🎙️ In the Field: The ABA Podcast
Supporting Executive Functioning for Staff & Supervisees in ABA
In this episode, Allyson sits down with Amy Theobold—ABA business owner, college executive functioning coach, and parent—to explore how executive functioning challenges impact not only learners and college students but also the RBTs, supervisees, and BCBAs working in our clinics.
From building self-management in new BCBAs to proactively supporting staff performance, Amy shares practical systems she’s developed in her own practice and how viewing performance through an executive functioning lens can reduce frustration, increase staff retention, and promote more compassionate supervision.
🔑 Key Topics:
The Broader Lens of Executive Functioning
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Amy's journey started by preparing her own children for college—focusing on skills like planning, problem-solving, and initiating tasks.
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Her coaching business now supports neurodivergent college students with skill-building to improve graduation outcomes.
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Why this matters: Only 33% of neurodivergent students graduate within six years. Lack of executive functioning—not intelligence—is often the root cause.
Bringing Executive Functioning into the ABA Workplace
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Executive functioning gaps aren’t exclusive to learners—Amy saw similar deficits in clinic staff: lateness, poor follow-through, difficulty prioritizing, etc.
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Instead of defaulting to punitive measures or performance improvement plans, Amy encourages:
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Assessing executive functioning proactively
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Coaching staff to build systems and routines
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Using a behavioral lens to understand root causes (e.g., is it task initiation or planning?)
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Behavioral Bonus: As behavior analysts, we’re uniquely equipped to analyze these patterns and support change functionally.
Executive Functioning ≠ Character Flaws
“You get to stop being mad at people for not having great workplace behaviors.” – Amy
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Shifting the mindset from blame to systems thinking reduces burnout for supervisors and increases retention.
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Common staff performance issues may stem from:
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Amy emphasizes consent and collaboration when addressing executive functioning with staff—making it a coaching relationship, not a judgmental one.
Practical Systems for Performance Support
Amy shares examples from her clinic’s performance support structure:
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✅ Proactive assessments: Staff identify executive functioning strengths/needs during onboarding and bi-monthly training.
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✅ Goal setting: Staff set goals like improving attendance, planning their week, or emotional regulation.
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✅ Tiered support: BCBAs meet regularly with staff to provide feedback and coach through barriers.
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✅ Environmental modifications: Examples include rotating troubleshooters to reduce interruptions and data sheet redesigns to improve accuracy.
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✅ Creative reinforcement: From snow cone machines to scheduled BCBA-run breaks, reinforcement is tailored to staff values.
Executive Functioning in Supervision
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Supervisors should provide shaping and structure early in the BCBA journey—just like we do with our learners.
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Over-supporting without building independence is a risk—but so is under-supporting due to unrealistic expectations.
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Tips from the conversation:
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Be explicit about expectations and systems up front.
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Normalize the need for mentorship and ongoing learning—even after certification.
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Create accountability systems for essential milestones (e.g., monthly verification forms).
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Encourage supervisees to understand their own strengths and limits through executive functioning self-reflection.
💡 Key Takeaways
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Executive functioning challenges don’t disappear at adulthood. Supporting these skills leads to better performance, retention, and quality care.
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Supervisors and business owners can reduce frustration and turnover by using systems and antecedents, not just consequences.
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The same supports we provide learners—like checklists, scaffolding, and shaping—can and should be used with our staff.
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Creating a culture of curiosity, safety, and individualization promotes more sustainable workplaces in ABA.
🔍 Keywords:
Executive Functioning, Supervision in ABA, Staff Performance, BCBA Supervision, Self-Management, Systems Thinking, RBT Support, Coaching for Behavior Technicians, Universal Design for Learning, Neurodivergent Professionals
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