So you want to be an ABA practitioner! It’s almost like being a Marvel superhero, except we have better hours, better super- powers, and cape wearing is optional. :-)
I’ve been getting a ton of emails recently from people
interested in entering the field of ABA, but not sure exactly how to do so. I’m excited to be
waving the flag for ABA, and hopefully motivating people to enter the
field.
The main reason I started this
blog was to reveal to people what ABA
really
is (because there are many grossly inaccurate
myths out there) and if that causes people to
want to enter this field, I think that’s great.
I talked briefly in my
FAQ post about how to get started in this field, but this post will
go a bit more in depth.
I can’t give a specific and outlined "How To" guide, because SO much of this information will vary from state to state, or even from employer to employer.
Also, for my international
readers: unfortunately, I don’t have much information about how to enter the field of ABA in Germany, Italy, Africa, etc. I just simply don't know enough about how ABA looks in your neck of the woods to promise this information will be helpful no matter where you live.
To anyone with an interest in pursuing ABA as a career I recommend doing research for
your particular area and networking with people currently in the field.
How do I become an ABA Therapist?
What exactly is an ABA Therapist?:
It's important to distinguish between
an ABA Therapist and a
Behavior Analyst. BA’s supervise, manage, and run ABA programs as Consultants.
ABA Therapists are the foundation of any ABA program, as they are the ones who
work with the consumer day after day to teach skills. As an ABA Therapist you are usually responsible for teaching very specific skills and implementing a behavior plan. ABA therapists can also work with a variety of clients, not just young kids with Autism (myth alert). There’s a growing demand
from schools who want ABA services for typically developing children, as well as ABA professionals working with adult populations and animals. Yes, animals, because behavior is behavior.
What’s it like being an ABA Therapist:
The clients you work with will take you from sheer joy to the pit of frustration in 0.2 seconds. On Monday your client could be excited to see you and give you a huge hug, and then on Thursday they might try to bite you. Even if you only work
with one client, every day won't be the same. That's whats so great about this job: if you have a bad session you get to hit "reset" and start over again the next day. If you are a person who loves sameness, routine, and predictability, you might not enjoy this type of work. The field changes all of the time, parent expectations can change, the behavior plan can change, the programs change....did I mention you must like change??
What kind of person would be a good fit for this
job?:
Anyone who is PASSIONATE about special needs or human differences, detail oriented, energetic, and loves to learn. Parents often feed off of the
enthusiasm of the ABA Therapist, and feel encouraged by it. It’s important that as an ABA professional you enjoy learning, because you
never stop learning when this is your job. Research and technology
advance the field regularly. You have to be open to receiving supervision and correction, even if you have been doing this for years.
If you aren’t a person who can take constructive criticism then this likely
isn’t the job for you!
I’ve heard some horror stories; do ABA
Therapists really get beat up at work?:
Short answer? Yes. Here's the scoop: as an ABA professional you usually have say over who you work with. You could choose to only work with DD adults, or only work with ASD teens. The majority of my work experience has been with very young children. So I haven't been in situations where big, strong teens or adults have attacked me, thrown desks at me, punched me, etc. Do all of those things actually happen to ABA clinicians? YES. That would be called a severe behavior client. The good news is
you shouldn't be thrown into situations like that unprepared. Your employer should provide physical management training, there should be a behavior plan in place, and if applicable a crisis plan to follow. So I suppose my answer is, it is possible you could really get injured depending on the clientele you work with and the training you are given (or not given) by your employer.
What are the hours like? :
There’s a lot of variability
as far as scheduling, and of course depending on your work setting. If you work inside of homes with young children then you'll probably have early morning hours (as most young children still nap). If you work at a school, then most likely you will have a 8-3 schedule. If
you work for an agency, you will likely have a jam packed schedule
of varying days and times, sometimes with really unpleasant huge gaps in your schedule. Example: Monday sessions at 9-12 and 4-7. Working weekends should not be mandatory. If you burn yourself out with a hectic caseload then what do you have left to give to your clients, or to yourself and your own family?
Do I HAVE to be a RBT? : The Registered Behavior Technician (RBT) credential is fairly new in the field, and is a means to establish a minimum education and training requirement for ABA Technicians. Is it necessary to enter the field/get a job? No. But... employers may require it, funding sources may require it, and it is a great way to learn more about the science of behavior analysis. Keep in mind the RBT professional is not intended as a standalone position. Meaning, you cannot work independently as a RBT -- you will need a supervising BCBA.
Where can I find ABA jobs? :
This can be tricky. It’s often easier to find an ABA job when you already have one,
because of referrals/word of mouth. If you are looking to break
into the field I’d recommend working for an ABA provider/agency first. You will get more
clients and supervision than you would striking out on your own. Research the ABA providers in your area, and contact
them to see if they need ABA Therapists. If they don’t hire inexperienced therapists, see if they have volunteer
positions so you can gain experience. Try to obtain the RBT credential on your own, as it makes you a competitive job seeker even if you lack experience. You can also try your local or
state organizations for ABA, as they often allow members to post job openings on
their website. If you are currently a college student, often the heads of the Education or Psychology departments will have leads on ABA jobs/practicum sites.
RESOURCES:
If you are interested in working in this field, here
are some resources to locating work.
I'd recommend taking an intern or volunteer position first to make sure this is something you want to do before committing to a paid job. This field isn't for everyone, and that's okay. This is high energy, stressful work, often with time-sensitive deadlines, tons of paperwork to complete, and lots and lots of driving involved....it may not be a good fit for you.
Think outside of the box a bit.... special needs schools, camps, day programs, etc., often will hire for Behavior Specialists, Behavior Tutors, etc. Essentially, you will be performing the same role of an ABA therapist but just may have a different title.
GA Parent to Parent Network -Georgia statewide agency for parent support, has a database of companies and
providers.
Indeed, & Linked In often have ABA job listings
This article has some really creative suggestions for locating ABA work.
Behavior Analyst Associations - Look up the Behavior Analyst association in your state. These websites usually post career opportunities, or if not, you can contact members directly to see if they have job leads. For GA, the state association is
GABA.
www.Google.com- Google
“Autism treatment” or "ABA therapy" and the name of your city, and see what comes up.
AIBA- Association of International Behavior Analysts (has a
job directory).
