“Some days I feel like I’m just going through the motions. I got into this field because I wanted to make a difference, but between the paperwork, the caseload, and the lack of support… I’m starting to wonder how much longer I can keep doing this.”
This candid admission from Jessica, a BCBA with seven years of experience, resonated deeply with me. It wasn’t an isolated sentiment. As I interviewed dozens of ABA therapists across the country, I heard variations of the same concerning reality:
- “I spend almost as much time on documentation as I do with my clients.”
- “When I raise concerns about my workload, I’m made to feel like I’m not committed enough.”
- “I love working with these children, but the company culture makes it harder than it needs to be.”
These raw, vulnerable conversations changed how I think about autism therapy forever. They’ve shaped the foundation of what we’re building – what we call our “Human-First Framework” – an approach to ABA therapy that will be radically different from anything I’ve seen in the field.
But I’m getting ahead of myself. Let me back up and tell you how this all started.
“You’re Going to Burn Out Too”
I didn’t begin my career in ABA. I worked in healthcare technology, developing treatments for neurological conditions at BRAIN.Q. But with family members deeply involved in autism services, I’d always been adjacent to this world.
When I decided to create a new kind of ABA company, I thought I understood the challenges. I was wrong.
“You have no idea what it’s really like,” one veteran BCBA told me bluntly when I shared my initial business plan. “Your company will be different for about six months. Then you’ll face the same pressures as everyone else, make the same compromises, and your therapists will burn out too.”
Her skepticism stung, but it also challenged me. Was she right? Was therapist burnout simply inevitable in this field?
I decided to find out by going straight to the source – the therapists themselves.
The Kitchen Table Conversations That Changed Everything
Over the next three months, I sat down with more than 50 BCBAs, RBTs, and other ABA professionals. Some conversations happened in coffee shops, others over Zoom. Many of the most revealing talks happened around kitchen tables, late at night, after therapists had finished their documentation for the day.
I asked simple questions and then just listened:
- What brought you into this field?
- What keeps you going on hard days?
- What’s pushing you to leave?
- If you could change anything about your job, what would it be?
The stories poured out. Beneath the specific details, clear patterns emerged:
The passion was real. Every therapist I spoke with deeply cared about the children they served. They remembered first words, celebrated tiny victories, and stayed in the field despite challenges because they believed in the work.
The system was strained. Impossible caseloads, endless documentation, limited support, and rigid protocols weren’t just minor frustrations — they were daily obstacles to doing meaningful work.
I took the time to go through the data I collected, and I was shocked:
- Over 50% of BCBAs said they were unhappy in their roles
- 25% were actively considering leaving the field
- Only 36% described themselves as satisfied
- 27% reported burnout from intense client demands
- 29% felt taken advantage of by a profit-driven culture
- 23% pointed to disorganized operations as a major challenge
- 33%+ cited a negative company culture
- Nearly 50% described their workplace as outright toxic
While these numbers certainly don’t represent everyone in the field, they do reflect the voices of many who are quietly struggling. And again and again, I heard similar sentiment:
“I can handle the challenges of the work itself. It’s everything else that’s pushing me out.”
The Five Things Every ABA Therapist Needs
As I analyzed these conversations, I realized that the traditional ABA model was failing to meet therapists’ most basic human needs. Beyond fair pay and reasonable hours (which were often lacking too), therapists were starving for five fundamental elements:
1. Safety: Physical and Emotional Protection
“During a particularly challenging session, I ended up with a minor injury,” one RBT told me. “When I called my supervisor, they seemed more concerned about whether the billing paperwork was complete than how I was doing.”
Safety isn’t just about physical support during difficult moments (though that’s important). It’s about creating an environment where therapists know their wellbeing genuinely matters.
That’s why at Bright Pathways, we’re building safety into our very foundation:
- Reasonable caseload limits: We’re establishing clear caseload guidelines that will be respected, preventing the common practice of continually adding “just one more client.”
- Responsive support systems: We’re designing protocols so that when a therapist needs assistance, help will be readily available and judgment-free.
- Permission to be human: Our policies will explicitly recognize that therapist wellbeing is essential to quality care, not an afterthought.
One BCBA I interviewed shared: “If I felt that my company truly prioritized my wellbeing instead of just talking about self-care while continuously increasing expectations, I’d be much more likely to stay in this field long-term.”
2. Connection: Breaking the Isolation
“The loneliness nearly broke me,” a BCBA with ten years of experience confided. “I would go entire weeks without a meaningful conversation with another adult professional who understood what I was experiencing.”
ABA therapy can be incredibly isolating. Therapists often work one-on-one with clients in homes or schools, with minimal peer interaction. This isolation doesn’t just feel bad – it prevents collaboration and innovation.
At Bright Pathways, we’re designing structures specifically to foster connection:
- Team-based support: Rather than assigning cases solely to individuals, we’ll create collaborative teams where multiple perspectives enhance care.
- Structured connection time: We’ll build regular opportunities for therapists to share experiences, challenges, and successes.
- Celebration rituals: We’ll create meaningful ways to collectively recognize the breakthroughs that make this work so rewarding.
