Observations Guide

What Are Observations?

Observations are a critical component of BACB supervision requirements. They document instances where your supervisor directly observes you delivering behavior-analytic services to clients. These observations provide evidence that you're developing competency under proper supervision.

BACB Requirements

The BACB requires supervisors to observe trainees delivering behavior-analytic services at regular intervals throughout the supervision period:

• Minimum frequency: At least one observation per supervision period
• In-person or synchronous: Observations must be real-time (in-person, video call, or one-way mirror)
• Documentation required: Written feedback must be provided after each observation
• Variety of clients: Observations should span different clients and service types when possible

Creating Observations

To create a new observation in Supervision Studio:

1. Navigate to Supervision → Observations from the main menu
2. Click "New Observation"
3. Select the date and time of the observation
4. Choose the observation type (see below)
5. Add detailed notes about what was observed
6. Document feedback provided to the supervisee
7. Save and optionally link to a supervision hour log

Observation Types

Supervision Studio supports several observation types:

Documenting Feedback

Each observation should include documented feedback. This serves multiple purposes:

• Provides a record of skill development over time
• Helps identify areas for improvement
• Documents competency for certification applications
• Facilitates goal-setting for future sessions

Supervision Studio provides structured fields for documenting:

• Strengths observed: What the supervisee did well
• Areas for growth: Skills needing development
• Action items: Specific next steps
• Competency areas addressed: Link to TCO6 competencies

Linking to Hours

Observations can be linked to supervision hour logs for complete documentation:

1. When creating an observation, select "Link to Hour Log"
2. Choose the corresponding supervision session from the list
3. The observation will appear on both records

You can also add observations to existing hour logs:

1. Go to your Hours dashboard
2. Click on the hour entry
3. Select "Add Observation"

Best Practices