There are countless ways to build a career in Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) and work for people with autism or other disabilities. However, most people take earning the RBT certification as the easier route to establish oneself in the field.

A registered behaviour technician (RBT) is a paraprofessional or a behaviour therapist, who has been successful in earning the RBT certificate and demonstrates expertise using applied behaviour analysis teaching principles.

Anyone can earn the RBT certification in 3 simple steps, but it still demands dedication and hard work. The candidates are expected to complete 40-hour coursework to successfully pass the competency assessment and finally register for the certification exam.

BACB released its first-ever RBT handbook in January 2020. The handbook states that the candidate is required to:

• Step 1: Complete the 40-hour RBT coursework
• Step 2: Pass the competency assessment with a BCBA
• Step 3: Sit for the RBT certification exam

CONTENTS

BCBA REQUIREMENTS

Step 1:Complete the 40-hour RBT Certification Coursework

• Comparing available courses
• Is it better to find an employer who is willing to pay for the RBT certification coursework?

Step 2: Pass the RBT Competency Assessment with a BCBA

• How to find a BCBA supervisor for your Competency Assessment?
• Identifying the changes in the RBT task list from the BACB

Step 3: Take the RBT Certification Exam

BACB REQUIREMENTS

In order to be eligible to take the certification exam, BACB had listed some requirements/prerequisites for all the RBT aspirants. These are:

• Every candidate should be 18 years or above
• Every candidate should possess a high school diploma or national equivalent
• Candidates are required to pass a background check equivalent to be eligible for employment in schools or childcare centres.

Step 1: Complete the 40-hour RBT Certification Coursework

The type of training one receives depends on the individual’s learning style. Most training methods are self-paced and demand the aspirants' self-discipline and dedication to successfully complete the coursework.

The BACB has listed strict guidelines that are to be followed by every university, agency, or online training program that provides the RBT certification training. These guidelines state that these institutes should follow the RBT 2nd Edition Task List as outlined by the BACB. This training is supposed to finish within 5 days at the most, and should not exceed more than 180 days from the start of the training to the finish.

Comparing Available Courses

There are tons of options to choose from when considering taking the RBT training. Some people might opt for online training programs, while others might find in-person training to be more effective. Candidates can either register for the online courses or look for schools or institutes near them that offer the training. Listed below are some of the options for online training programs with their fee structures.

TRAINING	ELIGIBILITY	ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Learners Point Academy	Applicants must be at least 18 years of age and have a minimum of a high school diploma or equivalent.	Participants are offered strong insights into the fundamentals of behaviour measurement, assessment, skill acquisition, in-session troubleshooting, documentation, reporting, professional and ethical conduct, etc. Location: Dubai
Pulse Center	Applicants must be at least 18 years of age and have a minimum of a high school diploma or equivalent.	The course places special emphasis on the use of behaviour management techniques and strategies at home and at school. The major topics covered are an introduction to ABA, basic principles of learning, teaching language and social skills to children with disabilities, behaviour management strategies, and instructional strategies. Location: Dubai
Inspire Therapy	Applicants must be at least 18 years of age and have a minimum of a high school diploma or equivalent. 2,400 AED + 5% VAT (5 Days of Training- 40 hours)	The training covers the 40 hours of coursework requirement with tasks and subtasks as provided in the RBT Task List. it also places emphasis on the Professional and Ethical Compliance Code competencies (2nd edition) along with competency assessment which is scheduled upon completion of the coursework. Location: Dubai
ABTI - Applied & Behavioral Training Institute	Applicants must be at least 18 years of age and have a minimum of a high school diploma or equivalent.	The training is based on RBT tasklist 2nd Edition developed and supervised by BCBA-D/BCBA/BCaBA. With the completion of the training, in or less than 90 days, the participant should successfully complete the Competency Assessment. Location: Dubai
Milestones Autism Rehabilitation Center	Applicants must be at least 18 years of age and have a minimum of a high school diploma or equivalent.	This is a 40-hour training program that closely revolves around BACB’s requirement for RBT credentials based on the 2nd edition RBT Task list. Location: Dubai
Behaviour Enrichment	Applicants must be at least 18 years of age and have a minimum of a high school diploma or equivalent.	This is a 40-hour RBT Training conducted as prescribed by the RBT Task List laid down by BACB. Participants can also observe ABA-based instruction in a 1:1 setting, under the supervision of our qualified instructors. Location: Dubai

