Practical ABA Training for Families and Future RBTs
UT San Antonio’s five-week, 40-hour RBT training combines weekly live virtual instruction with online video modules and practice exercises. The course introduces applied behavior analysis (ABA) concepts for people supporting loved ones, students or clients and for those exploring professional RBT certification. Participants meet with an instructor once each week for two hours and complete guided independent work between sessions.
A distinctive part of UT San Antonio’s curriculum is its university-developed verbal behavior component. Participants explore how ABA concepts relate to communication, learning, reinforcement and individualized support for autistic people and people with other developmental disabilities. This training builds foundational knowledge; it does not qualify participants to independently deliver clinical ABA treatment.
This course will cover the basic principles and concepts of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA):
- operationally defining and measuring
- target behavior
- functions of behavior
- data recording
- graphing
- program evaluation
- preference assessment
- reinforcement
- antecedent and contingency-based interventions
- discrete trial training (DTT)
- natural environment training (NET)
- fidelity of implementation
- reducing challenging behavior
- relevant issues to include ethical considerations, and RBT additional requirements and supervision.
Registered Behavior Technicians are trained paraprofessionals who implement behavior-analytic services under qualified supervision. You do not have to seek this credential to benefit from the course; the RBT role is one optional professional pathway.
The RBT is a paraprofessional who provides behavior-analytic services under the close, ongoing supervision of a qualified RBT Supervisor (a BCBA or BCaBA). The RBT is primarily responsible for the direct implementation of behavior-analytic services. The RBT does not design intervention or assessment plans, this is the role of the BCBA. The BACB certificant supervising the RBT is responsible for the work performed by the RBT on the cases they are overseeing. It is the responsibility of the RBT supervisor to determine which tasks an RBT may perform as a function of his or her training, experience, and competence.
In addition to completing the UT San Antonio 40-hour training program, individuals seeking the Registered Behavior Technician credential must also fulfil the following requirements:
- Be 18 years of age
- Have obtained a high school diploma or equivalent
- Pass the required criminal background check and abuse registry check
- Complete the RBT Competency Assessment
These certification requirements are not offered as part of this online training.
For the current eligibility criteria and application instructions, visit the Behavior Analyst Certification Board website.
This course serves parents, relatives, family friends, caregivers, teachers, classroom aides, direct-care professionals and others who want to better understand and support autistic people or people with developmental disabilities. It also provides foundational instruction for individuals considering work as a behavior technician.
People who may find this training useful include:
- Adults who work directly with children or adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
- Paraprofessionals in the Speech Pathology and Occupation Therapy fields
- Direct care staff in residential settings such as group homes
- Supervisors over nursing or special needs staff
- Parents, siblings and other relatives of autistic children and adults
- Hospice staff and supervisors
- Hospital administrators
- Case managers
- Direct care staff
- Substitute teachers
- After-school activity staff
- Daycare staff and supervisors
Why Learn ABA With UT San Antonio?
Our approach combines real-time instructor interaction, professional expertise and thoughtfully designed online coursework—whether you're learning to support someone you care about or preparing for an RBT career.
Interactive Live Virtual Classes
Meet with your instructor each week to explore course concepts, ask questions and discuss practical examples. Learn with guidance rather than studying entirely on your own.
Experienced ABA Instructors
Learn from behavior analysts who bring extensive field experience, university teaching and research to the training. Their insight connects foundational ideas to real-life situations.
Engaging, Illustrated Modules
Continue learning between sessions through guided video lessons, exercises and original illustrations created for the course, including artwork contributed by an artist with ASD.
Two Ways to Benefit From ABA Training
Build practical skills to support someone you care about, or use the same foundational training toward a supervised career in applied behavior analysis. RBT certification is optional.
For Families, Caregivers & Educators
Explore how behavior can be observed and measured, how reinforcement works, and how to support communication, learning and everyday skills. The course gives you concepts and practical tools to discuss and apply appropriately with family members, students or those you care for.
Suitable for parents, relatives, friends, teachers, aides and other caregivers. RBT certification is not required to take this training for personal knowledge or professional development.
For Future Behavior Technicians
Learn foundational ABA concepts, including data collection, skill-acquisition procedures, documentation, professional ethics and supervised implementation. The training is designed to provide the 40-hour course component of the RBT certification pathway.
To become certified, you must independently satisfy the BACB’s additional requirements. Completing training does not by itself confer RBT certification.
Emerging Career:
Behavioral Health Technician
For participants interested in employment, the RBT credential provides a defined, supervised role in applied behavior analysis. If you are taking the training for personal or caregiving reasons, certification and employment are not required outcomes.
RBT Career Opportunities
Registered Behavior Technicians work under qualified supervision to help implement behavior-analytic services. Depending on employer terminology, relevant roles include Registered Behavior Technician, Behavior Technician, ABA Technician and Behavior Support Technician.
