ABA clinic owners: Which location would you choose?

I'm planning to open an ABA and speech therapy clinic in Texas and am considering two locations.

Option A: An underserved community where I've personally encountered families struggling to access ABA and speech therapy, sometimes waiting years. Likely a higher Medicaid population, with the possibility of securing a property at a significantly reduced cost.

Option B: A more established residential area with a former daycare available for approximately $4,000/month. The building is about 5,000 sq. ft., has room for growth, and offers good visibility. Potentially a more balanced mix of commercial insurance and Medicaid.

Both locations would offer ABA and speech therapy.

Which would you choose and why? I'm especially interested in hearing from clinic owners who've faced a similar decision.

A pattern I see with BCBA exam measurement questions: people get the arithmetic right and the interpretation wrong.

Same percentage, three different meanings:

- Partial interval: the behavior occurred at least once in 60% of the intervals. Because even a brief response makes the whole interval positive, PIR tends to overestimate percentage time.

- Whole interval: the behavior occurred throughout 60% of the intervals. Because anything less than the full interval scores negative, WIR tends to underestimate percentage time.

- Momentary time sampling: the behavior was occurring at 60% of the sample moments. It isn't tied to a fixed direction of error, and under suitable conditions it can be used as an estimate of time allocation. It is still an estimate, not direct duration.

A few things I covered in the write-up:

- why "partial for reduction, whole for increase" has a real rationale but is too rigid to use as a selection rule

- how interval length is part of the measurement system, not a formatting choice

- when continuous measurement (like event recording with rate) is the better answer than any discontinuous procedure (C.9 reasoning)

- four quick-check questions at the end

It also lists the sources, including Powell et al. (1975, 1977), Saudargas & Zanolli (1990), and Fiske & Delmolino (2012).

Link: https://behavioralanalystprep.com/blog/momentary-time-sampling-vs-partial-interval-vs-whole-interval.html

Full disclosure: I run Behavior Analyst Prep, and this is a free study note. Which of these do you find hardest to keep straight?

🧠 Question of the Day

📚 Domain D — Experimental Design

Difficulty: 4/10

A researcher conducting a single-case experiment observes high variability across baseline sessions with no discernible pattern. Why can additional baseline measurement be useful before introducing the intervention?

A. Extending baseline rules out maturation once enough time passes without treatment, making later behavior change attributable to the intervention

B. Additional measurement may clarify whether a predictable level or trend emerges, improving the basis for projecting behavior in the absence of intervention

C. Additional baseline sessions ensure the participant becomes fully habituated to observation, eliminating reactivity before treatment begins

D. A longer baseline causes behavior to settle at its natural ceiling or floor, creating a valid comparison point for every target behavior

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✅ Correct answer revealed tomorrow.

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Advice is greatly appreciated

🧠 Question of the Day

📚 Domain G — Behavior-Change Procedures

Difficulty: 7/10

A DRO procedure reduces tangible-maintained hitting, but the child begins crying and throwing materials when tangible access is withheld during reset intervals. Which evaluation is MOST appropriate?

A. Suspend the DRO and conduct a new functional analysis of crying and throwing before further treatment, because emergence during withholding indicates the original function may no longer account for current responding.

B. Keep the DRO unchanged while separately measuring crying and throwing, because a reduction in hitting should be evaluated independently from collateral behavior unless hitting later rebounds.

C. Add crying and throwing to the DRO reset definition so all emerging problem behavior contacts the same contingency, then evaluate whether total problem behavior decreases.

D. Measure crying and throwing across DRO components and relevant contexts, evaluate whether they are clinically meaningful collateral effects, and modify the procedure or assessment plan as the data warrant.

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✅ Correct answer revealed tomorrow.

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Hi, I am a SEN child educator. The boy I accompanied in school has frequently oppositional behaviours. Recently his parents informed me that he is neither diagnosed ASD nor ADHD according to the psychologist specialist:
“There is not enough evidence “. I observed many traits of ADHD from his daily behaviour in school. Besides, ODD is often associated with ADHD. So I am confused. What’s your experience?

I consider myself quite a good person, i make extra effort to establish trust and do the right thing in the communities im involved in, even if that is at my expense sometimes. my virtures are paramount and i do not compromise them, i believe in justice and fairness its more a part of my DNA than i consciously think about, i could never treat someone with disrespect or do anything to hurt them, its just who i am.

However, i ve discovered a pattern that i'd like to analyze. I've worked in restaurants my whole life doing various jobs, i enjoy the atmosphere and serving people. however i took time away from restaurants to do other jobs, and recently came back and have been dealing with the most disrespectful people I've ever encountered. it made me question something, maybe im too nice, I think on some level i try to be nice becuase it would give people a good reason to treat me well back, but it doesnt at all, and so im asking myself now perhaps i need to be meaner? or like more assertive, or something i dont know all together. its usually management that is so disrespectful.

