Relationships between Therapists and Their Supervisors in Applied Behavior Analysis Services in ASD

Abstract

Professionals with more expertise and training can supervise other professionals to help the process of training new behavior analysts and improve the quality of the service offered. The present study aimed to adapt and replicate Ford’s questionnaire (2020) to 25 supervisors and 91 supervised therapists in Brazil to assess the perception of both groups about the offer of supervision in applied behavior analysis services in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The results indicate that there is a discrepancy between what supervisors describe as supervisory practice and the therapists’ perception of these practices and that there is work overload, which can affect the quality of the supervisory service. Most therapists report not receiving positive feedback about their clinical practice, which can impact their professional development.