Independent Fieldwork
Fieldwork hours accrued while working independently, without a supervisor physically present. These hours still count toward your total but must meet supervision percentage requirements when combined with supervised hours.
Definition
Independent fieldwork refers to the hours you spend applying behavior analysis skills without your supervisor being physically present or directly involved in the session. These are the hours where you are working autonomously, putting into practice what you have learned through your coursework and supervision. For most candidates, independent fieldwork makes up the large majority of their total hours.
It is important to understand that "independent" does not mean "unsupervised" in the broader sense. You are still operating within a supervisory relationship, following your supervisor's guidance, and implementing plans they have approved. The distinction is about real-time presence: when your supervisor is not in the room or on the call while you deliver services, those hours are independent.
Independent hours interact directly with your supervision percentage requirement. If your pathway requires 5% supervision, that means for every 95 independent hours, you need at least 5 supervised hours. Falling behind on supervision while accumulating large numbers of independent hours creates a ratio imbalance that becomes increasingly difficult to correct as your total grows.
Why This Matters
The majority of your fieldwork hours will likely be independent. Understanding the boundary between independent and supervised time is key to meeting your supervision percentage requirements.
Examples
- Providing direct client services without your supervisor on site
- Conducting assessments independently after supervisor approval
- Implementing behavior plans during regular work hours
How ABA Fieldwork Tracker handles this
ABA Fieldwork Tracker automatically categorizes your hours and tracks your breakdown in real time. You will always know exactly where you stand across every hour type for your specific certification pathway.
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