Is a career as a Registered Behavior Technician (RBT) for you?
Celebrating World Autism Awareness Day April 2, 2022
Honoring Those with Autism, Families, and The Human Service Professionals Dedicated to Helping Others
Every year on April 2nd, we celebrate the lives of individuals with autism and their families, with a focus on creating a world where all people with autism can reach their full potential. In the United States alone, it is estimated that over 1.7 million children are autistic – and this number has moved steadily upwards over the past several decades.
The increasing number of individuals with autism needing support services has outstripped the number of human service professionals available to provide those services. Many individuals with autism and their families seek applied behavior analysis (ABA) services, but ABA can be difficult to access because of the severe shortage of Board Certified Behavior Analysts® (BCBA®) and Registered Behavior Technicians® (RBT®).
ABA-based therapies are the most researched and commonly used behavior interventions for autism. The term “Board Certified Behavior Analyst” signifies a graduate-level certification in behavior analysis. Professionals certified at the BCBA level are independent practitioners who provide behavior analytic services and may supervise the work of Registered Behavior Technicians and other professionals who implement behavior-analytic interventions.
Reports cite that 300,000 more RBTs are needed now to help children currently waiting for therapy. Once you include the need for BCBAs and RBTs to serve adolescents and adults, the staffing shortage becomes particularly acute. This is underscored by the results of a recent Council of Autism Service Providers (CASP) survey of its members. These organizations report that they are constantly recruiting for the RBT position, with over 50% of respondents citing hiring as a number one priority.
This is why CASP, whose member organizations employ tens of thousands of practitioners of ABA, encourages high school graduates to consider a rewarding career as an RBT.
RBT: A Career Helping Others
As an RBT, you can help others daily. You can change the life of a child, their siblings, and their parents. It is a hands-on, rewarding job with a defined career path and numerous possibilities for professional development.
An RBT is an important member of the professional health services team. RBTs support and implement patient care plans created by Board Certified Behavior Analysts. RBTs encourage developmentally appropriate behaviors, so clients can build and improve upon their communication, social interaction, and problem-solving skills based on client and family goals developed with their intervention team.
RBT Requirements and Benefits
The typical RBT earns approximately $40,000 a year according to research by Zip Recruiters. Qualifications to become an RBT include:
- 18 years old.
- High school diploma.
- Pass a background check.
- Complete a 40-hour training course
- Complete an initial competency assessment.
RBTs have the opportunity to continue their education in ABA and advance their career by becoming a Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst® (BCaBA®) and/or a BCBA.
Is Becoming an RBT A Career For You?
If you:
- Want to make a DIFFERENCE in the world
- Have a PASSION for teaching
- Like to understand human BEHAVIOR and LEARNING
- Want a job that provides TRAINING
- Need a good INCOME (and benefits)
- Are pursuing a position with rewarding CAREER PATHWAYS
Then a career as an RBT is for you!
For more information about becoming an RBT and other career opportunities in applied behavior analysis, please visit the Behavior Analyst Certification Board website at https://www.bacb.com/.
