Review of Best Practices for

Supervision
Updates to Supervision Requirements under Ethics Code
for Behavior Analysts (2022) and BCBA Task List (5th Ed.)
Cathy Judkins, M.Ed., BCBA, LBA
Changing Lives. One child at a time. One professional at a time.
 Presenter Information

• Began working in the field of autism and behavior analysis in 2001

• BCBA since 2006; been with Verbal Beginnings as a senior

BCBA/Clinical Coordinator since October 2018

• Worked with children and adults with disabilities in a variety of

environments including home, clinic, public school, private school,
and residential placements
 Objectives

• Participants will list 3 requirements per the Ethics Code and BCBA Task List
with regards to supervision
• Participants will list the steps of behavioral skills training and provide an
example for training a new RBT
• Participants will list 3 tools for initial training of RBTs
• Participants will list 3 tools for ongoing supervision of RBTs
 BACB Requirements for Supervision

• NEW: Consulting Supervisor Requirements - The requirements for

first-year BCBAs who provide supervision to BCBA or BCaBA
trainees accruing fieldwork are now in effect.

• 8 hour training; 3 CEUs in supervision each cycle (for supervisors)

• Supervisor Training Curriculum Outline (2.0)

o New version 12/2021
Polls
 Supervisor Training

• Two main sections to the training curriculum

• Supervision of Ongoing Services (BCaBAs and RBTs)

o Will be discussed in depth

• Supervision of Trainees (those pursuing BCBA/BCaBA)

o Will not be discussed today
 Supervisor Training

• Supervision of Ongoing Services (BCaBAs and RBTs)

• 6 main objectives
o The supervisor should be able to state the purpose of supervision to the
supervisee or trainee
o The supervisor should be able to describe the strategies and potential outcomes
of ineffective supervision.
o The supervisor should be able to prepare for the supervisory relationship with
the supervisee or trainee.
o The supervisor should be able to establish a plan for structured supervision
content and evaluation of competence for supervisees and trainees.
o The supervisor should be able to create committed and positive relationships
with supervisees or trainees.
o The supervisor should be able to use behavioral skills training to improve
supervisee or trainee performance.
 Ethics Code (2022)

• Ethics Code - Section 4 - Responsibility to Supervisees and Trainees

• 4.01 Compliance with Supervision Requirements (see 1.02)

• 4.02 Supervisory Competence (see 1.05, 1.06)

o Behavior analysts supervise and train others only within their identified
scope of competence. They provide supervision only after obtaining
knowledge and skills in effective supervisory practices, and they
continually evaluate and improve their supervisory repertoires through
professional development.
 Ethics Code

• 4.03 Supervisory Volume (see 1.02, 1.05, 2.01)

• 4.04 Accountability in Supervision (see 1.03)

• 4.05 Maintaining Supervision Documentation (1.01, 1.02, 1.04,

2.03, 2.05, 3.11)

• 4.06 Providing Supervision and Training (see 1.02, 1.13 2.01)

• 4.07 Incorporating and Addressing Diversity (see 1.05, 1.06, 1.07,

1.10)
 Ethics Code

• 4.08 Performance Monitoring and Feedback (see 2.02, 2.05, 2.17,

2.18)
o Behavior analysts engage in and document ongoing, evidence-based data
collection and performance monitoring (e.g., observations, structured
evaluations) of supervisees or trainees. They provide timely informal and
formal praise and feedback designed to improve performance and
document formal feedback delivered. When performance problems arise,
behavior analysts develop, communicate, implement, and evaluate an
improvement plan with clearly identified procedures for addressing the
problem.
 Ethics Code

• 4.09 Delegation of Tasks (see 1.03)

• 4.10 Evaluating Effects of Supervision and Training (see 1.03, 2.17,
2.18)
o Behavior analysts actively engage in continual evaluation of their own
supervisory practices using feedback from others and client and
supervisee or trainee outcomes. Behavior analysts document those
self-evaluations and make timely adjustments to their supervisory and
training practices as indicated.

• 4.11 Facilitating Continuity of Supervision (see 1.03, 2.02, 3.14)

• 4.12 Appropriately Terminating Supervision (see 1.03, 2.02, 3.15)
 5th Edition Task List

• I. Personnel Supervision and Management

• I-1 State the reasons for using behavior-analytic supervision and

the potential risks of ineffective supervision (e.g., poor client
outcomes, poor supervisee performance).

• I-2 Establish clear performance expectations for the supervisor and

supervisee.

