50 Questions Every RBT® Should Ask in Supervision (and Why They Matter)

You’ve been there: you sit down for supervision and say, “So… do you have any questions?” And your RBT® smiles politely and says, “Nope, I’m good!”

Cue the awkward silence.

For BCBAs®, these moments can feel like missed opportunities. And for RBTs®? They often don’t know what they don’t know. But what if we flipped the script?

This post gives you 50 powerful questions that RBTs® can (and should) ask during supervision. More importantly, it helps you, the supervisor, use these questions to guide clinical thinking, deepen reflection, and strengthen your relationship.

Why RBT® Questions Matter in Supervision

Asking questions isn’t just about curiosity—it’s about critical thinking. When RBTs® learn to ask good questions, they:

• Build clinical reasoning skills

• Feel more engaged and confident

• Take more ownership of their professional growth

According to Sellers, Valentino, & LeBlanc (2016), effective supervision must include opportunities for reflection, problem-solving, and values clarification—not just task list training. Questions are the bridge.

And for neurodivergent RBTs® or those newer to the field, structured questioning can reduce anxiety, clarify expectations, and make supervision more inclusive.

What Makes a Good Supervision Question?

Good questions are:

• Open-ended (no yes/no answers)

• Relevant to real-life practice

• Scaffolded from the RBT® Task List

• Grounded in curiosity, not perfectionism

A supervisor’s job is to make space for these questions—and model how to ask them.

FREE DOWNLOAD:

RBT® Supervision Question Guide
Want a printable version of these questions to use in your next meeting? 👉 Download the Free Supervision Questions PDF

This includes: - 50 categorized questions - Reflection journal prompts - Space for goal tracking

50 RBT® Questions to Ask in Supervision

Skill-Based Questions

1. What are some ways I could fade prompts in this program?

2. How do I know if a client has mastered a target?

3. Can you model how you’d run this DTT?

4. Is there a better way to take data on this behavior?

5. What error correction strategies should I use here?

Ethical Questions

6. What should I do if a parent asks me to do something outside of the plan?

7. How do I handle dual relationships?

8. Can we talk about the difference between punishment and reinforcement?

9. What if I disagree with how a program is written?

10. What are my reporting responsibilities if I see something concerning?

Relationship and Teamwork Questions

11. How can I collaborate better with the SLP or OT?

12. What’s the best way to communicate concerns with another RBT®?

13. Can we role-play giving respectful feedback?

14. What do you wish RBTs® knew about working with BCBAs®?

15. What does “professionalism” mean in our setting?

Session Management Questions

16. What should I do if a session is clearly not going well?

17. Can I rearrange the order of targets?

18. What are examples of “teaching in the moment”?

19. How do I know if I’m providing too much help?

20. What do I do when the client refuses to work?

Learning & Development Questions

21. How can I prepare to grow in this field?

22. What CEUs or trainings do you recommend?

23. Can I help with data graphing or treatment planning?

24. How do I know if I’m ready for more responsibility?

25. What does it take to become a BCBA®?

Values-Based Questions

26. Why do we use ABA with this client?

27. How do we make sure we respect the client’s autonomy?

28. What does “socially significant” mean?

29. Are we building skills that matter to this family?

30. What do you care most about when writing goals?

Cultural Responsiveness Questions

31. How do we honor this client’s cultural background?

32. Can we discuss different communication norms?

33. What questions should I ask families to understand them better?

34. How do I avoid making assumptions about behavior?

35. What should I do if I make a cultural mistake?

Clinical Thinking Questions

36. What’s the function of this behavior?

37. Could this be a skill deficit instead of noncompliance?

38. How does this intervention reduce harm?

39. What are the risks of doing nothing?

40. If this plan doesn’t work, what’s Plan B?

Meta-Supervision Questions (About Supervision Itself)

41. What should I expect from supervision?

42. How do I ask for help without seeming unprepared?

43. Can we set a goal for the next quarter together?

44. Is there something I’m doing that I could improve?

45. What’s one thing I’m doing well that I should keep doing?

Reflective Practice Questions

46. What did I learn this week?

47. When did I feel most confident in session?

48. What felt hard or unclear?

49. What feedback helped me most this month?

50. What do I want to work on next?

How Supervisors Can Use These Questions

• Start each supervision with one question from a category

• Turn questions into journal prompts for RBTs®

• Use them to guide goal setting or training topics in ASCEND

• Encourage RBTs® to bring 1–2 questions to each session

• Reflect together using questions 46–50 at the end of the month

Want to make this even easier? Check out the ASCEND RBT® Assessment System — you can track skill development, set goals, and align supervision to meaningful questions (without piecing together Google Docs).

Final Thoughts: Questions Are a Form of Advocacy

When RBTs® ask thoughtful questions, they:

• Clarify expectations

• Learn how to problem-solve

• Build trust with their supervisors

• Advocate for themselves and their clients

As supervisors, we don’t need to have all the answers. We just need to make room for the right questions.

Related Resources:

• Supervision with Purpose: CEUs

• Free Elevate RBT® Supervision Tracker

References

Behavior Analyst Certification Board®. (2022). Ethics code for behavior analysts. https://www.bacb.com/ethics-code/

Behavior Analyst Certification Board®. (2022). RBT® supervision requirements. https://www.bacb.com/rbt/rbt-requirements/

Parsons, M. B., Rollyson, J. H., & Reid, D. H. (2012). Evidence-based staff training: A guide for practitioners. Behavior Analysis in Practice, 5(2), 2–11. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03391819

Sellers, T. P., LeBlanc, L. A., & Valentino, A. L. (2016). Recommendations for Detecting and Addressing Barriers to Successful Supervision. Behavior analysis in practice, 9(4), 309–319. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-016-0142-z

Created by Elevate Your ABA Supervision — practical tools, training, and resources for BCBA® supervisors who want to mentor with meaning.