Any ABA therapists or BCBAs out there? Know one?

[mia1181]

I realize this is a shot in the dark and I''m sure I''ll watch this thread slowly go down the page on Hangout.....

I am trying to change careers and become an ABA therapist and then work toward my BCBA. I have been sending out resumes for positions and I am having zero luck.

My question is would this be a good field to get into as far as demand? Everywhere I read says yes, that it is a really high demand field because of increasing rates of children with Autism. A month or so ago there were a bunch of job ads on craigslist and now there seem to be none.

I am just trying to get feel for why I am not getting anywhere. As far as I can see it might be that I don''t have a lot of experience. I work with a child with Developmental Delays, not Autism, although she has very similar issues. I also have little experience/training with ABA, although I have applied ABA principles in my work. Plus I am not bilingual which is a major plus for many employers.

Hopefully the lack of experience isn''t the issue because the ads says "No experience necessary, we will train." But maybe because of the economy there are more applicants out there that DO have experience... So is it that I am not Bilingual?

Or is this just the economy?
I think my resume is pretty good and I have a lot of good qualifications:
-teacher credential
-BS in education
-experience in the special needs community
-enrolled in an ABA/BCBA program...

So if anyone knows anything about this field I''d love to chat with you.

 

[chiapet]

Hi mia,

I''m an occupational therapist and work with many ABA therapists. My good friend is an ABA therapist and she loves what she does (she''s been doing it for 6-7 years). We live in NYC and there is a very high need for ABA therapists. If you work for Early Intervention as an independent contractor, the hourly pay is pretty good. I sometimes wish that I had become an ABA therapist because it''s more scientific and measurable. The only thing I don''t enjoy about ABA is charting the graphs.

In which city are you looking for jobs? Have you contacted different agencies? They are usually more open towards new grads or those with minimal experience.

Being bilingual is definitely a plus (I speak 3 languages and can''t keep up with cases being offered to me!) so maybe you can take some basic Spanish lessons. That way you can add that to your resume.

Good luck! I think you''ll enjoy doing ABA.

 

[mia1181]

Oh thank you so much Chiapet! That was exactly what I needed to hear.

I actually got an interview scheduled for Monday today so I am getting really excited. I really think this is a field that I will love. I currently work as a nanny to a little girl with brain damage from birth and I work on all the therapies in the home (OT, PT, Speech) so this is right up my alley.

I am in Orange County, CA and I have been applying to companies that specialize in ABA. They all seem to welcome people with little experience so maybe I just need to give it some time.

Good idea about taking a Spanish class. I guess I thought I would need to be fluent. Oh you just reminded me that I do have a pretty good vocabulary in ASL, maybe I should have put that on my resume...

Ah well I guess I just have to wait and see what happens. If all else fails, I think I can intern for a little while to get some experience.

 

[chiapet]

Good luck on that interview!!! Make sure you tell them that you''ve observed alot of therapy sessions that your little girl has had. I find that most nannies become quiet the expert after watching my sessions for a few months.

 

[KimberlyH]

Mia, I'm a teacher and have spent a lot of time substituting in ASD classrooms; I also work for a socialization program for children with autism part time. Everyone I know who is an ABA or a BCBA loves what they do. I have investigated going back to school to become a BCBA and it is something I am interested in doing in the future (I need to pay off my student loans for my master's first). It is an extremely rewarding career, not far off from what you do now it sounds like. The biggest struggle I've heard about is dealing with parents who don't follow through with home-based programs set up by their ABA/BCBA.

I live in Southern CA, and I believe you are there too, so perhaps this information will help a bit. Due to state budget cuts this type of program is being affected negatively. Privately run businesses that provide these services in tandum with local school districts are being hurt by the economy and the budget. The program I work for is being disbanded as it is classified as a socialization program, the goal is to restructure as a behavior program and hope that funding will be reinstated based on the new direction of the program.

Working with these students has been one of the most rewarding things I have ever done. They are so amazing and it is such a joy to watch them grow. I wish everyone could feel as fulfilled in their job as I do at the end of a day working with these kids. Not to sound cliched and sticky sweet, but it truly is a beautiful thing.

ETA: ASL will be a huge help to you in some cases. Many children who are apraxic (sp) learn to speak through sign language first.

Good luck with your interview, I think you'll do great!

 

[mia1181]

Thanks again Chiapet. Yes I have found that a lot of therapist like nannies because sometime we are more compliant with therapies than even the parents. Additionallu, I often have had more success with my charge than her therapists. All of K's therapists say she is unlike any other child they have worked with. She has very extreme sensory and motor-planning issues so typically what I would do was learn from the therapist and then work on things on my own. So I definitely have picked up a lot over the years.

 

[mia1181]

Date: 8/13/2009 11:46:01 AM
Author: KimberlyH

Mia, I''m a teacher and have spent a lot of time substituting in ASD classrooms; I also work for a socialization program for children with autism part time. Everyone I know who is an ABA or a BCBA loves what they do. I have investigated going back to school to become a BCBA and it is something I am interested in doing in the future (I need to pay off my student loans for my master''s first). It is an extremely rewarding career, not far off from what you do now it sounds like. The biggest struggle I''ve heard about is dealing with parents who don''t follow through with home-based programs set up by their ABA/BCBA.

I live in Southern CA, and I believe you are there too, so perhaps this information will help a bit. Due to state budget cuts this type of program is being affected negatively. Privately run businesses that provide these services in tandum with local school districts are being hurt by the economy and the budget. The program I work for is being disbanded as it is classified as a socialization program, the goal is to restructure as a behavior program and hope that funding will be reinstated based on the new direction of the program.

Working with these students has been one of the most rewarding things I have ever done. They are so amazing and it is such a joy to watch them grow. I wish everyone could feel as fulfilled in their job as I do at the end of a day working with these kids. Not to sound cliched and sticky sweet, but it truly is a beautiful thing.

ETA: ASL will be a huge help to you in some cases. Many children who are apraxic (sp) learn to speak through sign language first.

Good luck with your interview, I think you''ll do great!

Ha ha the highlighted part is a complaint of therapists and nannies alike! I am actually looking forward to not being so involved with only one child because I think it will be a lot less frustrating.

KimberlyH! Ha! It was you! I knew there was someone on here that told me they were a teacher to kids with Autism!

Thanks so much for you insight on things, especially the budget cuts. That totally makes sense.

I am going to keep working on my ASL too, I can''t believe I forgot about that. My charge has Speech Apraxia too so I know how that goes!

Wow! I have to run... while I was typing this I missed a call for another phone interview. I have to go and call them back!

Thanks so much for your help!

 

[KimberlyH]

Mia, I never thought I'd enjoy working in SPED, but when I was working towards my credential and those were the substitute jobs available I decided I needed to at least try it; I fell in love. Working in ASD classrooms is definitely my favorite of all of the SPED options.

Parents can be tough no matter how many or few, as a teacher I have found they are my biggest challenge.

Good luck with the interviews, I really see you shining in a position like this. As I said, the reward is unbelievable.