• I-3 Select supervision goals based on an assessment of the

supervisee’s skills.
 5th Edition Task List

• I-4 Train personnel to competently perform assessment and intervention

procedures.
• I-5 Use performance monitoring, feedback, and reinforcement systems.
• I-6 Use a functional assessment approach (e.g., performance
diagnostics) to identify variables affecting personnel performance.
• I-7 Use function-based strategies to improve personnel performance.
• I-8 Evaluate the effects of supervision (e.g., on client outcomes, on
supervisee repertoires)
 RBT Certification

• 40 hour training

• Initial Competency Assessment

• Application - includes background check

• Exam
 BACB Standards for Ongoing RBT Supervision

• Amount: minimum of 5% of the hours they spend providing

behavior-analytic services each calendar month
• Activities
o developing performance expectations
o observing, providing behavioral skills training, and delivering performance
feedback
o modeling technical, professional, and ethical behavior
o guiding the development of problem-solving and ethical decision-making
repertoires
o reviewing written materials (e.g., daily progress notes, data sheets)
o overseeing and evaluating the effects of behavior-analytic service delivery
o providing ongoing evaluation of the effects of supervision
 BACB Standards for Ongoing RBT Supervision

• Structure of supervision
• At least two face-to-face, real-time contacts per month (i.e., supervision
may not occur over the phone or via email).
• Providing services in at least one of the monthly meetings.
o In-person, on-site observation is preferred. However, these may be conducted
via web cameras, video-conferencing, or similar means instead of your
supervisor being physically present.
• Although only one observation is required, the BACB encourages direct
observation of service delivery as much as possible.
• At least one of the two supervision sessions must be individual (i.e., with
only you and your supervisor), but the other may occur in a small-group
meeting.
 BACB Standards for Ongoing RBT Supervision

• Documentation of supervision
• RBT and RBT Supervisor/RBT Requirements Coordinator must maintain
documentation to demonstrate that supervision requirements are being met
o days and times you provided behavior-analytic services
o dates and duration of supervision
o format (e.g., one-on-one, group) of supervision
o dates that direct observations of you working with a client occurred
o names of supervisors who provided supervision
o noncertified RBT supervisor form (if applicable)
o proof of supervisor’s relationship to the client
o additional documentation in the event of discrepant records (e.g., session notes)

• RBT and RBT Supervisor/RBT Requirements Coordinator must retain supervision

documentation for at least 7 years.
 Behavioral Skills Training

• Instructions

• Modeling

• Rehearsal

• Feedback
 Behavioral Skills Training

Component analysis of behavior skills training in functional analysis

(Ward-Horner & Sturmey, 2012)
 Behavioral Skills Training

Component analysis of behavior skills training in functional analysis

(Ward-Horner & Sturmey, 2012)
 Behavioral Skills Training

Component analysis of behavior skills training in functional analysis

(Ward-Horner & Sturmey, 2012)
 Behavioral Skills Training

Component analysis of behavior skills training in functional analysis

(Ward-Horner & Sturmey, 2012)

• Feedback was effective

• Modeling less effective than feedback

• Instructions and Rehearsal were ineffective in isolation

 Teaching Interaction Procedure

• Identifying and labeling target behavior

• Providing meaningful rationale

• Describing and demonstrating target behavior

• Role playing

• Feedback
 “Soft” Skills

• Listening and communicating

• Motivating
• Following up
• Time management
• Planning
• Flexibility
• Goal setting for self and supervisees
• Create leaders
 Initial Training of RBTs

• There is no such thing as common sense.

• Be explicit about expectations

• Document!

• Train to competency - set mastery criteria that is clear, observable,

measurable, and time specific

• Make a plan
 Initial Training of RBTs

• Set specific expectations for each training session

• Day 1 - Basics, pairing, rapport building, how to communicate with

client

• Day 2 - Safety/BIP

• Day 3 - Communication/language deep dive

• Day 4 - Other skill acquisition programming, data collection, etc.

