Assessment Before Action: Why Most ABA Companies Are Approaching 2026 RBT Changes Wrong

Many ABA clinics are working to update their RBT training programs before the 2026 requirements take effect. This is a big undertaking, and requires a lot of hard work. However, many are jumping straight into adjusting their trainings without going through the assessment phase, setting themselves up for compliance issues and ineffective training. Today, we will talk about the assessment steps that are being missed, as well as why proper evaluation is essential for successful training outcomes.

The Critical Assessment Steps You're Missing

What exactly are companies overlooking when they rush to update their training programs? In my experience, there are three fundamental assessment areas that get consistently skipped, and each one creates its own set of problems down the line.

1. Day-in-the-Life Analysis

Many training directors forget to assess what their RBTs do on a daily basis. Sure, you know they are running programs, but do you know what prompt hierarchies are being used with actual clients? Training content needs to align with real job functions. This means that you aren’t just teaching the essentials of behavior analysis, but you are providing your employees with the tools they need to actually work with their clients. How do you get this alignment? Evaluate how RBTs use the training material in their work environment. For example, observe experienced RBTs implementing DTT, and train new RBTs to use the same procedures.  

2. Outcome Definition and Measurement

Even when companies consider the day-to-day reality of their RBTs, they often stumble on the next critical step: clearly defining what success looks like. When training goals and success metrics are unclear, it is difficult to determine whether training has been effective. Ask yourself: 

• What should my RBTs achieve from their training? Other than passing the RBT exam, what do you want them to get out of training?
• How will I measure success? Behavior analysts are masters at measuring behavior. Pinpoint the behaviors you want to see, and identify the best ways to measure this.
• Is the current system set up to demonstrate results? If the goal is to have RBTs trained and working independently within 15 working days, you need to measure latency from their first day on the job to their first day working independently. 

When you have defined the outcomes you want to see and built a system to measure these outcomes, you are set up to determine the success of your training program. If you haven’t previously measured this, there is no better time to start than now!

3. Implementation Integrity Assessment

Having clear goals is essential, but many organizations have another blind spot: they don’t know whether their training program is being delivered as designed. This is especially true for organizations with multiple sites. Trainers may go “off script” and spend a bit longer on one section of the training, cut another short, or change the procedures taught. The reality is that a training program that works on paper isn’t enough. We need to identify how closely the training outline is being followed. This sets the stage for ruling out implementation errors ff our RBTs aren’t progressing through the training or exiting with the necessary skills.

Common Misconceptions About New Requirements

Now that we've covered what's being missed in assessment, let's address the misconceptions that often drive these oversights. I've noticed some consistent patterns in how organizations approach the new BACB® requirements; unfortunately, these misunderstandings could set them up for bigger problems later.

Misconception #1: "It's Just a Little More Work"

Many companies are underestimating the scope of the changes needed. These changes require more than adding an hour of ethics here and a little more supervision there. Hour requirements and duration expectations have significantly changed. We used to be able to allocate time however we wanted, as long as the total training was at least 40 hours and covered all the required topics. Now, we are required to spend a minimum of 20 hours on behavior-change interventions and 3 hours on data collection and graphing. It will take a lot of work to ensure your training meets all these requirements.

Misconception #2: Professional Development Confusion

Beyond underestimating the scope of work, there's another area where I see companies making costly assumptions: professional development for RBTs. I’ve heard people say that they already do in-clinic trainings when new client programs are introduced. However, the BACB® has specifically stated that training on client programs does not count toward professional development (page 6). This means that organizations will need to outsource their professional development or dedicate additional time towards creating continuing education for their RBTs in order to stay in compliance.

Misconception #3: Quick Implementation Timeline

This misconception about professional development ties directly into a broader problem I see everywhere: unrealistic timelines. To be frank, the idea that these changes can be made quickly and easily is wrong. Proper instructional design takes thoughtful planning. According to Adam Hockman, Senior Vice President of Learning Partnerships and Growth at ABA Technologies, it can take an instructional designer over 100 hours to create one hour of quality content for learners. And each of these 40 hours is not created in isolation; one change affects the entire training narrative and flow. 

