section for unrestricted hours and hours supervised by me (meetings/observation etc). We keep them simple, listing the task list items covered. For example, “FK-01-FK-05, VBMAPP discussion and review of BIP for client”
Hope this helps!
Katherine
Hi!
I’m wrapping up my supervision hours and after reviewing them, I was wondering- do your supervised hours count as direct or indirect? (the ones I am referring to are the hours meeting face to face chatting with supervising BCBA, not the ones being observed with the client). Thanks so much!
Hello Hayley!
Great question. The hours with your supervisor where you are meeting and reviewing BIPs, discussing research, etc are indirect/unrestricted hours.
Katherine
Hello,
I’m getting the additional post BCaBA hours to get BCBA. My beginning bourse already submitted for approval for BCaBA are now over 5 years old. Now that I’m trying to meet the 500 for BCBA, do those beginning hours deduct from my 500 ?
Hi Sarah,
You’ll need to contact the board to see but the BCaBA’s that I know who’ve gone onto obtain their BCBA hours were able to simply add 500. Good luck!
Katherine
Hi Katherine,
I am wondering if it is okay to get if you have more than the 5% of supervision hours required?
Thanks,
Kat
Hello Kat,
Yes, you can have more than 5% of supervision hours. Good question!
Katherine
The information you have provided is very helpful. How long do the observations have to be? Is it one hour of observation for every 20 hours of independent fieldwork or am I reading that wrong? For example, if a student is working with clients for 30 hours a week, would I need to do an observation for 1 1/2 hours a week (5%)?
Hello Vicky!
To answer your question, supervisions need to be 5% of all hours and has to be a minimum of two contacts per month. Typically, I recommend doing 1.5 hours per week.
Katherine
Recently run into an issue as I have 2 supervisors for 2 separate settings. The Board Standards don’t seem to be clear on this. Both supervisors thought I need to meet the requirements as a combo…..I can have 2 client observations with one and 1 client observation with another; 2% supervision with one and 10% supervision with another (with combined total 5% or more for the month); in the end one can be 40% restricted hours and another 60% restricted hours as long as the combined 1500 is 50% or less. Do you have any input on this?
Hello Sarah,
This is a great question. I have had a student acquiring supervision from myself while gaining supervision from another BCBA. From my experience, as long as the 50% unrestricted is met each month it does not matter who it is grouped with. As long as you are obtaining 50% or more unrestricted each month, you are fine.
Here’s an example: Let’s say you are reading articles and creating a BIP with supervisor A (10 hours unrestricted) as well as 2 observations at 30 minutes each (1 hour direct) for the month. You should meet with Supervisor A for at least 30 minutes (10 * .05= .5 or 30 min).
I hope this helps.
Katherine
I have the same issue, two different supervisors at two different companies. For my 2 client contacts a month, should those be separate? Like 1 client contact per supervisor, or 2 per supervisor? Also one more question what if I had a month with only 1 client contact? Thanks!
Good question, for your 2 client contacts a month I believe it needs to be per supervisor but I am not 100% sure. You’ll need to email the board!
if you only have one client contact, you will need to sign an attestation form if this was related to the pandemic. Otherwise, you will not be able to count that month.
Hi, I am trying to log my field work hours on the BACB field work tracker but the Adjusted Fieldwork hours are different than the actual Fieldwork hours. Any idea what would I be doing wrong? Thank you in advance
Hello Barbara,
I’d have to see it to troubleshoot, but if I can take a guess it would be that not all of your fieldwork hours are counting. Make sure 5% of your hours are supervised hours and that you are not tracking more than 130 per month. I’d be happy to take a look if you wanted to email your tracker to me! Katherine@readysetaba.com
Katherine
Hi,
I am not the person who asked the question, but I had the same one – thank you for answering all of these! I have a follow-up: you said we’re not supposed to track more than 130 per month. Does that mean that we stop when we reach 130 hours into our tracker (for that month)? Similarly, with the restricted hours’ 750 limit, do we stop tracking restricted hours at that point? I’ve heard of some people doing this as working in-homes it would be impossible to get 50% of unrestricted, but is this lying or what we’re supposed to do?
Hi Len,
To answer your question, yes you would not be able to count over 130 for that month. The tracker will automatically deduct anything over 130 hours. If you reach 750 hours restricted, I would recommend not counting those any longer to make up for the unrestricted requirement. Most people try to balance 15 hours unrestricted and 15 hours restricted each week as a guideline. IF you are not able to get all of your unrestricted you may not be able to count the full 130. For example, if you can regularly get 6 hours of unrestricted hours, you may only want to count 6 restricted for that week.
I hope this helps!