 Initial Training of RBTs

• Training packages for specific skills - can be done in person or

remote

• Effective remote staff training of objective session notes (Piazza,

Leaf, & Lanier, 2021)
 Initial Training of RBTs

• Training package:
o Rationale
o Definitions
o Specific instructions for each step
o Models with examples and non-examples
o Role-play
o Checklist/feedback until criteria met during training

• Training was continued until 3 consecutive probes at 100%

 Initial Training of RBTs

• Treatment fidelity checklists/procedural integrity checklists

• Have new staff complete them on you during role plays AND in vivo
o Introduction to the expectations

• Complete them on staff during role play and in vivo

• Complete with new staff on senior staff; complete IOA on procedural

integrity and discuss

• Self-evaluation - review video of self and complete integrity checklist

(Aherne & Beaulieu, 2018)
 Initial Training of RBTs

• Performance Feedback

• Ask how/when staff want to receive feedback

(frequency/proximity to behavior)

• Consider location (private versus in front of other people) - some

staff are motivated by positive feedback in a public setting, but
others are not

• Provide verbally; also provide written to ensure it is documented

 Initial Training of RBTs

• Identifying the relation between feedback preferences and

performance (Bacotti et al., 2021)

• Most participants shifted preference from proximal to distal

feedback as they acquired tasks
 Ongoing Supervision of RBTs

• Supervisors ensure staff are working diligently, providing effective

services AND that staff are motivated and enjoy their work

• Motivation benefits consumers

• To increase motivation
o Clear expectations (pinpoint skills/target behaviors)
o Regular and consistent feedback so that staff know how they are doing
o Build positive history of receiving all performance feedback (positive and
corrective)
 Ongoing Supervision of RBTs

• Provide ongoing monitoring of performance

• Treatment fidelity checklists/procedural integrity checklists

o Use for monitoring
o Retrain as needed
 Ongoing Supervision of RBTs

• Feedback session - as immediately as possible

• Identify what skill(s) were performed correctly and provide praise

• Identify what skill(s) were performed incorrectly

• Identify how these skill(s) should have been performed

• Solicit questions/feedback from supervisee

• Next steps (training, observation)

 Ongoing Supervision of RBTs

• Antecedent strategies

• Access to checklists and training materials

• Task lists and other public postings

• Continue to set clear expectations with clear consequences for

meeting expectations
 Ongoing Supervision of RBTs

• Monitor outcomes and solicit feedback

• Monitor client outcomes as related to supervisee behaviors

• Seek feedback from supervisees on your behavior as a supervisor

• Seek feedback from consumers on your behavior as a supervisor

and on supervisee’s performance
 Ongoing Supervision of RBTs

• Identify and address barriers in the relationship (Sellers, LeBlanc, &

Valentino, 2016)
• Identify and repair problems
• Actively assess the supervisory relationship
• Use function-based interventions
• Consider supervisee’s history with supervision
o Reinforce accepting corrective feedback to create positive history of
receiving performance feedback
 Ongoing Supervision of RBTs

• Assess supervisor’s own behavior relative to supervisee

• 3 supervision issues - with specific indicators and

assessment/intervention ideas

o Disorganization and poor time management

o Poor interpersonal skills

o Difficulty accepting/applying feedback

Ongoing Supervision of RBTs
 Takeaways

• BACB Standards for Supervision

• Behavioral Skills Training
• Initial training of RBTs with a new client
• Ongoing supervision of RBTs
Questions?
 References

Aherne, C.M. & Beaulieu, L. (2019). Assessing long-term maintenance of staff performance following behavior skills
training in a home-based setting. Behavioral Interventions, 34, 79-88.
Bacotti, J.K., Grauerholtz-Fisher, E., Morris, S.L., & Vollmer, T. R. (2021) Identifying the relation between feedback
preferences and performance. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 54, 668-683.
Behavior Analyst Certification Board. (2017). BCBA task list (5th ed.). Littleton, CO: Author. 
Behavior Analyst Certification Board. (2021). Board Certified Behavior Analyst Handbook. Littleton, CO: Author.
Behavior Analyst Certification Board. (2020). Ethics code for behavior analysts. Littleton, CO: Author.
Behavior Analyst Certification Board. (2021). Registered Behavior Technician Handbook. Littleton, CO: Author.
Behavior Analyst Certification Board. (2018). Supervision training curriculum outline (2.0) Littleton, CO: Author.
Piazza, J.L., Leaf, J.B., & Lanier, L.L. (2021). Effective remote staff training of objective session notes. Journal of
Applied Behavior Analysis, 54, 25-37.
Sellers, T.P., LeBlanc, L.A., & Valentino., A.L. (2016) Recommendations for detecting and addressing barriers to
successful supervision. Behavior Analysis in Practice, 9, 309-319.
Ward-Horner, J. & Sturmey, P. (2012). Component analysis of behavior skills training in functional analysis. Behavioral
Interventions, 27, 75-92.
Don’t Miss Our March CEU!

Presenter: Manuel "Manny" Rodriguez, DBA,

BCBA

Title: Business Acumen for the BCBA

Time: Mar 30, 03:00 PM EST

 Thank you!

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