Qualitative Exploration and Proof of Concept Toward the Development of the Burnout Assessment for Developmental Disability Settings (BADDS) for Behavioral Health Providers.
BADDS is the first burnout survey built for ABA clinicians that pinpoints fixable workplace stressors instead of just telling you staff are tired.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Bottini et al. (2025) built a new burnout survey just for ABA clinicians. They talked to 30 BCBAs and RBTs about what drains them at work. The team turned those quotes into 80 draft questions.
Next, 215 providers answered the draft online. The researchers kept the items that hung together and matched older burnout scales. The final pool has nine sub-themes grouped under four big themes.
What they found
The new BADDS scale shows strong internal consistency (α = .92). Scores line up well with the gold-standard Maslach Burnout Inventory.
Four themes emerged: job demands, job resources, organizational climate, and values alignment. Each theme breaks into smaller parts like "workload" or "supervisor support."
How this fits with other research
Johnson et al. (2009) already showed that supervisor support lowers burnout in ABA school staff. BADDS now gives you a ruler that actually measures that support, so you can track if your changes work.
Kozak et al. (2013) found work-privacy conflict and role confusion predict burnout in ID residential staff. BADDS adds similar sub-scales, letting BCBAs spot the same risks in clinic or home settings.
Mantzalas et al. (2024) built a burnout tool for autistic clients, while Summer et al. built one for providers. Together they show burnout is a system problem, not just a client or staff problem.
Why it matters
Most burnout tools give a single tired score. BADDS tells you exactly where the fire is: too many billable hours, weak supervision, or mission drift. You can pick one sub-theme, run a quick fix, and watch the number move next quarter. That turns burnout from a vague HR worry into a data-driven programming target.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
The present evaluation aimed to begin development of a survey tool for measuring workplace stressors specific to behavioral health providers in clinical settings for autism and related developmental disabilities: the Burnout Assessment for Developmental Disability Settings (BADDS). BADDS development was guided by Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS®; Cella et al., (Journal of Clinical Epidemiology, 63(11), 1179-1194, 2010) procedures. We used a qualitative analysis to define the target conceptual model (Phase 1). Using the analysis and reported lived experiences, we generated individual items for the BADDS. We then piloted these items in an online survey study to examine correlations with established measures of burnout (Phase 2). Finally, we used a modified Delphi approach to refine items with an expert panel, resulting in a preliminary item pool for the BADDS (Phase 3). Qualitative interviews produced a framework of four themes and nine sub-themes for analysis. Initial items were written across each theme and sub-theme. Findings from preliminary psychometric evaluation in Phase 2 demonstrated promising internal consistency, score stability, and positive associations with validated measures of burnout level. Finally in Phase 3, an expert panel edited items for relevance and clarity across three iterations of feedback. Though further analysis is needed, the BADDS tool has the potential to provide a conceptual analysis of burnout by identifying workplace stressors impacting behavioral health providers in autism service settings. This is in contrast to existing measures that solely inquire burnout level, but do not identify causes of job stress. Organizations may develop more effective strategies for mitigating burnout within their specific setting by incorporating assessments such as the BADDS into burnout interventions for providers.
Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 2025 · doi:10.1037/1072-5245.11.3.282