Katherine
I am getting a bcba to help my autistic child. I am applying to the program and I currently work full time in another field so that I can pay for school. How do i conduct the supervision hours? Can I have my own child as a client?
Hello,
There are several options for acquiring supervision hours. First, you need to find a remote supervisor. Second, you’ll need to find someone you know who has a developmental disability or autism who is willing to sign a video consent form. According to the board, you cannot use your own children or family members. Third, you will need to work with your supervisor to collaborate on applied experiences for quality supervision (click here for a blog post on this topic).
If you are in need of a supervisor, we are accepting a few more students currently. Please email me if you would like more information on the nature of the supervision provided by myself and my colleague.
Katherine
Hi, I am trying to get clarification on unrestricted hours. Would creating tools to use in session such as PECS or token boards be considered unrestricted hours?
Hello Amanda,
Creating tools to use in sessions do not count as unrestricted or restricted hours. However, writing programs for sessions overseen by a BCBA does count as unrestricted hours and then directly implementing these goals would be restricted.
Katherine
Hello,
Would writing session notes at the end of the in-home session be counted towards indirect hours? Also could Podcast that talk about journal articles such as ABA Inside Track count as indirect hours?
Hi Sharon,
If you are writing session notes that are related to ABA principles these can often count. If you are able to apply podcast materials to applied settings with your supervisor, they may accept these.
Best,
Katherine
The BACB tracker requires 50% of total experience hours to be unrestricted. However, for BCaBA you only need 1000 experience hours, so 50% would be 500 unrestricted and 500 restricted. What happens if you over track (more than 500) of your restricted hours in the tracker? Will it then require me to have more than 500 of unrestricted at that point since it needs to be 50/50?
Hello Stephanie,
You got it. If you track more than 500 hours of restricted, you will be required to have more than 500 to balance it out. I’d recommend to stop collecting restricted at that time and only collect unrestricted.
Best,
Katherine
by stop tracking do you mean no longer putting it in my tracker or MVF?
Correct!
Hello!
I work in a setting that uses the principles of ABA. I am going to start preparing for the exam and I have a question about supervision hours:
– Can I use previous hours as restricted hours?(maybe unrestricted too??) ( I worked with the same person that is going to supervise me for several years).
Hi Anabel!
Great question. Unfortunately, you cannot backdate hours. You have to sign a supervision contract at the beginning of supervision. Your supervisor can attest to this as well. I hope this helps!
Katherine
Hi! I was wondering if group supervision hours were a requirement? I’m only focusing on accruing unrestricted hours. Any help is greatly appreciated! Thank you!
Hi Michelle,
Group supervision is not a requirement. Thanks!
If I am training a new hire with a client in the clients home does this count as unrestricted or restricted?
Hi Hanna,
I wanted to clarify: If you are not directly working with the client, but are training, you can count this as unrestricted.
Thanks!
Katherine
Does face to face include telehealth appointments with the BCBA?
This counts as video conferencing.
Hi Katherine, I have a question about some of my hours that I might have registered wrong in my tracker.
If I meet a client while being remotely supervised, and in said time I work as an analyst (not directly implementing procedures but taking datas while others work with the client, or speaking with the parents about the procedures that are going to be implemented) does this count as restricted or unrestricted?
Or every meeting with clients is considered restricted regardless of what happens?
Thank you!
Can I get more than 5% of supervision hours per month? I need 50 more hours and plan to sit for the exam in July 2021. If I only do 2 hours from January I need to make up for time missed during October, November & December due to COVID.
Hi Nicole,
Well, you can get more than 5% of supervised hours, but you cannot count more than 130 supervised fieldwork experience each month. I am not sure if that helps you in this case. Let me know if you have other questions.
Katherine
Hi Katherine,
I am currently a supervisor for an ABA company would supervising a therapist during 1:1 sessions count as restricted or unrestricted? I am confused since it is mentioned above that “Oversee the implementation of behavior-analytic programs by others” falls under unrestricted but in a recent question you answered if a client is present its restricted.
Thank you!
Hi Gabriela,
This is tricky! According to this, if the student is not directly working with the client but training someone else on ABA strategies, you can count this as unrestricted.
Katherine
Hi Katherine,
I have a question regarding the supervision %. I started accumulating my hours back in 2018 and am close to finishing it. However, there were a few months that I did not hit the 5% requirement as it was acceptable as long as I have 5% supervising hours on average.
Yet the tracker (version 2.1) won’t allow me to do so. Am I doing it wrong? But I have heard cases that can still achieve their hours and get all their hours counted with the averaged out supervision %.
Thank you.
