ABA career | Imamother

Cressel

Wed, Jun 07 2023, 2:11 pm

Hello everyone,

I am considering a career in ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis) therapy and would appreciate some insights from those already working in the field. I have a few questions that I hope you can help me with:

Training: What is the training required to become an ABA therapist? How long does it typically take?

Job Prospects: Given the increasing popularity of ABA therapy career in the frum world, is it difficult find a good job as an ABA therapist?

Are there any particular challenges or factors to consider when entering this field?

Salary: What is the salary range for ABA therapists, especially for those starting out? Is it typically enough to support a husband in learning?

Essential Traits and Skills: In your experience, what traits and skills are essential for excelling in this career? What qualities contribute to being an effective ABA therapist?

Last, what is the hardest part of being an ABA therapist? Looking back, what do you wish you knew before pursuing this career?

Last edited by Cressel on Wed, Jun 07 2023, 3:41 pm; edited 1 time in total

amother

Red

Wed, Jun 07 2023, 2:29 pm

amother DarkRed wrote:

The downside is that the parents don’t like it. And that’s huge.

I don’t really like getting involved in theses discussions because everyone has an opinion but stating that parents don’t like it is completely wrong. Yes maybe some parents don’t like but there are hundreds of families that I can list for you that we’re extremely happy doing aba.

I think that every method has its pros and cons but it is really more dependent on the therapist then on the method.

If you have a therapist that sincerely cares about your child then the child will make strides by using any method.
No method is going to be perfect for every child and every environment.

Ridethewaves

Wed, Jun 07 2023, 3:30 pm

There’s two different provider positions and lots of room for growth in adminstration and director side of things. You’d start as a rbt/bt and get a training course for a few weeks. Then you get a plan with a bcba (the other provider position). Some places will have you working in a clinic or some will work at clients homes/schools. Lots of variety in clients and methods and plenty of people find this field very rewarding.

amother

Steelblue

Wed, Jun 07 2023, 3:38 pm

amother Burntblack wrote:

Not helpful to your specific questions, but be prepared for people to tell you how terrible, abusive and ineffective ABA is. Just read through the recent threads on ABA. I would suggest asking people IRL and not bring it up somewhere people can hide behind screens when giving you their opinion on such seemingly hot subject. Just my advice

Autistic people are a minority, so this is a very effective way to avoid hearing the opinions of people who have experienced ABA themselves.

amother

Obsidian

Wed, Jun 07 2023, 4:21 pm

Cressel68 wrote:

Here are a few responses:

Training/salary -- depends on the agency. So does salary, which can vary by region. It's helpful to call a couple of agencies and ask.

Job prospects -- if you're good at it, you'll probably do well. While it's not The Hottest New Thing in the World, it's still pretty vibrant. It takes a while to learn, then build a good reputation. The more in demand you are as an effective therapist, the more you will get all the hours you want, pick which hours you would like to work, and command a better salary. It's a field people grow into.

Challenges/traits/skills -- you have to be both very patient, and very well organized, as you'll have lots of data to record. You'll have to like kids, and recognize that part of the job is sometimes going to be that, as with any teacher or therapist, there will be times when they don't like you, or at least, they don't like the work sometimes. It's best if you're calm and upbeat by nature. Also, a lot of the jobs are for non-school hours, you have to be prepared to work at times when your own kids might want you.

If you think you're interested, call an agency, and ask if there's a way for you to learn more, possibly by observation.

amother

Midnight

Wed, Jun 07 2023, 4:30 pm

I work in all different schools/classrooms. I’ll be honest… it’s not a career I would steer anyone into. I have some real issues with it and while I would never say as a blanket statement that NONE of the kids benefit, I would personally say it’s a very very small minority. There are soooo many cases where the kid is being unnecessarily stifled or the opposite the para is sitting in the back of the classroom on her phone. This is across the board in many types schools/agencies. Not to mention that some of the “programs” are so ridiculous and rigid. Yes no one is doing very old school aba anymore but let’s not kid ourselves. There is still very very much a general basis coming from strong behavioral roots. You have to be prepared to view kids in that lense because that’s what the field will require of you.

amother

Caramel

Wed, Jun 07 2023, 6:37 pm

amother Midnight wrote:

True, very many kids get stifled for no reason, and many waste their time and don't work at all just sitting and shmoozing. That depends on the type of agency you are working with and if you have bcba that's good at what she is doing and is putting her time into the kids.
My son was receiving aba for 2 years until I found out that they were not working on anything, and switched agencies. The good providers are a minority. If you feel that you have what it takes, and you would have patience, be caring, understanding then you are doing the kids a favor by going into this field.
Many schools are cracking down on the therapists that just come to shmooze, they don't want them in their classrooms.

amother

Midnight

Wed, Jun 07 2023, 6:40 pm

amother Caramel wrote:

Right. Like I said. I wouldn’t make any blanket statements but I’ve seen the same story across MULTIPLE agencies and bcbas, paras etc. it’s really problematic. I’ve also heard bcbas on the phone with parents in the hallways and they sound great and like they are on top of things and in reality it’s really not true unfortunately.

Cressel

Wed, Jun 07 2023, 10:32 pm

As I read through these responses, it's disheartening to see that some people have had unfortunate encounters with unhelpful ABA therapists.

I'm genuinely interested in pursuing a career in ABA, and I believe it's crucial to learn from others' experiences. Therefore, I would appreciate your valuable input on what aspects you wish had been different about the ABA therapists you encountered in your workplace/with your children.

In particular, I'd like to know what actions I should take or avoid as an ABA therapist. Your perspectives will help me understand what improvements can be made to provide better support. So, please share what you wish had been different about the ABA therapists you worked with in your workplace.

What specific changes or improvements do you wish you had seen in the ABA therapists you encountered?

This is valuable information for me to know what to do and what NOT to do as an ABA therapist.

Cressel

Wed, Jun 07 2023, 10:34 pm

amother Midnight wrote:

I can't believe she was sitting on her phone while being paid to work as a para in the classroom. That is completely unacceptable!

amother

Midnight

Wed, Jun 07 2023, 11:02 pm

Cressel68 wrote:

I can't believe she was sitting on her phone while being paid to work as a para in the classroom. That is completely unacceptable!

Oy. Welcome to the real world. I’m not talking about one person!! I’m talking about the majority of paras I have seen. Of course it’s unacceptable but it’s very very common. And no don’t tell me they are “taking data” the whole time.I see with my own eyes candy crush, WhatsApp, and Amazon. Listen half the time they are bored because the kids don’t actually need a million hours of aba. Whatever the whole field is a huge mess

amother

Clear

Wed, Jun 07 2023, 11:07 pm

amother Midnight wrote:

That's terrible. So do you mean to say that seeing kids in a private setting/office rather than in a classroom is a better option?

I imagine that a para isn't the same status as a LBCBA.

An inexperienced para is way more likely to do that than a BCBA

Cressel

Wed, Jun 07 2023, 11:15 pm

I am looking more for answers to the questions in my beginning then about inexperienced people who don't do their job properly....

I'd never do anything like the the aba paras in those unfortunate stories.

I am looking for info on the ABA career so that I can become an ABA therapist who is NOT like that.

My questions for people in the field are:

Essential Traits and Skills: In your experience, what traits and skills are essential for excelling in this career? What qualities contribute to being an effective ABA therapist?

Last, what is the hardest part of being an ABA therapist?