What should a new RBT's first 90 days look like?

A new RBT's first 90 days should move in three steps. Days 1 to 30 are for shadowing and closely supervised sessions. Days 31 to 60 build independence in data collection, documentation and caregiver handoffs. Days 61 to 90 are about consistency, feedback and sustainable habits. Underneath all of it sits the BACB's monthly supervision minimum: at least 5% of service hours, with at least two real-time, face-to-face contacts.

This isn't clinical advice, and RealEdge Labs is not a clinical provider. Your BCBAs and your organization's policies lead. BACB requirements change, too, so check bacb.com before you build anything on them. The facts below were checked against BACB pages in October 2026.

What the BACB requires (and what changed in 2026)

According to the BACB's RBT Handbook (updated June 2026), to get certified an applicant must:

• Meet the eligibility basics. Be at least 18, have a high school education or equivalent, and pass a criminal background check and abuse registry check.
• Complete 40 hours of training. It must take at least 5 days and no more than 180, and meet the BACB's 2026 training requirements and curriculum outline.
• Pass an Initial Competency Assessment. It comes after the training and no more than 90 days before the application.
• Pass the RBT exam.

Once certified, an RBT must receive supervision for at least 5% of the hours they spend providing behavior-analytic services each calendar month. That has to include at least two face-to-face, real-time contacts. At least one must be individual, and in at least one the supervisor observes the RBT working with a client.

The BACB rolled out several changes effective January 1, 2026:

• Supervisors must be certified. The noncertified RBT Supervisor role is gone. RBT Supervisors must now hold BCaBA or BCBA certification.
• New training and assessment. Applicants applying on or after that date need training that meets the 2026 requirements. There's no bridge course from the old version. They also complete the updated Initial Competency Assessment.
• Updated exam. The exam is now based on the RBT Test Content Outline (3rd ed.).
• Two-year recertification. Recertification moves from every year to every two years. RBTs certified on or after January 1, 2026 start their two-year window when they certify. Current RBTs complete a Recertification Competency Assessment at their 2026 renewal, and their two-year cycle starts there.
• Professional development. RBTs earn 12 professional development units (PDUs) in each two-year cycle, which can include employer in-service training led by a BCaBA or BCBA.

Days 1 to 30: shadow, then serve with support

• Shadowing. Pair the new tech with an experienced RBT and the BCBA across several clients before they lead a session. Debrief each one: what they saw, what surprised them, what they'd ask about.
• Supervised first sessions. Have the BCBA or an experienced RBT nearby for the first sessions with each client. Front-load the observation. The 5% figure is a monthly minimum, not a target.
• Know the plan cold. Before working with any client, the tech reviews the behavior plan, the data sheets and the crisis procedures with the supervisor.
• The routing rule. Teach this in week one: clinical questions from anyone go to the supervising BCBA. The RBT Ethics Code (2.0) directs RBTs to bring caregiver questions about services to their supervisor.

Days 31 to 60: data, documentation and caregiver handoffs

• Data collection. Spot-check data against the supervisor's own observations. Coach on definitions until they agree. The 2026 training outline puts real weight on reliable measurement and on reporting changes to the supervisor.
• Documentation. Session notes should be objective and on time. Review a sample every week. Vague notes in month two turn into habits in month six.
• Caregiver conversations. This is when the tech starts doing handoffs on their own. Give them short, BCBA-approved scripts and role-play the tricky moments. We wrote a full guide on preparing RBTs for caregiver conversations.
• Feedback loop. Use at least one monthly contact to observe a full session, including the handoff, and give specific, behavior-level feedback.

Days 61 to 90: consistency and sustainability

• Fidelity check. Have the BCBA observe for procedural integrity across clients, not just the easiest one.
• Harder moments. Review how the tech handled escalations, schedule changes and the questions caregivers ask over and over. Retrain where needed.
• Self-care and burnout. This work is physically and emotionally demanding. Talk about it out loud. Is the schedule realistic, including drive time? Does the tech know who to call after a hard session? The BACB lists managing stress as an appropriate in-service topic, so build a session around it.
• Professional development. Show the tech how PDUs work and what's coming before their first recertification.
• The 90-day conversation. What's going well, what still feels shaky, and what they want to learn next.

Where practice tools fit

New techs need more repetitions on hard conversations than supervision hours allow. That's why we built Steady, a voice practice tool where new RBTs rehearse caregiver conversations and tough in-session moments with AI characters. A Mentor gives feedback that rewards routing clinical questions to the BCBA. It's in pilot. It doesn't count as supervision and it doesn't replace live role-play or a BCBA's feedback. If your agency already runs a lot of live role-play and has time for it, you may not need it.