Part 4: Better Supervision Improves Services at Every Level
by: Cheryl Davis, PhD, BCBA-D, Dana Reinecke, PhD, BCBA-D
Investing in supervisors is not simply an investment in leadership development. Supervisory behavior affects the people being supervised, the organization’s culture, and ultimately the quality of services clients receive.
When supervisors establish clear expectations, teach effectively, recognize good performance, and provide useful corrective feedback, staff are more likely to know what successful performance looks like and how to achieve it.
Effective supervision can also create an environment in which staff feel comfortable asking questions, acknowledging uncertainty, practicing new skills, and responding constructively to feedback. Guidance on individual supervision likewise emphasizes providing feedback and evaluating the effects of supervision rather than assuming that supervision has been effective simply because it occurred.
Resources such as SupervisorABA were developed to help behavior analysts move beyond simply meeting supervision requirements and build the practical skills needed to supervise effectively. Tools, models, structured practice, and ongoing professional development can help bridge the gap between knowing ABA and supervising people who practice ABA.
Perhaps the most important shift is simply recognizing that becoming a supervisor should not be treated as something clinicians are expected to figure out by accident.
Throughout this series, one principle has remained clear: becoming a supervisor should not be treated as something clinicians are expected to figure out by accident. Organizations can begin improving supervision by asking one essential question: Are we training supervisors with the same care and precision we expect them to use when training others?
Summary of References
Behavior Analyst Certification Board. (2024). Supervisor training curriculum outline (2.0). Behavior Analyst Certification Board.
Behavior Analyst Certification Board. (2026). Supervision, assessment, training, and oversight. Behavior Analyst Certification Board.
Fraidlin, A., Van Stratton, J. E., McElroy, A., & Aljadeff, E. (2023). Peer feedback: Recommendations for behavior analysts’ training and supervision. Behavior Analysis in Practice, 16, 696–708. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-022-00761-1
LeBlanc, L. A., Sellers, T. P., & Ala’i, S. (2020). Building and sustaining meaningful and effective relationships as a supervisor and mentor. Sloan Publishing.
Parsons, M. B., Rollyson, J. H., & Reid, D. H. (2012). Evidence-based staff training: A guide for practitioners. Behavior Analysis in Practice, 5(2), 2–11. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03391819
Parsons, M. B., Rollyson, J. H., & Reid, D. H. (2013). Teaching practitioners to conduct behavioral skills training: A pyramidal approach for training multiple human service staff. Behavior Analysis in Practice, 6(2), 4–16. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03391798
Author Bios
Cheryl Davis, PhD, BCBA-D (Creator)
Cheryl Davis obtained her doctoral degree from Endicott College in Applied Behavior Analysis. She received a Masters of Science Degree in Intensive Special Education from Simmons College in Boston, MA after attending The University of Connecticut where she received a bachelor’s degree in Human Development. With over 25 years of experience working with children and families with autism, developmental disabilities, and related disorders, Cheryl specializes in working with individuals with ASD and developmental disabilities, online teaching, active responding and skill acquisition. She has had experience as a teacher, job coach, home therapist, residential supervisor, public school consultant, staff trainer and professor. Cheryl has extensive experience in developing training topics for both parents and teaching staff. She has provided professional development trainings to over two thousand teaching staff and enjoys providing services internationally.
Dana Reinecke, PhD, BCBA-D (Creator)
Dana Reinecke is a doctoral level Board-Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA-D) and a New York State Licensed Behavior Analyst (LBA) and New York State Licensed Psychologist. Dana has worked extensively in higher education in faculty and leadership roles and as a consultant, trainer, and clinician in various settings. She has presented original research and workshops on the treatment of autism and applications of ABA at regional, national, and international conferences. She has published her research in peer-reviewed journals, written chapters in published books, and co-edited books on ABA and autism. Dana has been actively involved in the New York State Association for Behavior Analysis (NYSABA), previously serving on the Board of Directors as Secretary, President, and conference chair.