Essential Skills for RBTs - What You Need to Succeed

Aug 5

Are you thinking about becoming a Registered Behavior Technician (RBT) or are you already one? It’s an exciting career where you can make a big difference in people’s lives. But what skills do you need to be great at this job? Here’s a simple guide to help you understand.


This list is curated from top voices in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA). These leaders have years of experience in hiring and retaining RBTs, so their insights are most valuable. We organized their responses into 6 categories to convey the importance of being well rounded as a therapist working to help clients live their best lives.

Learning and Growing

  • Willingness to Learn: Always be ready to learn new things.
  • Comfortable Asking Questions: Don’t be afraid to ask if you don’t understand something.
  • Self-Advocating: Speak up for yourself and what you need.
  • Growth Mindset: Believe that you can improve and get better.


Working with Others

  • Desire to Help Clients Compassionately: Care about the people you help.
  • Professionalism: Be responsible and act in a way that makes people trust you.
  • Communication Skills: Talk and write clearly so everyone understands you.
  • Reliability: Be someone people can count on.
  • Patience: Stay calm, even when things are tough.
  • Empathy: Understand and share the feelings of others.


Solving Problems

  • Problem Solving: Figure out how to fix problems when they come up.
  • Flexibility: Be ready to change your plans if you need to.
  • Creativity: Think of new and fun ways to do things.
  • Grit: Keep going, even when things get hard.
  • Perseverance: Don’t give up easily.


Handling Feedback

  • Giving and Receiving Feedback: Share your thoughts kindly and listen when others do the same.
  • Ability to Take Feedback Quickly and Act on It: Use advice to get better right away.


Understanding Your Job

  • Clear Understanding of Boundaries and Role: Know what you should and shouldn’t do in your job.
  • Experience with ABA: Have some knowledge about Applied Behavior Analysis.
  • Reading Comprehension: Be able to understand what you read.


Special Skills

  • Skills to Truly Play: Know how to have fun and make learning enjoyable.
  • Emotional Intelligence: Be aware of your own feelings and the feelings of others.
  • Intrinsic Motivation: Be motivated from within to do your best.
  • Honesty: Always tell the truth.
  • Accountability: Take responsibility for your actions.
  • Resilience: Bounce back quickly from difficulties.
  • Assimilation of New Concepts: Learn new ideas and use them well.
  • Strengthening Functional Equivalents: Help find better ways for people to do things.


Conclusion

Being a RBT is a rewarding job that lets you help others and make a positive impact. By working on these skills, you’ll be well on your way to being a fantastic RBT. Keep learning, stay compassionate, and always be ready to grow!


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