The Hidden Cost of 'Figure It Out Yourself' Culture in ABA Companies

Time and time again, after speaking with BCBAs from across the country, the same themes keep popping up, and I have two feelings: anger and empathy.

Let me give you an example of a more recent conversation I had with a newer BCBA who reached out because they were drowning. They're managing clients across multiple locations while juggling constantly fluctuating RBT availability. The company's owners are well-meaning, heck, they're in the helping field like us, but they aren't providing the response or support that a BCBA needs because they're not BCBAs and are new to the operational specifics of running an ABA program. The owners ask what is needed, but the BCBA doesn't know how to answer.

Now this BCBA is going to try and figure things out on their own. And to be honest? That sounds like me about 15 years ago.

They're really trying. They're putting in long hours. They're problem-solving scheduling nightmares. They're second-guessing themselves. They have no other BCBA to consult with. They're doing everything they can to make it work.

But here's what I told them, and unfortunately, their story isn't unique.

So I want every BCBA in a similar situation to hear this: Your struggle isn't a personal failing. It's a systemic problem.

The "figure it out yourself" culture has become so normalized in our field that we've stopped questioning whether it's sustainable...or even ethical. And it's costing all of us far more than we realize.

Why This Culture Exists

Before we get into solutions, let's acknowledge how we got here.

The ABA industry has experienced explosive growth over the past decade, and quite simply, our infrastructure hasn't kept up. Companies are opening faster than experienced leaders can mentor the next generation of BCBAs. Many ABA companies are owned or operated by professionals from other disciplines (speech pathologists, occupational therapists, business entrepreneurs) most of who are well-meaning, but may not fully understand the operational complexities and time demands unique to behavior analysis.

Add to that the reality of tight profit margins in a field heavily dependent on insurance reimbursement, and suddenly "support" starts to look like an expense rather than an investment.

And here's the thing: getting your BCBA doesn't automatically prepare you for the business and management aspects of the role. Graduate programs teach us to write behavior plans and analyze data, but rarely cover how to manage a caseload across three locations with inconsistent staffing. We're clinically competent but operationally underprepared, and then we're expected to just... figure it out.

The Hidden Costs to BCBAs

Ok, now on to what "figure it out yourself" actually costs the people doing the work

Clinical Competence Erosion

When you're making complex clinical decisions in isolation, without mentorship or a sounding board, something troubling happens: you start to doubt yourself. Is this intervention appropriate? Am I overthinking this behavior plan? Should I be doing more? Can I be doing more?

That voice of self-doubt isn't incompetence, it's the natural result of working without professional support. Even the most skilled clinicians need to consult, collaborate, and get feedback. When BCBAs don't have that, imposter syndrome intensifies, and clinical confidence erodes.

Time Poverty

This is often what I hear from BCBAs: They tell me that they spend hours each week trying to solve scheduling puzzles that a 15-minute conversation with an experienced admin could resolve. They're recreating documentation systems from scratch because their company doesn't have templates. They’re researching solutions to problems that someone with more experience could answer immediately.

This isn't billable time. This isn't clinical time. This is time spent reinventing wheels that should already exist. Time stolen from client care, from professional development, and from their own lives.

Burnout Acceleration: The Cycle that Keeps You Stuck

The psychological weight of being solely responsible with no safety net is exhausting. Every decision feels high-stakes. Every problem becomes your problem to solve. The decision fatigue alone is enough to deplete you, but add in the actual time demands, the isolation, and the constant feeling that you're barely keeping your head above water?

That's not just stress. That's the fast track to burnout.

And here's what makes it even worse: You get trapped in the burnout cycle.

Here's how it works:

The pressure builds → You're overwhelmed, stressed, exhausted

You engage in short-term coping strategies → You say "yes" when you should say "no." You skip lunch to finish documentation. You work late to catch up. You sacrifice your boundaries to keep up with demands.

You get temporary relief → The immediate crisis is handled. The task is done. You feel like you've survived another day.

But nothing actually changes → The workload is still excessive. The support is still missing. The systems are still broken.

So the pressure builds again → And you repeat the same coping strategies that only provide short-term relief.

And the cycle continues → Each time, you're a little more depleted. A little more resentful. A little closer to complete burnout.

The "yeses" that should be "nos" aren't personal failings, they're survival strategies in an unsustainable system. But they keep you stuck in the cycle instead of breaking free from it.

Many of the BCBAs I work with report sleep issues, stress-related health problems, and a creeping sense of dread about work. These aren't personal weaknesses, these are predictable physiological and psychological responses to unsustainable working conditions and the chronic stress of the burnout cycle.

The only way out is to disrupt the cycle: change the conditions, change your responses, or change your environment. Continuing to cope your way through it will only deepen the burnout.

Career Impact

Here's what really concerns me: talented, dedicated BCBAs are starting to question whether they're "cut out" for this field. They're leaving ABA entirely, taking valuable clinical expertise with them.

