Registered Behavior Technician Appreciation

Registered Behavior Technicians: How to become one, what they do, and most of all we love you! 

Let’s take a moment to appreciate the true #Heroes of our industry, Registered Behavior Technicians. Yes, because without them, we would quite literally be nothing. RBTs are the ones tirelessly working to conduct programs in our field, putting in the extra hours to make sure clients are ok, and are the #WindBeneathOurWings *Queue soft piano playing*.

Are you wondering what exactly an RBT does? Let us enlighten you….

In short—without RBTs, BCBAs would be F#ck!ng worthless. They utilize the practical and applied techniques that we as BCBAs facilitate, and practice them in the freakin’ #RealWorld, just like a reality T.V. show. Seriously, RBTs are vital to our existence, and they don’t get enough praise. 

Social skills are challenging these days (how do you communicate with people if not over DM’s??), but RBTs have them in abundance. Even working closely with family members of patients, our beautiful RBTs are actual social butterflies, and they handle the #awkward interactions, so we don’t have to.

If you’re looking for your neighborhood RBT, you don’t have to search very far. You can most likely find them tirelessly working with clients to help them reach their goals, staying up late to study effective techniques, or practicing #SelfCare at a yoga studio, in the park, or at a brewery… seriously, search all of these places.

So, how does one become an RBT? 

All you need to do is complete a specialized 40-hour RBT training, have a competency-based assessment conducted by a BCBA, and then pass the RBT certification exam! On top of all of this, many (but not all) RBTs are in grad school pursuing their BCBA, so you can safely assume that they’re up against a SHIT TON OF SHIT. So, think about an RBT in your life, or find one (you know where to look), and consider how you could brighten up their day just a little bit.

Here are a few ideas:

RBTs run on coffee, so something as simple as a #SwaggedOut to-go coffee tumbler would make for a meaningful gift. Or, a coloring activities book to help them find some time to #Relax will help to clear their minds. 

So, go ahead, get in touch with your favorite RBT, and show them how much you appreciate them.