If you have a passion for helping others, especially those with developmental disabilities, becoming a Registered Behavior Technician may be the perfect fit for you. RBT’s are the unsung heroes of behavioral therapy. They can be found working in hospitals, schools, and in the homes of patients. This career is not for the faint of heart, as it involves both tough and heartwarming experiences.
What is a Registered Behavior Technician?
A Registered Behavior Technician, also known as an RBT, mainly works with individuals with developmental disabilities such as autism to help them improve their quality of life. RBTs are paraprofessionals that work under a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) supervisor. They may also work with individuals struggling with behavioral or learning challenges such as anxiety disorders, ADHD, and intellectual disabilities. RBT’s work in a variety of settings such as clinics, homes, and schools. Registered Behavior Technicians play an essential role in early intervention for autism diagnoses.
Registered Behavior Technician’s use applied behavior analysis therapy (ABA therapy) when working with clients. ABA Therapy is a type of therapy that is based on the science of behavior and learning. This type of therapy focuses on using positive reinforcement to improve behavior, social, communication, and learning skills.
What are RBT Job Responsibilities?
Registered Behavior Technician job responsibilities differ depending on the patient they are working with, the patient’s treatment plans or conditions, and the work setting. Since ABA therapy is individualized, the responsibilities for an RBT have a wide range. General responsibilities include providing direct client care in one-to-one or group settings, following behavior reduction and behavioral skill acquisition protocols, collecting and recording data, and communicating with clients, parents, or caregivers regarding the patient’s progress. They also assist in behavior analysts and assistant behavior analysts with behavior reduction assessments and skills acquisition.
Arguably some of the most important responsibilities of a Registered Behavior Technician are family counseling, documentation/reporting, and behavior reduction. When it comes to working with children on the spectrum, it’s important to include the family or caregivers in the therapy techniques in order to continue practicing at home. These techniques can include role playing, developing open communication, or empathetic training. Documentation and reporting are equally important. Since RBT’s work as a team with a BCBA, keeping up to date, accurate data helps determine the next goals as well as what is working and what is not working. Lastly, behavior reduction is another crucial responsibility of an RBT. Since an RBT’s job is to reduce maladaptive behaviors, they must be able to follow the behavior reduction protocol that the BCBA they are working under created.
What Requirements do you Need to Become a Registered Behavior Technician?
In order to become a certified Registered Behavior Technician, there are a few requirements. Without getting certified, you cannot become an RBT. Before being able to take the certification test, at a minimum the requirements for eligibility are that the individual must be at least 18 years old, have a high school diploma or equivalent, and pass both an abuse registry check and background check. The individual must also take the 40-hour training course and complete the initial competency assessment.
If the individual meets the requirements and completes the training course from an accredited institution, the next step is to take and pass the certification exam. The RBT Certification Examination assesses your knowledge of the RBT Task list at a level consistent of an entry-level behavior technician. If you pass the test, you should get notified within 24 hours. After you have passed, you are now officially a certified Registered Behavior Technician! As soon as you receive your certificate, you are eligible to start working. It’s important to note that once you are certified, you are only certified for 1 year and you must renew your certification every year.
Conclusion
It’s fairly easy to achieve your Registered Behavior Technician certification. This career is extremely rewarding in the sense of being able to be a part of patients growth and progress of their behavioral skills. In this position, you are continually improving your patients quality of life. If you’re interested in becoming an RBT, take the steps to get your certification and pass the exam. Once you have achieved your certification, you can now start applying to RBT Jobs in New Jersey! Take a look at our “Hot Jobs” as we are always posting NJ RBT job opportunities!