And honestly? I don't blame them. When you can't tell the difference between a genuinely excessive workload and "normal" BCBA challenges, when you have no benchmark for what's reasonable to expect, it's easy to internalize the struggle as personal failure.

The Hidden Costs to Clients

This isn't just about BCBAs struggling, it directly impacts the people and families we serve.

When BCBAs are overwhelmed, programs don't get updated as frequently as they should. Data analysis gets rushed. Those thoughtful, individualized touches that make the difference between a good program and a great one? They fall by the wayside.

High BCBA turnover means disrupted therapeutic relationships. A new BCBA has to spend weeks just getting up to speed on a client's history, preferences, and progress. That's time not spent moving forward.

And perhaps most concerning: BCBAs stretched too thin simply cannot provide the level of clinical oversight that our clients deserve and that our ethics code demands. Quality of care declines.

The Hidden Costs to Companies

If you're a company owner or leader reading this, I want you to understand something: the cost of NOT supporting your BCBAs is almost certainly higher than the cost of providing that support.

Let's talk numbers. The actual financial cost of BCBA turnover includes:

• Recruiting expenses (job postings, interviewing time, background checks)

• Onboarding and training time

• Lost billable hours (revenue) during the transition 

• Potential client loss when families don't want to start over with a new BCBA - more revenue loss

• Decreased team morale and productivity

Industry estimates suggest replacing a BCBA can cost anywhere from 100-200% of their annual salary when you factor in all the direct and indirect costs.

Beyond the financial impact, there's reputational damage in the community. Referral sources notice high turnover. Families talk to each other. Talented job candidates research companies on social media and Glassdoor before applying.

And there are regulatory risks. When overwhelmed BCBAs start cutting corners on documentation or supervision requirements just to keep up, your company's compliance is at stake.

The irony? The cost of providing real support, structured mentorship, administrative assistance, reasonable caseloads, is often significantly LESS than the cost of constantly replacing burned-out staff.

What Support Actually Looks Like

Let's paint a picture of what good support looks like, because I think we've normalized dysfunction to the point where many BCBAs don't even know what to ask for. And to be honest, I've found myself on both sides - supported and not supported.

Real support includes:

Regular clinical consultation and mentorship - not just the supervision required for BCBA renewals, but actual collaborative problem-solving and skill development. This should be provided by an experienced BCBA (minimum 5 years as a certified analyst, IMO)

Clear operational systems and templates - documentation templates, scheduling protocols, onboarding checklists, crisis response procedures

Realistic caseload expectations with built-in capacity for the indirect work that makes direct work effective (planning time, problem-solving time, collaboration time)

Administrative support for scheduling coordination, billing issues, and other non-clinical tasks that eat up your day

Leadership that understands (or actively seeks to understand) the ABA-specific operational needs and time demands of your role

If you're reading this list and thinking "that sounds like a fantasy," that's a problem. These shouldn't be luxuries, they should be baseline professional support.

What You Can Do Right Now

Okay, so we've identified the problem. This has been a long rant, I know, so now what?

I want to give you some practical tools you can use today, whether you're advocating for change in your current role or evaluating whether it's time to look elsewhere.

Tool 1: "Is My Workload Sustainable?" Self-Assessment

Go through this checklist honestly:

• I regularly work more than 40 hours/week to keep up

• I take work home most evenings or weekends

• I don't have consistent time built into my schedule for indirect work (planning, problem-solving, collaboration) - within the 40 hour work week

• I manage more than 15-20 clients simultaneously (depending on service intensity and mid-level support)

• I supervise more than 8-10 RBTs without administrative scheduling support

• I feel anxious about taking time off because there's no coverage plan

• I've started cutting corners on documentation or program updates to keep up

• I can't remember the last time I ate lunch without working

• I question my clinical decisions because I have no one to consult with

• I feel like I'm constantly in crisis/triage mode

How to interpret your results:

0-2 checked: Your workload seems manageable with normal professional stress. Keep monitoring.

3-5 checked: Warning signs. It's time to advocate for specific changes before this becomes unsustainable.

6-8 checked: This is unsustainable. Urgent action is needed—either significant workload adjustments or serious consideration of other options.

9-10 checked: You're in burnout territory. This requires immediate intervention for your health and your clients' wellbeing.

Tool 2: Track Your Time for Real Insight

I know, I know...more documentation is the LAST thing you want to do. But hear me out.

For two weeks, track your time in these categories:

• Direct client hours (assessment, treatment, parent training)

• RBT supervision hours (outside of clinical overlaps)

• Documentation and planning hours

• Meetings and coordination hours

• "Firefighting"/unexpected problem-solving hours

• Administrative tasks (scheduling, billing issues, etc.)

At the end of two weeks, calculate:

• Where is your time actually going?

• How much time are you spending on things that should have systems or support?

• What percentage is clinical work vs. administrative work?

• How many hours per week are you working total?

