How To Choose an ABA Therapy Company to Work For- An RBT Perspective

How to choose a company to work for from an RBT perspective

As someone who has been in the field of ABA for two years now, I can vouch that choosing the right company to work for comes with a lot of thought and consideration. You’re not just choosing a place to work, you’re choosing the environment that will shape your growth, your confidence, and the way you show up for your clients every day. It’s important to have standards and non-negotiables when finding a company to work for because when you walk into a space that aligns with your values, you’re doing more than just clocking in for another shift. You’re living actively with passion and purpose.

Some things to consider when starting your search:

Client-Centered Mentality

In the field of ABA, we are meant to be built on compassion and patience. These aren’t just qualities, they’re essential. When you keep a client-centered mentality, you know that everything that you do in your session impacts the client. When a company truly prioritizes a client-centered approach, you feel it. Every decision, expectation, and interaction is determined on what is best for a client. And when that mindset is active, it naturally extends to how staff treat each other too. You feel supported, respected, and aligned with the purpose of the work. You realize how important the relationship and collaborations you have with staff members directly impact your client too. When you’re surrounded by people that carry the same mindset, it creates meaningful change and growth for everyone.

Supervision That Actually Supports You

Yes, we know that the supervision requirement is only 5% a month. Any strong supervisor knows that their RBTs and clients require more support than this. True supervision feels like collaboration. It looks like open conversations, thoughtful feedback, shared problem-solving, and having someone who steps in with you instead of above you. This allows you to show up every single day and know that active transformation is taking place in both your client and your own development.

Opportunities That Let You Grow

It’s common for companies to assign you one client in the morning and another in the afternoon. This kind of setup can feel easy to manage and promote stability. But doing the same thing day after day with no variety can quietly drain you. It can limit your growth, wear on your energy, and eventually lead to burnout. A company that gives you opportunities across different clients and environments helps you stay engaged, sharpen your skills, and keep learning. It also benefits clients by allowing for generalization to take place with being exposed to different therapists. Of course, this doesn’t mean working with a different kid every single session. A good balance can look like having a rotation between two to three clients on a daily basis.

Meaningful Benefits

A company that invests in your well-being recognizes that great care starts with supported staff. Benefits go beyond pay; they include meaningful supervision, work-life balance, emotional support, professional development opportunities, and a culture that respects your time. Ultimately, investing in employees creates stronger teams, better outcomes for clients, and a culture where compassion and professionalism can thrive long term.

Graduation and Client Success

A strong company prepares clients for independence, not long-term dependency. Graduation can be emotional because of the relationships you build, but it is also one of the clearest signs of meaningful progress. This means the interventions are working, behavior reduction is successful, and that skills are generalizing across environments. Ultimately, graduation reflects meaningful growth and now individuals can thrive beyond the program while leaving with a strong foundation for continued success.

Take these five things with you on your journey

As you’re exploring new opportunities, pay attention to the environment, the culture, and the expectations. Ask questions. Trust your gut. Protect your passion. Your standards are not unreasonable, they reflect your commitment to quality care and to becoming the kind of practitioner you truly want to be.