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| Advancing Supervision Practices: Ensuring Quality Training in Behavior Analysis |
| Monday, May 26, 2025 |
| 4:00 PM–4:50 PM |
| Convention Center, Street Level, 145 B |
| Area: EDC/OBM; Domain: Applied Research |
| Chair: Marija Čolić (University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, Special Education Department ) |
| Discussant: Natalie Badgett (University of Utah ) |
| CE Instructor: Marija Čolić, Ph.D. |
| Abstract: Effective supervision and access to unrestricted learning opportunities are critical for the professional development of trainees pursuing their experience hours toward Board Certified Behavior Analyst certification, yet many trainees face barriers that hinder their professional growth and competency development. This symposium brings together research on supervision practices and fieldwork opportunities, addressing challenges that impact the quality of supervision. First, Paige Boydston will present findings on trainees’ experiences with common supervision errors, including insufficient supervision hours and unqualified supervisors, which negatively affect their preparedness. Next, Clare Liddon will explore barriers to providing unrestricted learning activities, essential for meeting certification requirements, based on survey data from both supervisors and trainees. By examining these challenges, the symposium emphasizes the importance of improving supervision practices and ensuring that trainees receive the necessary support to develop competence in applied behavior analysis. The overall conclusion highlights the need for targeted interventions and refined guidelines to enhance training quality, fostering better outcomes for future behavior analysts. |
| Instruction Level: Basic |
| Keyword(s): supervision, supervision experience, supervisor, trainee |
| Target Audience: This symposium is designed for Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs) who supervise or train behavior analysis trainees. It is especially relevant for those seeking to improve their supervisory practices and ensure compliance with the Behavior Analyst Certification Board supervision standards. BCBA supervisors who are responsible for providing fieldwork experiences and ensuring the professional development of trainees will benefit from insights on enhancing the quality and accountability of supervision. The content will also appeal to those interested in addressing common supervisory challenges and refining their approach to providing effective, individualized training. |
Learning Objectives: 1. Participants will be able to identify common supervisory errors in behavior analysis fieldwork, such as insufficient supervision hours and unqualified supervisors.
2. Participants will be able to describe the barriers to providing unrestricted learning opportunities for trainees and propose solutions to overcome these barriers.
3. Participants will be able to apply evidence-based strategies to improve their supervisory practices, ensuring compliance with BACB supervision standards and enhancing trainee competency development. |
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| Preliminary Investigation of Supervision Experiences for Individuals Pursing Internship Experiences in Behavior Analysis |
| PAIGE BOYDSTON (Pittsburg State University) |
| Abstract: There is a growing body of literature regarding best-practice in supervision (e.g., Dubuque & Dubuque, 2018; Sellers et al., 2016; Turner et al., 2016), yet a growing issue with supervision experiences is the lack of adherence to basic guidelines, creating decreased learning opportunities and increased errors. Supervisors who are out of compliance with basic standards compromise their supervisee’s experience, training, and continuing education. Given the vulnerable position of supervisees (who are reliant on mentors), it is imperative that negligent supervision practices be identified and remediated. The proposed project aims to identify these maladaptive practices to increase awareness and further research around supervision practices. The current project seeks to identify common errors that occur in supervision experiences (e.g., too little supervision per month, lack of a signed contract, lack of direct interactions each month by supervisors and supervisees) and to identify if supervisees are/were aware that their experiences did not meet minimum guidelines, via an electronically disseminated survey. Participants are from varied supervised experiences, with 70% of respondents indicating they have had at least one “unqualified” supervisor and 23% indicating a “low quality” experience. The identification of initial variables will lead to targeted research, training, and intervention on inappropriate supervisory practices. |
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| Unrestricted Learning Opportunities for Trainees in Behavior Analysis |
| CLARE LIDDON (University of Florida), Madison Crandall (University of Dayton) |
| Abstract: The BACB defines unrestricted activities as “…those that are most likely to be performed by a BCBA,” and requires that 60% of fieldwork hours consist of these activities (BACB, 2022a). Fieldwork hours may be accrued across a number of different host sites (e.g., hospital units, schools, community locations, etc.), with each host site having different day-to-day responsibilities affecting how these opportunities are provided. Therefore, exploration of the provision of these opportunities and the barriers to providing these opportunities is warranted. This presentation will cover results from two survey studies seeking to describe current practices involved in provision of opportunities to gain fieldwork experience hours towards BCBA certification; specifically, practices related to unrestricted fieldwork activities. Survey reports from both supervisors and supervisees indicate that, while unrestricted learning opportunities are often provided to trainees, contingencies present within the day-to-day operations of a clinical environment can be hampering. A discussion of the implications of these barriers and potential solutions are included. |
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