This data is gold when you need to advocate for support. It's concrete, objective, and much harder to dismiss than "I feel overwhelmed."

You can say: "I tracked my time for two weeks, and I'm spending 12 hours per week on scheduling coordination and administrative tasks. I'd like to discuss either administrative support or a reduced caseload to bring my total hours to a sustainable level."

Tool 3: Use a Triage System When You're Drowning

When everything feels urgent, nothing gets prioritized effectively. I use a Priority Matrix adapted from the Eisenhower Decision Matrix, specifically designed for the realities of ABA practice.

Quadrant 1: Crisis Management (Urgent + Important)

• Safety issues requiring immediate intervention

• Crisis behaviors needing immediate program modification

• Legal or compliance deadlines you cannot miss

• Emergency situations that can't wait

Key insight: If you're spending more than 25% of your time here, you're in reactive mode.

Quadrant 2: Prevention & Strategic Work (Important + Not Urgent) This is where the magic happens:

• Comprehensive program development and refinement

• Proactive parent and RBT training

• Data analysis and trend identification

• Professional development and relationship building

The goal: Spend 60-70% of your time in Quadrant 2 to prevent crises and build long-term success. Most BCBAs spend less than 30% here...that's the problem.

Quadrant 3: Interruptions (Urgent + Not Important)

• Most emails marked "urgent" that aren't actually urgent

• Routine meetings that could be emails

• Non-critical requests that could be handled by others or batched

Strategy: Delegate, batch process, or politely decline.

Quadrant 4: Time Wasters (Neither Urgent nor Important)

• Perfectionist activities with no functional outcome

• Over-organizing that doesn't improve efficiency

• Tasks that feel productive but don't impact client outcomes

Your 5-Minute Daily Triage Ritual:

1. List all tasks for the day (2 minutes)

2. Ask four key questions for each task:

   • Is this a safety or legal issue? → Quadrant 1

   • Does this directly prevent future problems or improve client outcomes? → Quadrant 2

   • Does this feel urgent but could be handled by someone else or delayed? → Quadrant 3

   • Is this busy work that doesn't really matter? → Quadrant 4

3. Plan your day in this sequence:

   • Handle Q1 items immediately and efficiently

   • Block your best energy time for Q2 work

   • Batch Q3 tasks into specific time slots

   • Eliminate or minimize Q4 activities

Do this every morning for two weeks, and it becomes automatic. Your brain will start naturally categorizing tasks as they come in.

Want to see this system in action? I've created a free Triage Masterclass (20 minutes of your time) that walks you through the Behavior Analyst Priority Matrix with real BCBA scenarios and gives you a google worksheet you can start using immediately. You can access it here: Triage Masterclass

A Call for Change

Here's what I want you to take away from this:

If you're struggling, it's not because you're incompetent. It's not because you're not cut out for this field. It's not because you need to work harder or be more organized or have better time management.

You're struggling because the system is broken.

This "figure it out yourself" culture doesn't have to be the norm. BCBAs deserve better. Our clients deserve better. And frankly, companies benefit when they provide real support, financially, reputationally, and ethically.

Whether you're advocating for change in your current role or seeking a company that already gets it, the first step is knowing your worth and understanding your limits.

You became a BCBA to help people, to make a difference in people's lives, to use the science of behavior analysis to create meaningful change. You can't do that effectively when you're drowning.

It's time we stop accepting "figure it out" as an acceptable answer and start demanding, and creating, the support systems that allow BCBAs to do their best work.

Next Steps: You Don't Have to Do This Alone

If you identified with this story, know that you're not alone. And if this self-assessment revealed that your workload is unsustainable, I encourage you to take action.

Start here (free resources):

• Take the workload sustainability self-assessment in this post

• Check out my free Triage Masterclass to learn the Behavior Analyst Priority Matrix system with real scenarios and worksheet LINK HERE

• Track your time for two weeks to get concrete data

Ready for structured support? Check out my Complete Burnout Prevention System, which includes:

• The full Identify → Triage → Prevent framework

• Time management strategies specifically designed for BCBAs

• Boundary-setting tools that actually work in ABA settings

• All the templates and workbooks you need to implement the system

• 6.5 CEUs

Learn more about the Complete System Burnout Prevention System (it's recorded access to complete at a time and cadence that works with your schedule).

Need personalized guidance? If you're facing complex challenges, multiple locations, minimal company support, unclear expectations, sometimes you need someone to help you navigate your specific situation. I offer 1:1 coaching for BCBAs who are ready to tackle burnout but need customized strategies for their unique circumstances. And...TBH, I've probably been where you are now.

In our coaching sessions, we:

• Conduct a comprehensive workload audit specific to your situation

• Develop personalized time management and boundary-setting strategies

• Create scripts and action plans for advocating with your leadership

• Build your confidence in making difficult decisions about your career

Learn more about 1:1 coaching by scheduling a free 15-minute consultation call to see if it's the right fit.

We're all in this together. Let's start taking care of each other, and ourselves.