Hi Charmaine,
You have to acquire 5% each month or the board will not accept all of your hours. ALl you have to do is go back and count less hours of fieldwork experience and it should balance out. This means you may need a few extra months of supervision now. I hope this helps!
Katherine
I work at a non medical homecare as a manager and I want to get my supervision hours, can I get it by visiting clients and finding a bcba to supervise? I don’t want to leave my job to get a paycut as an rbt
Hi thanks for commenting and answering all these questions 🙂 of my supervisor comes out and supervisees me with client (I’m working directly) is that unrestricted or restricted? And then when we meet without client was does that count as ? So hard to keep up
Hi Felicity!
No problem. Anytime you are working directly with the client it is restricted hours, regardless if you are getting supervision or not. I hope this helps!
Katherine
Hi! Quick question,
Once a week my supervisor comes in and takes over session with my client . She models for me new programs/activities and interventions to implement to address my clients goals ? I sit and observe her work, take notes. Would this be unrestricted ? If so, I’m unsure what task list code to put in the “notes “ section of my tracker . Please let me know if you can offer any clarity . Also, should I stop tracking restricted hours once I reach 750 hours? Meaning should I only put unrestricted hours into my tracker ? Thank you in advance for any help you can give .
Hi Tyra,
Thanks for your questions. In this case, if you are not working directly with the client but watching, you can count this as unrestricted. You need to double-check with your BCBA though as they are the person to officially decide. You can put in the notes section that you observed the supervisor completing xyz.
I would recommend cutting back on restricted hours once you reach 750 so it balances out.
I hope this helps! Follow us on Instagram @readysetaba and youtube for videos and visuals 🙂
Katherine
Hello, is the number of contacts with your supervisor (4 per supervisory period) only restricted to indirect hours (1:1 individual meetings), or can that count as supervised sessions with the client as well?
Hi Brittany,
Great question! The number of contacts with supervisor can also be supervised sessions with a client as well.
Katherine
Hi, I am accruing hours and is it okay if I get more restricted hours for this month (February) than the unrestricted?? I know you have to meet the 50 percent requirement but for example, I have 30 hours of restricted accrued and only 10 hours of unrestricted , I can still count it, correct?
Hi Maiyia,
Yes, that is fine as long as it balances out at the end.
Katherine
Hi, Is a supervisory period defined as 2 weeks or 1 month?
It is now 1 month!
Hey, I keep reading that lectures not related to ABA are not accepted as unrestricted. So, are lectures related to ABA acceptable unrestricted activities?
Thank you, Erika
Hi Erika,
Lectures about ABA that are not related to your coursework can count as unrestricted activities in most cases. You can confirm with your supervisor 🙂
Do trainings related to ABA and trainings related to a specific client count as unrestricted hours? I just had a 3-day training for a client that I’m working with that was provided by a BCBA and was wondering if I can add it.
Hi Brandon,
Great questions! Yes, this counts but you need to check with your BCBA.
Hello,
Great post! Would trainings such as the 40 hour RBT course, or the 8 hour VB-MAPP course count as an acceptable activity if the BCBA approves it and is a requirement by the company (client)?
Hi Erin,
If the BCBA approves and you can relate it to clients, it often can count. It is based on what your supervisor allows and finds relatable!
hello
I am so confused how to differentiate independent hours from supervised hours
also lets say that I am doing an online session for a child ( i am giving instruction to a Special Education teacher and she is the one who implement while I am observing her , I send her the schedule a head) how can I count those hours?
Hi Majdi,
If you are doing an online session for a child, and using ABA strategies, this would be restricted hours. Any time with a client that you are providing instruction is restricted.
Katherine
Hi Katherine
Thank you so much for replying me
Actually I send the schedule of activities for a Special Education Teacher and she is the one who is implementing, i teach her and correct her during implementation the activities , all that through Zoom Meeting App
So this case how would be calculated ( restricted or unrestricted)
Hello,
I have a question. I started my hours march 2020 which is the week of covid. I read this
“Experience and Fieldwork (“observation with a client”) — As of March 1, and until further notice, we will temporarily waive the “observation with a client” sub-requirement for trainees who do not have in-person access to clients and, thus, are only accruing unrestricted hours. As always, all unrestricted activities must relate to a specific client’s needs”
If i saw the students on zoom does that count as “observation with client” and can i count towards restricted hours ? or do i need to fill out the attestation form still ?
for example i accrued 62.5 hours of restricted for 3/20 but it was through zoom? can i count those? or does a form need to be filled out ?
Hi Ciara,
Zoom counts as observation with client. You do not need the attestation form. Thanks!