Many employers take it upon themselves to cover the training costs for the staff. However, there are some employers who may place some conditions with respect to providing for the training. Therefore it is important to know the answers to certain questions to realize and analyze the expectation that employers might have for supporting the cost of your training. Listed below are some of the questions that you should ask before agreeing to allow the employer to cover the cost of your training:

• Are they asking you to sign a contract?
• Will they demand you to sign a noncompete clause?
• Do they expect you to reimburse the training costs if you fail the exam?
• Will you be provided with an increase in pay if you pass the exam?
• What is the difference in pay between an RBT and a non-RBT?
• Is becoming an RBT important for employment?

Should I Find an Employer Willing to Pay for the RBT Certification Course?

It is usually suggested not to rely upon the employer to sponsor your training costs. In situations where the employer is responsible for your training, there are chances that it might hinder your scope of earning a better/her paying job. Online courses/training for RBT are available at much cheaper and affordable rates. It is advisable to register for these courses on your own and complete the training before pursuing a professional position. Doing so promises a career with a high pay scale and growth opportunities.

Although there are employers who are willing to pay for aspiring non-certified RBT professionals, this has become a scarce phenomenon in recent years. The main reason behind this is the high competition rate in the market for RBT professionals. Most aspirants have understood the value of earning the certification before applying for a job position in the field. Earning the certificate gives you an advantage over other non-certified applicants.

There is always a high chance that by earning the certificate you might find a job that pays well and therefore you will be able to recoup the total money spent on the certification, (including the course fee, exam fee, and paid supervision from a BCBA). Therefore, it is not always mandatory to rely upon the employer for the expenditure.

Step 2: Pass the RBT Competency Assessment with a BCBA

The BACB demands that the candidate has successfully completed and cleared the competence assessment. This validates the candidate's proficiency in each area that is listed in the task list. The initial competency assessment has 20 assessment items which must be completed by a BCBA. Candidates should demonstrate a strong understanding of each skill through an interview, role-play, or with a client.

It is mandatory to demonstrate at least 3 skills with a client who may or may not belong to behaviour analytic services. Many BCBAs are often willing to help the RBT candidates and perform the role of the client for a fee.

With respect to the RBT coursework, the employers offer a BCBA supervisor to complete the assessment. In this situation, it is very important to know the expectations of your employers.

Once you are completely prepared to complete the competency assessment, it is important to continuously practice and understand the terminologies. Strong hold on these makes the assessment easier and faster to complete.

The assessment demands that you are proficient in the terms including:

⦾ Continuous measurement
1. • Frequency
2. • Duration
3. • IRT
4. • Latency
⦾ Discontinuous Measurement
1. • Whole interval
2. • Partial interval
3. • Momentary time sampling
⦾ Chaining
⦾ Shaping
⦾ Discrimination training
⦾ Stimulus control training

You must also be able to demonstrate your expertise to:

• Enter data and update graphs
• Teach skills in both DTT and NET settings
• Conduct preference assessment
• Collect ABC data
• Use prompting strategies
• Use token economy
• Implement crisis procedures
• Demonstrate antecedent interventions, differential reinforcement, or extinction procedures
• Write a session note
• Describe ways to protect client dignity and maintain professional boundaries
• Identify supervision requirements
• Describe a situation that requires clinical direction

How to Find a BCBA supervisor for Your Competency Assessment

In a situation where the candidate has decided to appear for the RBT certification without the aid of the employer, he/she will be required to find a BCBA supervisor. This task is made easier by the BACB which offers a list of BCBAs on their website who are willing to perform the role of the supervisor. In case the candidate wishes to complete the supervision online, there are BCBAs across the country who will be willing to provide supervision.

If the candidate is aware of a BCBA with a name, they can easily gather their contact information from the website, along with other details available. You will be able to see if the applicant is available to offer supervision. Clicking on the name of the BCBA on the website gives you the option to connect to them via email. Connecting with them will help you know if they are ready to supervise. Most BCBAs provide quick responses to the queries/inquiries of the candidates.