Your First Step: The Training Audit

Given all these potential pitfalls, you might be wondering: "Where do I even start?" The answer is simpler than you might think, but it requires resisting the urge to jump straight into content creation.

What to Evaluate First

1. Compliance Audit: How does your current training align with new BACB requirements? This means getting baseline measures, if necessary. You need to know how much time you are currently spending on documentation and reporting in order to determine whether you are meeting the 3-hour requirement for this topic.
2. Gap Analysis: What do you need to add, change, or modify? After identifying where you are now, you can start to piece together what changes you need to make before January 2026.
3. Quality Assessment: Does your existing content actually fit your needs? Once you’ve determined where you are now and where you need to improve, you can dig even deeper to determine whether your training is working to effectively and efficiently train your RBTs. 

Why Start Here

You aren’t out of compliance yet, but January is fast approaching. By starting with an assessment, you avoid wasting time on unnecessary changes. The results of your assessment will also create a roadmap for strategic improvements within your organization. Once you know where your gaps lie, as well as the metrics needed to evaluate training success, you will know where to start updating your training.

The Real Consequences of Skipping Assessment

If you're still thinking, "This all sounds important, but we're really pressed for time," let me paint a picture of what happens when organizations skip these assessment steps. The consequences fall into three main categories, and none of them are worth the time you think you're saving.

Compliance Risks

The new training requirements go into effect in January 2026. Failing to meet these new standards from the BACB® could lead to potential regulatory issues for your organization. 

Training Effectiveness Problems

Compliance issues are just the tip of the iceberg. The more insidious problems happen when your training technically meets requirements but fails to prepare your staff for their actual jobs. In consulting with clinics, I found a gap between knowledge and practice. RBTs can regurgitate information, but they can’t apply it. This is caused by misaligned content in the initial training. When RBTs are taught one prompting hierarchy in training but need to use a different one in practice, their training does not match their job requirements. This relates to the final problem I have observed: focusing on content delivery rather than practical application. Yes, the goal of the 40-hour training is to produce a technician who can pass the RBT exam. However, the real goal is to create a competent RBT who can positively impact your clients' lives. When we teach with this end in mind, we focus more on practical application than content delivery alone.

Organizational Impact

These training effectiveness problems don't exist in a vacuum—they ripple throughout your entire organization in ways that directly impact your bottom line and culture. A disjointed training experience causes a lack of continuity throughout the employee’s time with your company. When training has a poor scope and sequence, the learning progression doesn’t make sense, causing further employee confusion. You get poor messaging when instructor-led training and job shadowing don’t align with the core training. All of this can lead to employee dissatisfaction, frustration, and turnover. 

Moving Forward: Building Assessment into Your Process

I know this might feel overwhelming, especially if you're already in the middle of updating your training program. But here's the good news: you don't have to start over from scratch. You just need to build assessment into your process going forward. Assessment isn’t optional– it’s foundational to effective training. This process needs to include understanding your RBTs’ daily reality so you can design practical training. Once you’ve completed your assessment, the work isn’t over yet. It is essential that you continuously evaluate your training and conduct integrity checks. All of these things take time, but they prevent costly mistakes. 

So what does this look like in practice? Here are the concrete steps you can take starting today:

• Conduct a comprehensive audit of your current training program
• Assess the gap between training content and job requirements
• Establish clear success metrics and measurement systems
• Build assessment into your ongoing training improvement process

Conclusion

The path forward doesn't have to be complicated, but it does require a shift in mindset. Instead of viewing assessment as a hurdle to overcome, start seeing it as the foundation that everything else builds on. Skipping assessment can be a costly shortcut with detrimental consequences. While a thorough assessment may feel tedious, the long-term benefits of this investment include more effective training, better alignment between training and daily practice, and happier, more engaged employees.