I noticed this is only like a restaurant culture thing, but its driving me mad, anywhere else in the world im reated with respect and like a valuable person, but in restuarant is almost like im wearing a sign on my face that im an idiot and dont deserve basic human decency. I'm not an abrasive person, and yet it seem like people punish me simply for existing. which is so odd, i give people zero reason to treat me poorly and in fact every reason to treat me well, and i get the opposite, the only thing i can imagine is to fight back and be a terrible person back to them, but that doesnt even make sense in my mind. its really confusing.

I want to be treated with respect and i feel i deserve it as a professional person, but it seems theres a certain type of person who simply wont respect anyone no matter who they are. perhaps I'm just surrounded by really bad people who are evil and amoral, but that disrespect has been getting to me. I could remove myself completely but I'm wondering if theres some obvious thing about this dynamic that i can work with.

🧠 Question of the Day

📚 Domain I — Personnel Supervision and Management

Difficulty: 6/10

Scenario:

A BCBA supervisor is trying to improve how trainees conceptualize unfamiliar cases without relying on direct answers from the supervisor. One cohort receives directive supervision; another is guided through case analysis with structured Socratic questioning. After training, both groups complete novel case-conceptualization probes without supervisor assistance, and the chart displays their performance.

If the supervisor's primary goal is independent case conceptualization on novel cases, which conclusion is MOST defensible from the displayed data?

A. The two approaches should be considered equivalent because both novel-case series improve over time, regardless of the difference in their final levels.

B. Socratic supervision has been demonstrated to be universally superior for developing clinical reasoning, so directive supervision should be discontinued for all supervisees.

C. In this sample, guided Socratic supervision is associated with stronger novel-case performance; continue evaluating it and collect maintenance or replication data before broader claims.

D. Directive supervision should be selected because its immediate solution-quality scores are high; performance on novel cases is secondary once accurate solutions are produced during training.

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✅ Correct answer revealed tomorrow.

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Hello!
I’m an ABA Recruiter that has been doing recruiting in the Autism/Behavioral Health field.
I do full cycle recruiting, from sourcing, screening, interviews, make the offer and follow through to hire. I have been in the healthcare industry for 30 years. I’d love to help you with your recruiting process.

Message me for more information.

Thanks 😊

I want to preference what I’m going to say as simply my opinion and from what I’ve seen on the Internet of others people opinion within the ABA community as providers, and then as consumers. they are not facts.

I have seen a lot of people with autism speak negatively about their experience with ABA. On the other hand, I’ve seen ABA providers dismiss the idea that they could be doing something harmful to someone.

I work for a private school that uses ABA to teach, and one of the skills that I’m constantly teaching my students is self-advocacy and of course, like numerous other skills, but I am so mindful about the idea that I could be doing something that they are not happy with i’m very aware of the skills and interventions that I’m implementing can have lasting effects (generalization). I like to perceive that everything I do is with positive intent, but that doesn’t mean it’s received with that intention . The student population I work with are nonverbal and have AAC devices with limited vocabulary it would be very difficult for my student to self-advocate for themselves that they do not like what’s going on.

So I am extremely proud of autistic people who have come forward to self-advocate for themselves that ABA did some harm to them. I just really don’t like that ABA providers are not more mindful of that possibility that the person that you are helping is actually receiving your help in a negative way and that you were having lifelong negative effects on a person.

A lot of the clients that we serve are children who cannot consent to the treatment of this service. I understand a lot of providers are moving towards getting more assessed from the child . And I think that clients providing assent can be very tricky because it is up to the interpretation of the provider if this child is willingly participating , or if they are just complying simply because a demand was placed or a reinforcer is paired with that adult. And that makes me a little less inclined to believe that it is true, assent.

In other types of therapies, assent is a lot clearer and there isn’t a lot of interpretation of whether or not assent was given. In physical therapy, it’s actively seeing the client do the exercises. In speech language therapy, you can see the client practicing the words.

ABA is a new field, and as it continues to evolve, I think that as providers we need to be a lot more receptive to getting the feedback from the population we serve. that very much does include negative feedback that, although we had positive intent, its impact was negative.

🧠 Question of the Day

📚 Domain D — Experimental Design

Difficulty: 5/10

Scenario:

A BCBA reviews procedural-integrity data from a 3-month single-case intervention study and finds that, during intervention sessions, only 40% of scored treatment components were implemented as specified. The dependent variable showed a modest upward trend during those intervention phases.

Which of the following BEST describes the primary threat this poses to the study's conclusions?

A. It primarily threatens external validity because inconsistent implementation limits whether the findings can generalize to settings with accurate treatment delivery

B. It demonstrates intervention robustness because behavior improved despite low integrity, making procedural fidelity secondary to the observed outcome

C. It primarily threatens measurement reliability because inconsistent treatment delivery makes observers less likely to record the dependent variable consistently

D. It threatens internal validity because inconsistent delivery of the independent variable weakens attribution of the observed change to the intended intervention

💬 Drop your answer in the comments — no peeking!

✅ Correct answer revealed tomorrow.

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You are invited to participate in a doctoral research study examining workplace experiences among professionals working in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) with children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

You may be eligible to participate if you:

• Are at least 18 years old
• Currently hold an active RBT, BCaBA, or BCBA credential
• Currently provide ABA services to children diagnosed with ASD
• Have been employed in an ABA service setting for at least six months

Participation will involve completing an anonymous online survey about workplace experiences, including supervisory support, caseload size, work-life balance, burnout, and job satisfaction. The survey will take approximately 15-20 minutes to complete.

