r/ABA • u/Kind-Ad4622 • 4d ago

Advice Needed ABA in Schools

Hey everyone! I just wanted your opinion on ABA being used in schools, especially for our special needs learners or children with social-emotional challenges. I have been working with a SPED teacher since the beginning of the school year and every opportunity she gets, she always mentions that, "ABA isn't the solution" and that "I need to go back to a clinic" as well as not allowing me to practice my ABA interventions (even though that's why I was hired by the principal) and actively discouraging me. Is this just a bad teacher? Should I stay in the school district? Go back to a clinic? Any advice on the matter would be appreciated. 😌

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u/hayladen 3d ago

What is your official title? If you were hired by the principal as a BT I would speak to them about what she is saying and how she is keeping you from doing your job. But by your comments I don’t think you are a BT which is what a lot of people here are assuming so if your official title is aid or assistant then she might be expecting you to strictly assist her and is getting frustrated that you aren’t. If that’s the case the principle is in the wrong and they should not have hired you to do ABA therapy in the first place. You can be a paraprofessional and use ABA-like tactics but you cannot preform actual therapy without a BCBA.

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u/Kind-Ad4622 2d ago

My title is an SLC Tech, I'm to aide the teacher in everyday tasks, the principal made it abundantly clear that she wants me to practice ABA tactics in the classroom to help aide further. I am doing both jobs simultaneously.

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u/hayladen 2d ago

Ok so where I live an SLC Tech reports directly to the lead SLC teacher, as in you follow what they say, their programs, their directions in a similar way you would a BCBA. If they don’t want ABA (which is weird because most SPED classrooms do at least a soft version of ABA) then that’s her decision and you would follow her lead. The principal is in the wrong, you cannot provide ABA independently.

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u/Kind-Ad4622 2d ago

Thank you for your input, in all of this all I really want is clarity so I can understand where I can flourish in my work.

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u/hayladen 2d ago

I think it’s more to do with ethical issues than work performance that you should be concerned with if I’m being honest. The principal most likely doesn’t have much knowledge of BACB and it just sounded like a good idea to have a RBT on staff. But since your official title is SLC tech it should be what ever task and schedules that the teacher gives you even if it’s not how you would do it. If you’re still confused you can request to talk with both of them or cc an email.