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OT, SLP, BCBA, RBT, PT — Who Does What?

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If you've ever sat in a meeting and heard four acronyms in one sentence and just... nodded, you are not alone. Autism support teams can look like alphabet soup at first. This week, we're breaking down who's who on your child's team, so you can walk into every appointment (and every school meeting) knowing exactly who does what — and why it matters.

WORTH THE READ

Three reads worth your coffee break this week:

AustinSpeaks ​Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA)​ The clearest breakdown out there of how ABA teams are actually structured — and specifically, what separates a BCBA (the clinician who designs and oversees your child's program) from an RBT (the person who works directly with your child, session to session). If you've never been totally sure who's who at your child's ABA provider, start here. Learn more

Beyond Spoken Words: AAC for Kids ​Beyond Spoken Words: AAC for Kids A myth-busting look at augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) — picture boards, speech devices, apps — and who it's actually for. Spoiler: it's not just for nonspeaking kids, and using AAC doesn't delay speech development. A great one to read before your next speech therapy check-in. Learn more

Autism Spectrum News ​A Meeting of Worlds: Multidisciplinary Teams in Autism Treatment This one zooms out and shows how OT, PT, SLP, and behavior support are all supposed to work together — in school and in outside therapy — instead of operating in separate silos. Useful context for understanding why your child's providers should be talking to each other (and how to ask if they are). Learn more

THE PARENT PLUG: GOOD TO KNOW

Who's Who on Your Child's Team

Screenshot this one. 📸

OT — Occupational Therapist Helps with fine motor skills, sensory processing, and everyday skills like dressing, handwriting, and eating.

SLP — Speech-Language Pathologist Supports communication — spoken language, understanding others, and tools like AAC devices when speech is limited.

BCBA — Board Certified Behavior Analyst The clinical lead of an ABA program. Assesses your child, writes the treatment plan and goals, and supervises the RBTs who carry it out.

RBT — Registered Behavior Technician Delivers the day-to-day ABA therapy sessions directly with your child, following the plan the BCBA designed.

PT — Physical Therapist Works on gross motor skills — strength, balance, coordination, and movement.

💬 Save this. It's the kind of thing you'll want to pull up mid-conversation with a new provider.

SAVE THIS: RESOURCE OF THE WEEK

A Free Way to Keep Every Provider Straight

A free, downloadable PDF built for exactly this problem — juggling multiple providers, appointments, and plans. You don't need the whole binder; the two most useful pages for most of our families are:

• 🗂️ My Healthcare Providers — one place to log every specialist's name, clinic, and contact info
• 📋 My Therapy Team — a dedicated section for PT, OT, Speech, and ABA/Behavioral Therapy specifically

No sign-up required, just print the pages you need.

Want to go deeper on OT specifically? Pivotherapy, a Uniquely You Founding Partner, is run by Melissa Levine, OTR/L — an occupational therapist with 30 years of experience working with autistic and neurodivergent kids and adults. If you're trying to understand what OT could look like for your child, her work is a good example of what a specialized, autism-focused OT practice actually does.

Learn More

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