Restricted vs. Unrestricted Hours—Why They Matter for Your BACB Fieldwork (And How Tracker! Helps You Balance Them)
When logging your BCBA fieldwork hours, not all hours are created equal. Understanding the difference between restricted and unrestricted hours is essential—not just for meeting BACB certification requirements, but for becoming a well-rounded behavior analyst.
According to the BACB Handbook, at least 60% of your supervised fieldwork must be in unrestricted activities. These include tasks like conducting assessments, developing behavior plans, and analyzing data—activities that reflect the kind of independent clinical judgment expected of BCBAs.
Restricted hours, such as direct implementation of behavior plans or intervention, are still important—but they’re limited to no more than 40% of your total hours.
Easy & Unique Unrestricted Activity Ideas:
Conduct brief preference assessments
Quick and can be integrated before sessions.
Collect ABC Data to determine a behavior of interest, to start the BIP process for you Supervisor.
Review and interpret client data trends during team meetings or between sessions.
Participate in treatment planning meetings (live or virtually).
Develop program materials, such as visuals, token boards, and functional routines. NOTE: This tends to be overutilized in supervision; ensure that this is not a time-consuming task.
Conduct functional behavior interviews with caregivers- FAST and QABF are common options.
Graph client data and identify patterns using Excel or a simple charting app.
Write mock case conceptualizations for supervisor review.
Create a task analysis for a life skill (e.g., brushing teeth, making a snack). Pro-Tip: Make one for your own behaviors to reduce or increase (e.g. cleaning routines or meal planning)
Review research articles related to a client’s goals and discuss findings with your supervisor.
💡 TIP: Many of these can be completed during short breaks, after sessions, or at home and reviewed in supervision.
Restricted Activities
(No more than 40% of total supervised hours)
These include direct implementation of behavior-change protocols that a Registered Behavior Technician (RBT) could do.Easy & Common Restricted Activity Ideas:
Run skill acquisition programs during ABA sessions.
Implement behavior intervention strategies (e.g., prompting, reinforcement) in a session.
Take data during a session while implementing a plan.
Conduct discrete trial training (DTT) with a client.
Lead a circle time or group activity following a behavior plan.
Prompt a client during a toileting routine per protocol.
Implement a visual schedule for a client.
Run natural environment teaching (NET) programs.
Collect IOA (interobserver agreement) data while another therapist implements.
Work 1:1 with a client during parent training sessions, under guidance of a BCBA.
⚠️ REMEMBER: These are important but should not dominate your logged hours.
Here’s where Tracker! makes your life easier:
Automatically separates and tallies restricted vs. unrestricted hours.
Alerts you if your balance is off before it becomes a problem.
Helps ensure your experience aligns with the BACB’s experience standards—no last-minute panic.
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Let Tracker! do the math so you can focus on the work that matters.