RBTs may work in clinics, schools, homes and community settings. The RBT credential alone does not qualify someone to practice as a counselor, social worker or psychologist; those professions generally require separate education and licensure.
Career Advancement
Professionals seeking to advance in behavior analysis may pursue additional education and supervised experience toward the Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst (BCaBA) or Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) credentials. These are separate certification pathways with their own requirements.
Where You Can Apply These Skills
At Home and With Loved Ones
Better understand behavior, recognize individual needs, and use supportive strategies to encourage communication and everyday skill development.
In Schools and Educational Settings
Strengthen your understanding of reinforcement, behavior observation, and skill-building approaches when supporting students with autism or developmental disabilities.
In Caregiving and Support Roles
Apply foundational ABA concepts to better document behavior, support daily routines, and collaborate with families and qualified professionals.
How to Become a Registered Behavior Technician (RBT)
This section is for students who want to pursue professional certification. Families and caregivers taking the course for personal knowledge do not need to complete these additional steps. UT San Antonio provides training; the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB) independently awards the RBT credential after its requirements are met.
Certification Steps
- Meet BACB eligibility requirements, including age, education, criminal background check and abuse registry check.
- Complete qualifying 40-hour RBT training, such as UT San Antonio's course.
- Complete the Initial Competency Assessment with a qualified assessor; this assessment is separate from UT San Antonio tuition.
- Submit your BACB application and required documentation.
- Receive authorization and pass the RBT examination.
The training certificate and the BACB RBT credential are different. Course completion alone does not confer RBT certification.
What Does RBT Certification Cost?
| Expense | Cost |
|---|---|
| UT San Antonio 40-hour training | $449 |
| BACB application | $65* |
| RBT exam appointment | $45* |
| Initial Competency Assessment | Varies; not included |
| Background / abuse registry checks | Varies; not included |
Known training and examination fees: $559, plus variable costs.
*BACB and examination fees are subject to change. Confirm current fees before applying. Only the $449 tuition is paid to UT San Antonio.
What Is the Initial Competency Assessment?
The Initial Competency Assessment is a separate evaluation of practical behavior-technician skills completed with an appropriately qualified assessor. It is not included in UT San Antonio's 40-hour course. Review BACB requirements and identify an eligible assessor before beginning the certification application process.
Course Schedule
UT San Antonio’s five-week, 40-hour RBT training combines weekly live virtual instruction with online video modules and practice exercises. The course introduces applied behavior analysis (ABA) concepts for people supporting loved ones, students or clients and for those exploring professional RBT certification. Participants meet with an instructor once each week for two hours and complete guided independent work between sessions.
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Week 1 - Orientation, Behavioral Definitions
The first online meeting consists of an outline of the training program, ethics and professional credentialing in applied behavior analysis, and thoroughly reviewing the RBT 3rd Edition Task List.
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Week 2 - Behavioral Dimensions, Data Recording
The second online meeting will introduce students to autism and applied behavior analysis and provide the next homework assignment.
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Week 3 - Graphing; Research Design
The third online meeting will review behavior data collection and behavioral interventions for skill acquisition, and provide the next homework assignment.
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Week 4 - Task Analysis & Fidelity of Implementation; Preference Assessment
The fourth online meeting will review shaping and strengthening behavior, and provide the next homework assignment.
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Week 5 - Verbal Behavior; Course Wrap-up; Additional RBT Requirements:
The fifth online meeting will review verbal behavior instruction, challenging behavior, and ethical considerations.
Meet the Instructors
Alonzo Andrews, MA, BCBA, LBA
Alonzo Andrews has previously served as the director of the Autism Treatment Center in San Antonio; during his 24-year tenure, he delivered behavioral services and supports to individuals with autism spectrum disorders to include the provision of residential programming for children and adults, on-site operation of state-certified private school, and out-patient rehabilitation therapies.
He has taught courses at the University of Texas at San Antonio for the last ten years. Alonzo has co-authored numerous scholarly publications in well-respected journals such as The Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, The Analysis of Verbal Behavior, Behavior Analysis in Practice. His clinical interests have engaged him in diverse projects to include biomedical interventions, video modeling, distance functional assessments, architecture for autism, challenging behavior, verbal behavior, behavioral phenomenology, neurodiversity, and the development of a computer-simulation training program for caregivers of children with autism.
Janet Enriquez, PhD, BCBA
Janet Sanchez Enriquez, PhD, BCBA-D attended the University of North Carolina Charlotte as an OSEP scholar working under the mentorship of Dr. Rob Pennington.
