Being a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) is a unique career path. The problems we face as clinicians are different from the problems people with “normal” office jobs have. Some days you may feel like you’re absolutely drowning in paperwork, physical and digital – and you still need to find a quick lunch between appointments! No need to fear – let’s look to the experts. In this article, we’ll be sharing some of our best BCBA tips from BCBA Tara Pelfrey, who brings 18 years of experience and expertise to ABA-LLC. With a little advice, you’ll be working smarter, not harder in no time!

About Tara

Tara Pelfrey has worked with ABA-LLC as a Board Certified Behavior Analyst since 2007. 

Tara, her “fantastic” husband, and their dogs, chickens, pigs, and cat live on a small farm in Shelby County. She enjoys gardening, playing tennis, and going on vacation. Her educational background includes Auburn and UK for undergrad, a master’s degree in art therapy from University of Louisville, and a master’s certificate in Behavioral Analysis from FIT.

Tara met Chris George, founder of ABA-LLC, while working as an art therapist in a psych hospital. He changed her perspective on interventions and all things related to behavior which led her toward her current career path. So, in a way, ABA-LLC kind of chose Tara. ABA even sent her flowers when she was “discharged” from working the facility life. She has worked for ABA for over 16 years now.

Tara works with adults in Louisville and the surrounding areas, helping with a wide range of challenging behaviors. At this point in her career, she is most passionate about working with higher-magnitude challenging behaviors, consulting with motivated teams, mentoring and supporting some of the talented clinicians at ABA. Her favorite parts of her job include celebrating the people she works for, the relationships she’s forged and teams she works with, finding humor in her day-to-day activities, and the fact that she gets to learn every day.

Tara primarily works as a contract Behavior Specialist with SCL waiver participants. Some of her advice will be most applicable to BCBAs working in similar contract or waiver positions!

Stay Organized

Listen, in life, we need to be aware of what we can control…and what we can’t. Being organized is something you can do to help make things easier for yourself down the line. Some things may require a little bit more work upfront…but will save you major headaches down the line! Here are some of Tara’s organization tips:

• Download All Your Important Documents; Don’t be dependent on wifi!
  • You never know when and where your internet will be reliable. Download the files you know you regularly need to reference or print out.
• Keep track of calendar entries and notes up to date
  • Make your CM happy! This will effect your unit count. Have this information readily available.
• Use a Calendar
  • In terms of digital vs analog planners – choose what works best for you.
• Practice Good Time-Management
  • Don’t book yourself back to back! Leave time for paperwork, crises, and incident reports.
• Check your email regularly
  • It’s 2026! Don’t be that person – always try to respond within a day.
• This job needs paper! Get a briefcase or paper organizer.
  • As much as we would all like to be paper free…in this field, its still important to have physical copies readily available. Don’t just put them loose in your backpack!
• Color code your training sheets
  • You’ll be able to find what you’re looking for quickly!
• Label makers are so fun!

Embrace the Uniqueness of Your Job

This job isn’t a traditional 9-5…take advantage of it! Find ways to take advantage of it. You can do things that a lot of other folks can’t. Shift your mindset to find the joy in your uniquely unpredictable line of work.

• Take a class during the day
• Go to the gym during the day
  • Invest in some nice active wear you can wear at work AND at the gym!
• Take a day off every once in a while – but don’t take fakecations
  • Listen…there’s no reason to lie. Don’t say you’re sick if you’re actually going on vacation. People will find out. It’s not a good look.
• Avoid the fast food trap
  • Meal prep works for some people, others need to find good options on the go. Protein boxes, salads, and fresh fruits make a great lunch on the go.

The Right Tools are Worth It

You want your tech to make your work easier…not harder! Invest in tools that meet your needs. Plus – many of these items will count as tax write-offs.

• Make sure your electronics are in working order!
• Invest in Printed Materials from a Local Printer
  • Business cards, reinforcement postcards…etc
• Get a printer with extra ink
  • Always be prepared for when you need a last minute print job.
• Use an App that can Scan your Documents Quickly
  • Find a “scanner” app that will let you quickly make physical documents digital. There’s lots of options these days! 

Be Smart!

Here’s a few common-sense ways you can make your life easier. It all boils down to thinking big pictures; what can you do now that will help you out down the line?

• Connect with an accountant
  • A lot of us in the ABA world are contractors. It’s worth it to seek the help of a good accountant to assist with taxes. Keep track of your purchases, keep receipts, and track your mileage to make tax season a breeze. And of course – always remember to put away a % of every paycheck!
• Customize your Documents
  • You don’t need to reinvent the wheel – but putting things into your own words can be a great way to make yourself stand out in a sea of clinicians. Make things look neat and nice to look at. Use good grammar, and always double check to make sure names and pronouns are correct. Your plans shouldn’t look like everyone else’s plans.
• Understand the Structure of your job
  • Take the time to understand the agency you work for and the way they do things. Get familiar with any software you use at work. Know who reports to who.
• Spreadsheets are Your Friend
• YouTube is your friend
  • If you don’t know how to do something…someone on YouTube does!
• Pitch yourself!
  • You need to be your own no. 1 advocate…if you need more cases, don’t be afraid to pitch yourself.

Be a Team Player

Become the MVP of ABA. Helping others feels good, and also will do a lot to help you personally. Connecting with others and build a network of positive support.

• Meet the other people at your agency
  • Don’t be a stranger! Being friendly builds the support network you need. Your fellow clinicians are a resource for knowledge and support.
• Be available for team meetings.
  • And don’t say you can’t because you “have to bill.” Yeah – so does everyone. The connection will pay off down the line.
• Be sensitive to the reputation of Behavior Specialists
  • BTs can have a reputation for complaining about gas, billing, money etc.When you’re working out in the community, don’t be a complainer. You want to be the person everyone is excited to work with.
• Pair yourself with reinforcement
  • Going out of your way to spread positivity every once in a while can make a big impression on the people you work with at your agency and in the community. Hand out lottery tickets, send reinforcement postcards, send an “awesome” email to your team, and always, always, always say “thank you.”

Bonus: ABA-isms!

• Make friends with other Behavior Specialists! Otherwise, this is a very lonely job.
• The Case Manager should be your BFF!
• Have a lil healthy paranoia.
• If you can’t be anything else, always be AVAILABLE!
• Even if your plans aren’t awesome, they should always look good!
• Be fluent in your behavioral and waiver terminology.
• DO NOT wait until the last minute! EVER!
• Be fluent in your behavioral and waiver terminology.
• It’s a small world. Don’t make enemies.
• Always attend the clinical meeting.
• Always evaluate your professional performance and make changes accordingly.
• Wait for it – what comes around goes around!

About CoachABA

CoachABA is the educational wing of Applied Behavioral Advancements, LLC. CoachABA is both a tool for up-and-coming ABA professionals, and a platform for encouraging ongoing education for those already working in the field.

Our supervision program began from the genuine desire to figure out a better way for BCBA candidates to get supervision hours. CoachABA provides training and supervision for individuals on their way to becoming a BCBA. Our program meets all requirements of board certification, as well as competency items. Our goal is to help you pass the first time, while also assuring all your i’s are dotted and your t’s are crossed when it comes to your paperwork.