Hi Katherine
I am so confused with how to track my hours when I am with one of my supervisors, we are working together with a child, we work 5 hours a day, i work sometime then she carries on and go on, so we can say i work 50% and she does so
she keeps providing me feedback as she is so excellent, I also observe her when she is with the client
How I count those hours? is it restricted? is it unrestricted (observation? Is it 50% restricted and another 50 as unrestricted?
please be waiting for your response
Majdi
Hi,
If you are observing and training and not working directly with the client, those are unrestricted hours. If you are leading the session and working directly with the client, this is restricted. Ultimately, it is up to your supervisor to guide this experience and clarify. For the 5th edition task list it needs to be 60% or more unrestricted hours.
Best,
Katherine
Hello,
I have almost reached the amount of restricted hours for a BCaBa in my previous job, but my unrestricted hours is incredibly low (I haven’t had the best mentorship as my former supervisors were too busy with overwhelming caseloads).
Now I’m working at a new company with supervisors that have the time to mentor and directly encourage me to complete unrestricted activities as soon as possible. Do I still input my restricted hours worked from my current company in the fieldwork tracker even if it may go over 780 hours earned from my previous company (60% max in the 5th ed requirement)? Or, should I just focus on only inputting my unrestricted hours to meet the 40% requirement?
Hi June,
You only need to input your unrestricted hours at this point so you can focus on the 60%.
Katherine
Hi,
I’m currently under the 5th Edition Task List, I have all 600 of my Restricted Hours and only need the rest of my Unrestricted hours. Do I still file other restricted hours on my unique documentation system or do I only file my supervised Restricted hours?
Hi OTerrious,
I would just file your unrestricted at this point so you can accrue the correct balance.
Katherine
Can I count my supervised session with BCBA as unrestricted hours? For example if I meet with a BCBA to discuss client (during session) and we discuss client progress/ implementation of goals.
Hi Kim,
Yes, you can as long as they approve it. If the client is not present this can be unrestricted.
Hi there, I am hoping you can help me clarify this. I am an RBT that trains BTs at work. I know that if I am doing training outside of a direct session with a client, this is unrestricted. The part that I am getting confused and conflicting answers on is this: if I am scheduled for a direct session with a client and I have a trainee with me practicing the skills that we have reviewed, is this considered restricted or unrestricted. I have been told that its unrestricted because I am training, but I’ve also been told that its restricted because a client is present. So I’m BIG confused. Can you please help clarify?
That is a great question. If you are doing direct, and the trainee is “shadowing” that is still restricted hours since you are with a client. In the past, if I have a BT that is training and leading the session, I will allow the RBT to count it as unrestricted while they are an observer.
Hello,
I work in a clinic-based Autism center & every Friday, the BCBAs train all staff on various consumers’ treatment plans. Can I count this as non-supervised (my supervisor is not always present) unrestricted hours due to the fact we are being trained, asking questions, and discussing behavior-analytic content for each consumer?
Hi Audrey,
I would say yes, but definitely check with your BCBA! They will decide whether they’ll sign off on the hours or not.
If I am an assistant assessor for RBT initial and renewal assessments, would this be trackable under unrestricted hours?
Definitely check with your supervisor, sometimes training can count as unrestricted.
Hello,
Thank you for answering all of these
questions- they have been so helpful to read!
Does shadowing a BCBA while they supervise a behavioral interventionist with a client count as unrestricted hours?
Does observing a supervisor do an assessment with a client count as unrestricted hours?
Hi Kelcey,
I would say yes to both. Actually, you might even be able to count those as supervised hours if you are involved.
Hello, and thank you for clarifying so much about this process! I have a question about NOT counting hours. I began practicum 3 years ago, and graduated a year ago but still am trying to get unrestricted hours. My first supervisor told me over and over again that I would have time to do the unrestricted time later. Well at the time practicum was over, I had 2000 restricted and only 10% were unrestricted. I had not been counting ANY time I spent with my client running programs and taking data. At this point, I have 4% left but have almost 3000 hours. I have not been counting any restricted time. Is it possible to remove restricted time accrued and signed off on during my practicum time? I could leave the supervision and 20hr requirement – and not change the restricted hours I count or anything like that… just delete some of them to bring this percentage down. I’m probably reaching, but the big deal is getting all the criteria for approval or any hours in a given time period where this is not done will not count. Can I make this choice for myself retroactively? I could not find anything about removing hours on the BACB website and am using Tevera to track hours. Thank you for helping us all make it through this process!
Great question, I would say yes you can delete restricted hours to make the percentages. I would double check with your supervisor for help too if you can!
Hi, do all supervised contacts count as unrestricted? My clinical director who is a BCBA told me that they are.
Hi Sarah,
Yes, I allow all of my students to count our contacts as restricted unless there is a client present.