Her research interests include working alongside vulnerable and diverse populations promoting applied behavior analysis for teaching and learning through research and the development of culturally and linguistically diverse verbal behavior assessments and interventions. She is a founding member and Secretary of the non-profit the Mexican Organization of Practitioners of Applied Behavior Analysis (Organización Mexicana de Practicantes del Análisis Conductual Aplicado, serves on the Board of Directors for the World Behavior Analysis Day Alliance, sits on the Executive Council for the Texas Association of Behavior Analysis and was previously the Council for Exceptional Children’s Division on Autism Developmental Disabilities DEI Student Liaison.
From Our Students
Fun and Informative
Janet and Alonzo were amazing. They provided me with a great understanding of the information and delivered it in a fun and informative way. Great course.
Albert C.
Engaging and Encouraging
I felt that {Alonzo} made the course very engaging as well as interesting. I looked forward to logging in every week and he provided everything in a way that was easy to understand. One of his strongest qualities is his way of providing feedback, it was always super helpful and made me want to be better!
Susana R.
ABA Experts
The instructor is beyond prepared, {Janet} is an amazing expert on the topic of ABA. She is very passionate about what she does and makes the course very comprehensive. She made me so passionate about this field that I will be applying to a Master’s Online program. I love her creativity with the online modules that are super interactive, even if you are new to this, you can learn. I loved all the pictures and drawings, so unique. I would like all parents of kids on the Autism Spectrum (like me) to take it! I am a parent and the videos of her brother who is on the spectrum and is highly functional make me have hope! I will remember my instructor all my life. She is bilingual like I am; she represents all Hispanics that have someone in their family with ASD and wants to make an impact in our community.
Luisa A.
Frequently Asked Questions
UT San Antonio’s Registered Behavior Technician training is a five-week, 40-hour online course in applied behavior analysis (ABA), with live instructor sessions and guided online modules. It teaches foundational ways to observe and measure behavior, consider its context, support learning and approach challenging situations. The course welcomes family members, friends, caregivers and educators seeking practical understanding as well as aspiring RBTs seeking the training component of certification.
No. Many participants take UT San Antonio’s 40-hour online RBT training solely to build practical ABA knowledge for supporting a family member, loved one, student or client. Parents, relatives, friends, educators and caregivers can learn about behavior observation, reinforcement, communication-related skills and everyday support strategies without applying for certification. The course is educational and does not authorize independent clinical treatment.
No. Completing the UT San Antonio course satisfies the 40-hour training component, but completing the training alone does not make a participant a certified Registered Behavior Technician. Individuals seeking RBT certification must separately meet the Behavior Analyst Certification Board’s current eligibility and application requirements, complete an Initial Competency Assessment with a qualified assessor, submit an application and pass the RBT certification examination. These additional certification steps are not included in the UT San Antonio course. For a complete overview of the remaining steps, review the RBT training and certification process.
The UT San Antonio online RBT training currently costs $449. Tuition includes 40 hours of instruction, digital course materials, online learning modules and live virtual sessions led by a BACB-certified instructor. The fee does not include the RBT Initial Competency Assessment, the BACB application fee, the certification examination fee or any other costs associated with completing the independent RBT certification process.
Yes. The UT San Antonio RBT training is delivered virtually through a combination of scheduled live online classes and independently completed video modules and exercises. The course is not entirely self-paced because participants meet with an instructor once each week. A reliable computer, internet connection and the ability to participate in the scheduled virtual sessions are necessary to complete the training successfully.
Participants study the foundations of applied behavior analysis, including defining and measuring behavior, collecting and graphing data, identifying the functions of behavior, reinforcement, preference assessments and strategies for teaching new skills. The course also addresses discrete-trial instruction, naturalistic teaching, task analysis, verbal behavior, documentation, ethical considerations and approaches to reducing challenging behavior. UT San Antonio also incorporates a university-developed verbal behavior component relevant to supporting individuals with autism and other developmental disabilities.
The online RBT training is completed over five consecutive weeks for a total of 40 hours. Participants attend one two-hour live virtual class each week and complete approximately six to eight hours of independent coursework, video modules and exercises between meetings. Because the live sessions are part of the instructional experience, participants should review the current course schedule and confirm that they can attend the listed meeting dates before registering.
Previous experience in applied behavior analysis, autism services or healthcare is not required to enroll in the UT San Antonio training. The course is appropriate for beginners as well as professionals and caregivers seeking additional skills. Individuals who plan to pursue RBT certification must separately satisfy the BACB’s current eligibility requirements, which include age, education, criminal-background-check, abuse-registry-check and competency-assessment requirements. Participants taking the course only for professional development or personal knowledge do not need to pursue certification.
Multiple live virtual training dates are available. Parents, caregivers, educators and aspiring RBTs are welcome. Choose a schedule below to register; professional certification is optional.
Total cost of the RBT Training including all digital materials and BACB certified instructor.
Call (210) 458-7223 or sign up to receive more information on this program.
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