Identifying the Changes in the RBT Task List from the BACB

A Task List is prepared by the Behaviour Analyst Certification Board (BACB). This list covers all the levels of the certificate. However, the BACB has implemented some changes in this list recently. These changes for the RBT Task List went into effect as of November 1, 2019. The Task List pays attention to some of the critical skills performed by the Registered Behaviour Technician on the clients. It becomes important for the supervisors and the professionals pursuing the RBT credential to be completely aware of the impact these new changes to the Task List can have. The Task List undergoes changes on a regular basis, and it is important for the candidate to be up to date with the changes.

Impact of Changes to the RBT Task List

The RBT candidates who submit the Competency assessment that follows the old format will not be allowed to take the exam. In addition to this, the BACB has published a separate document for re-assessment for those candidates who wish to renew their certification. Not following the implemented changes can result in a delay in earning the certification or its renewal.

Let's look into the changes in the RBT Task List that can impact your practice:

• The new RBT competency assessment published by the BACB. The supervisors are expected to implement it by November 1, 2019, when the changes made to the Task List become effective.
• The supervision for the RBTs should relate to the items on the Task List.

Changes in the RBT Task List

Although the changes in the RBT Task List can be considered very minuscule, it still is important for the professionals to understand and implement them to alter their practices accordingly:

1. Measurement: The first section in the revised Task List demands that the candidate demonstrate skills needed for accurate measurement. The only change in this section is that the BACB has shifted the “ Describe behaviour and environment in observable and measurable terms” segment from the Assessment section to the Measurement section.

2. Assessment: The only change in this section is the removal of the “Describe behaviour and environment in observable and measurable terms.”

3. Skill Acquisition: In this particular section, the BACB has replaced “Implement stimulus fading procedures” with “Implement token economy procedures.”

4. Behaviour Reduction: No changes are implemented in this section.

5. Documentation and Reporting: Changes in this particular section are performed to place importance on effective communication skills and relationships with the supervisor. The section “Effectively communicate with supervisor” is replaced with “Effectively communicate with a supervisor in an ongoing manner.” The BACB has moved this task from E03 to E01, which suggests the degree of importance placed upon this task.

In addition to this, the BCBA has made other changes to this section as well. For example, sections E-04 and E-05 have been merged into one named “ Actively seek clinical direction from supervisor in a timely manner.”

1. Professional Conduct and Scope of Practice: The last change made by the BCAB to the Task List is the addition of “Describe the BACB’s RBT supervision requirements” to F-01. This change places importance on the RBT to accept accountability of their supervision, while the supervisors assure to provide quality supervision. It is also important for the supervisee to ensure that the supervision meets the minimum standards.

2. Using RBT Task List for Supervision: The Task List is generated by the BCAB to aid the supervision process. The RBT candidates are advised to use the Task list to ensure that they and their supervisors are able to meet the skills required to provide quality services.

It is commonly advised that the aspirants stay up-to-date with the changes made to the Task List as it helps in understanding its impact in the field of Applied Behaviour Analysis.

Step 3:Take the RBT Certification Exam

Before registering for the exam, the candidates are requested to sign up for an account at the BACB Gateway where they are provided with a step-by-step guide on how to register and complete the exam. You will be asked to upload the documents that prove your eligibility. These documents include your certificate of completion for the coursework, the attested copies of your supervisor, etc.

Once your application is approved by the BCAB, you will have to plan a schedule with a training centre. The RBT exams are available on a continuous basis and the fee for the exam is $45.

The RBT certification exam comprises a series of multiple choice questions that determine your expertise in ABA terminology and theory. These questions are based on the contents of the Task List, therefore, successfully completing the training will help you master all the important areas.

There are many effective ways to prepare for the exam. Candidates can refer to the materials from the training, master all the terminologies, and consult a BCAB supervisor for a better understanding of the concepts. There are numerous practice exams offered by the ABA.Rocks, which help the candidates familiarize themselves with all the important areas.

Message from the Author

If you’re looking to enroll for the Registered Behavior Technician (RBT) training in Dubai, get in touch with Learners Point Academy. To learn more, visit the website: https://learnerspoint.org/, give a call at +971 (04) 403 8000, or simply drop a message on WhatsApp.

Learners Point Academy is a KHDA and ISO 9001:2015 accredited training institute in Dubai.

Frequently asked questions

3 Painless Steps to Acquire the RBT Certification in Dubai