Making Supervision Fit Into Your Day (Not Pile Onto It)

You’re running a session, taking data, updating a program, answering a parent question—and suddenly it hits you: I haven’t done any supervision this week.

Sound familiar?

You’re not alone. Many BCBAs® feel like supervision is something they have to carve out extra time for. But here’s the truth: meaningful supervision doesn’t have to be a separate event. It can flow with your day.

The Problem: Supervision Feels Like a Separate Job

Supervision often gets treated like a standalone task. That means:

• Planning extra meetings

• Reviewing checklists after hours

• Scrambling to hit monthly hour requirements

This model is unsustainable—and unnecessary.

The Shift: Integration Over Isolation

What if supervision didn’t require more hours—but more alignment with your everyday work?

Here’s what integrated supervision can look like:

• Tracking one skill during a session

• Debriefing immediately afterward

• Embedding feedback into existing conversations

The Puzzle Piece

Picture your schedule like a puzzle. Most supervision systems feel like a forced piece that never quite fits. Integrated supervision is that perfectly shaped puzzle piece—it clicks in naturally, without crowding out everything else.

Practical Ways to Integrate Supervision

Start with these small shifts:

• Real-time feedback: Pause briefly to note a strength or growth area as it happens.

• Skill spotting: Choose one target skill per session (e.g., pairing, prompting, data fidelity).

• Quick reflections: Use 2-minute debriefs right after a session to reinforce growth.

Research Backing This Approach

According to Parsons et al. (2012), in-the-moment feedback during sessions can be more effective than post-hoc reviews for skill acquisition and maintenance. Embedding supervision activities into sessions also improves generalization of professional skills.

Try This: The 3-Minute Supervision Add-On

This week, try a quick integration routine:

1. Before a session: Identify one skill to observe.

2. During the session: Jot one strength and one area for growth.

3. After the session: Ask one reflective question and co-create a next step.

The Takeaway

You don’t need to overhaul your schedule to improve supervision—you just need to weave it in. When supervision becomes part of your natural workflow, it stops feeling like a burden.

Integration is the antidote to overwhelm.

And soon, a system will help make this easier to track, reflect on, and sustain.

Ready to Take Your Supervision to the Next Level?

If you're feeling the pressure to make your RBT® supervision more meaningful and manageable, you're not alone. Supervising isn't just about compliance—it's about connection, clarity, and cultivating confident, competent behavior technicians. Whether you're just getting started or looking to refine your approach, you don’t have to reinvent the wheel.

For more actionable tips, tools, and real-world resources to elevate your RBT® supervision game, head over to www.elevateyourabasupervision.com. It’s your one-stop hub for building better systems, stronger relationships, and sustainable supervision practices.

Want to dive deeper? Check out these CEU courses designed specifically for BCBAs® who supervise:

• The Retention Revolution: The Secret to Reducing RBT Burnout – Discover proven strategies to keep your RBTs® engaged, energized, and empowered.

• The Supervisor's Toolbox: Strategies for Building Effective Relationships – Learn how to foster trust, transparency, and team cohesion with your supervisees.

• The Feedback Loop: Engineering a Culture of Collaboration and Growth in ABA – Transform your feedback from one-sided to collaborative, ongoing, and growth-oriented.

• Precision Supervision: High-Yield Tools for Thriving RBTs® and Balanced BCBAs® – Streamline your systems and amplify outcomes with efficient, research-backed practices.

• What Your Training Didn't Cover: Closing the Cultural Humility Gap in Supervision – Address the often-overlooked dynamics that impact equity and effectiveness in supervision.

Whether you're managing burnout, building rapport, or boosting clinical impact—you're not in this alone. You're building something meaningful. Let's make sure your supervision reflects that.

Reference

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

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