Hi! I just want to say that I worked as a ABA technician for 2 years and wanted to share my perspective. My advice to parents is to do it, but with skepticism and be highly engaged in the process. I had 3 clients in the area and have extremely strong relationships with all the kids and every member of the child’s family. Though I have left the field to pursue other interests, I still regularly babysit for these families and believe I had a very positive influence providing compassionate support, modeling appropriate behaviors, and establishing routines and consistency in these kids lives. I think a lot depends on whether the individual working with your kid is a “good fit” and has complimentary qualifications. Parents can advocate for what they need and have more control in this area than they often realize! You can actively work with the BCBAs to find that right fit and get a different one if it’s not working out. I would think of it as similar to finding the right therapist :)

I would also advice going to smaller practices, as they handle fewer cases and are able to provide each client more individualized attention from BCBAs, who are often over stretched at large centers.

Whatever you decide, I wish you the best!! 😊