Participation is completely voluntary. You may choose not to participate or stop completing the survey at any time. Your responses will be anonymous, and no identifying information will be collected.

If you meet the eligibility requirements and would like to participate, please use the following link to access the survey:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/6FGGGNZ

Thank you for considering participation in this research study.

Bailey N. Figinsky
Doctoral Candidate
School of Behavioral Sciences
California Southern University
Email: [bailey.fields@my.calsouthern.edu](mailto:bailey.fields@my.calsouthern.edu)

🧠 Question of the Day

📚 Domain E — Ethical and Professional Issues

Difficulty: 8/10

During a team meeting, a lead teacher rejects the BCBA’s function-based plan as too complicated for current staffing. The BCBA’s assessment data support escape as the maintaining function, but the teacher correctly identifies that two treatment components cannot be implemented reliably during the busiest instructional block. The teacher proposes a simpler consequence strategy that does not address the identified escape function.

Which response BEST demonstrates interpersonal effectiveness without sacrificing clinical integrity?

A. Validate the feasibility concern, identify the function-based elements that must be preserved, and collaboratively redesign the plan around available staffing while monitoring implementation and outcomes.

B. Retain the original function-based plan and provide additional staff training and implementation supports before modifying components supported by the assessment findings.

C. Ask the teacher to identify which treatment components are feasible during the busiest block and retain those components while removing the least practical elements.

D. Acknowledge the staffing concern and pilot the teacher’s simpler strategy while collecting outcome data, returning to the function-based plan if the alternative proves ineffective.

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✅ Correct answer revealed tomorrow.

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Yesterday I was working with a client who recently began exhibiting aggressive behaviors. The client has hit me before & I didn’t cry or anything. But this time after the client hit me (multiple times) their mom came in and asked if I was okay & then I felt the urge to cry. & THEN she said “oh, do you need to cry?” & I cried a little bit then went to the bathroom. THEN she called my boss & my boss called me and told me to go home & everything was alright. I was so embarrassed I cried all the way home. Everyone was really nice about it, but everytime I think about it I want to cry AGAIN.

I have class tomorrow so the answer is unfortunately no, but it’s nice that another school wants me to return! Subbing is never as tough as I may anticipate!

I did really enjoy working with the kiddo!

Hello everyone,

I am a Master’s graduate in Special Education with a concentration in autism spectrum disorders. I have completed my BACB-verified course sequence (VCS), and I am preparing to accrue my fieldwork hours under a self-employed trainee framework.

I am currently working on a scalable digital ecosystem focused on vocal practice, specifically automating verbal behavior training. The core architecture uses automated learning loops to track phonic sounds, utilizing differential reinforcement to smoothly guide non-verbal learners through vocal shaping matrices (e.g., systematically shifting criteria from individual phonemes/approximations to full terminal mand/tact forms). It features distinct modules for labeling, intraverbal/question practice, and a dedicated adult demographic track.

Because this relies entirely on the precise application of behavioral principles, I plan to utilize the development, testing, and behavioral program design of this platform to satisfy my Unrestricted hours (60%+) requirement. This would include task list items like:

• Designing systematic error-correction loops.
• Constructing shaping protocols based on vocal data.
• Conducting ongoing literature reviews regarding echoic conditioning and stimulus control.

I would love to get the community's perspective on a couple of points:

1. To satisfy the mandatory monthly client observation requirement, my plan is to run remote parent-training consultation cohorts using the software, video-recording my direct behavioral coaching for my supervisor to analyze. Have any other tech-focused or self-employed trainees utilized a similar workflow?
2. For supervisors in this sub: What unique clinical guardrails or data collection systems would you expect your trainee to maintain to ensure this software architecture work remains explicitly behavior-analytic during an audit?

Note: I am actively seeking an independent, tech-forward BCBA supervisor who is passionate about verbal behavior to step into a formal co-founder/Clinical Director role on a 50% revenue-share partnership. Because I want to strictly respect the sub's rules on self-promotion and employment, please DM me directly if you’d like to discuss the supervisory contract or review the system architecture.

🧠 Question of the Day

📚 Domain D — Experimental Design

Difficulty: 5/10

Scenario:

A researcher uses a reinforcement-based intervention to increase the number of academic problems completed. The performance criterion is raised in planned steps.

The graph shows a changing-criterion design in which the criterion for academic productivity increases from baseline to 10, 15, and then 20 problems completed. Which feature of the data MOST strongly supports experimental control?

A. Performance shifts stepwise and remains close to each successive criterion level as the criterion changes across phases

B. Performance increases continuously across the entire study, regardless of when each new criterion is introduced

C. Each phase contains several observations, which by itself establishes that the intervention caused the change in productivity

D. Performance exceeds every upcoming criterion before the criterion is formally changed to that higher level

💬 Drop your answer in the comments — no peeking!

✅ Correct answer revealed tomorrow.

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