“If I had colleagues I could actually talk to about the challenges I’m facing,” one therapist told me, “I think I could handle everything else. The isolation makes every problem feel ten times bigger.”
3. Recognition: Being Seen as a Whole Person
“After five years and hundreds of breakthroughs with children, my company recognized me with a $5 Starbucks gift card and a form email that misspelled my name.”
This story, shared by an experienced BCBA, reflected a common theme: therapists rarely feel truly seen and valued for their contributions.
We’re designing Bright Pathways with recognition systems that go far beyond token gestures:
- Impact tracking: Tools that help therapists see and celebrate the difference they’re making for children and families.
- Expertise validation: Structures that actively seek out and implement therapists’ insights and innovations.
- Growth acknowledgment: Meaningful recognition of professional development and new skills.
As one therapist put it: “I don’t need constant praise. I just need to know that my expertise matters – that I’m not just an interchangeable part in a billing machine.”
4. Autonomy: Having a Real Voice
“I knew the protocol wasn’t working for this particular child. I could see it. The parents could see it. But I wasn’t allowed to adapt it without going through three levels of approval – which would take weeks. Meanwhile, the child was suffering.”
This frustration, shared by multiple therapists, highlighted a critical need: professional autonomy.
At Bright Pathways, we’re building decision-making structures that distribute power more equitably:
- Meaningful input: Therapists will have genuine influence over which clients they work with, ensuring better matches for everyone.
- Methodological flexibility: While maintaining evidence-based standards, we’ll encourage adaptation to each child’s unique needs.
- Structural voice: Through our planned Therapist Voice Initiative, therapists will propose, vote on, and implement changes to company policies and procedures.
“Just once,” an RBT told me, “I’d like to work somewhere where my professional judgment actually matters. Where I’m not just implementing someone else’s plan with no room for adjustment.”
5. Wholeness: Life Beyond the Job
This is perhaps the most radical element of our approach, and the one that will separate us most clearly from traditional ABA providers.
“At my previous company, having a life outside work was seen as lack of commitment,” a therapist told me. “When I mentioned my pottery class, my supervisor said, ‘That’s nice, but I need people who are all-in on ABA.'”
At Bright Pathways, we’re building a model that recognizes therapists are whole human beings with lives, passions, and needs outside their professional identity:
- Life accommodation: Our scheduling and caseload systems will be designed to adapt to life’s realities – family needs, personal emergencies, and important life events.
- Passion support: We’ll create time and resources for therapists to pursue projects they’re passionate about, whether directly related to ABA or not.
- Personal growth pathways: We’ll support therapists in growing in directions that matter to them personally, not just professionally.
- Dream cultivation: Whether it’s furthering education, developing side projects, or even planning future career moves, we’ll help therapists build toward their dreams.
“I’ve never heard of an ABA company that actually supports therapists as whole people,” one BCBA told me. “That would be revolutionary.”
Reimagining What’s Possible in ABA Therapy
I won’t pretend we have all the answers. We’re building something new, and we’ll undoubtedly face challenges along the way.
But the core insight driving everything we do is clear: By creating structures that support therapists as whole human beings with complex needs, we can transform the experience of both providing and receiving ABA therapy.
The therapists I’ve interviewed have consistently told me they never thought ABA could work differently. Many have accepted burnout as simply “part of the job.” I refuse to believe that’s true.
There’s a better way forward – one that honors both the children we serve and the remarkable therapists who make transformation possible. That’s what we’re building at Bright Pathways.
Why This Matters for Families
If you’re a parent or caregiver reading this, you might wonder how our approach will impact the children we serve.
The connection is direct and powerful:
- Therapists who aren’t burned out bring more creativity, patience, and emotional presence to each session
- Therapists who stay in the field provide the consistency that’s crucial for children with autism
- Therapists who feel professionally valued continuously improve their skills
- Therapists with autonomy can adapt approaches to your child’s unique needs rather than following rigid protocols
- Therapists who are supported as whole people have more capacity to connect with your child as a whole person
When we interviewed parents about their experiences with traditional ABA services, many expressed frustration with therapist turnover and inconsistency. One mother told me: “My son had four different therapists in six months. Each time, we basically had to start over. How is he supposed to make progress that way?”
By supporting therapists through our Human-First Framework, we aim to provide the stability and quality that children with autism truly deserve.
Join Us in Building Something Different
What we’re creating at Bright Pathways isn’t just another ABA company. It’s a movement to transform how autism therapy is delivered – by putting the humans at the center of the work.
If you’re a therapist who resonates with this approach, I invite you to reach out. Whether you’re exploring future opportunities or simply want to share your own experiences, I’d love to continue the conversation.
If you’re a parent seeking therapy for your child, I encourage you to ask questions about how your provider supports their therapists. The wellbeing of the professionals working with your child directly impacts the quality of care they receive.
Together, we can create an approach to ABA therapy that honors everyone involved – by recognizing and supporting the full humanity of both the children we serve and the therapists who dedicate their lives to making a difference.
The kitchen table conversations that started this journey continue to shape our work as we build Bright Pathways. I’d love to hear your story and how we might create a better future for ABA therapy together.
Moshe is the founder of Bright Pathways ABA. Connect with him to share your story or learn more about our Human-First approach.
