If you want to become an ABA tutor the best way to get started is to look for individual families who need ABA tutors. You may see adverts on the Child Autism UK Facebook page and other similar pages.

If you join Child Autism UK your details will appear in a database which parents can access.  You will also get updates from us about ABA policy and developments. You will also be able to advertise your availability as a tutor on our Facebook page.

What experience do I need to become an ABA tutor?

There is a shortage of ABA tutors so some parents will employ tutors with no experience, others will require a running number of years’ experience, perhaps working in a certain setting.

There is no set educational requirement for an ABA tutor. Many parents will put more emphasis on your experience of working with children and the empathy you have with the parent and the child.  If you want to do a professional qualification, you might find this link to the RBT (Registered Behaviour Technician) qualification on the BACB website useful. This requires 5 GCSE’s including maths and English. Some tutors are students or recent graduates or are/have studied for an MSc in Behaviour Analysis.

Child Autism UK offer a variety of courses and provides certificates to those who attend a course. You may find the ABA Initial Tutor Training course helpful.

If you are thinking of becoming an ABA tutor you should consider:-

You have to work directly with children, this can mean lifting and bending.

You have to put together a portfolio of clients and it may take time to build up a reputation in a particular area.  You may have to travel, especially initially.

You need to be energetic, enthusiastic, committed and reliable.

How much will I get paid as an ABA Tutor?

There is a shortage of ABA tutors and the market rate can vary according to geography and experience.  The rate of pay can be anything between £8 – £25 per hour.  Some tutors with degrees and doing behavioural qualifications can get paid more than this.

Most ABA tutors are self-employed. This means tutors pay their own tax and do not always get paid for holidays or sick leave. Child Autism UK can provide information on this and provide sample contracts to use as a guide.

Hints and tips for tutors looking for work and parents needing tutors

Most important: a Contractual agreement is essential

Make sure you have a written agreement in place that covers the following:

  1. Rate of pay
  2. Holidays (will holiday tutor/family be paid)?
  3. Sickness (will periods of tutor/child sickness be paid)?
  4. Method of payment (weekly/monthly by cheque or bank transfer)
  5. Termination (how the contract will be terminated by both parties, i.e. notice period)
  6. Frequency (expected frequency of sessions and length of sessions).

Most of the calls to the Child Autism UK Tutor helpline are about contractual matters. Many of these arise because terms and conditions are not specifically laid down.