Discovering ABA Therapy and Neurodiversity
I had never heard about ABA Therapist jobs. In fact, I had no idea what Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) was. Looking back I’ve been surrounded by people who were neuro-diverse all my life. In elementary school I knew a boy named Max. He didn’t seem to hang out with anybody. Instead, at recess Max would walk around talking to different groups of people. Some people talked to Max while others just ignored him. This didn’t stop him from coming back the next day. One thing I noticed was that when Max came over to my friends and I, he talked about things we weren’t talking about. In fact, he didn’t seem to have any interest in that at all. Max just wanted to say something about the news, the weather, a sporting event from the night before and then he’d be on his way.
My Journey into Special Education
In high school, “Special Ed” seemed like a place. There seemed to be one teacher, in one room, and they were always louder than all the other rooms. The only “Special Ed” teacher I ever saw was older than all the other teachers on campus. However, he was always smiling, making jokes, and his voice was warm and engaging. I always thought that his students liked that about him. When I decided to get into education I knew nothing about “Special Ed”. I just knew that I wanted to take something from all the great teachers I’d had. I’d never had the “Special Education” teacher from high school personally, but I wanted to take his warmth and positive attitude.
The Rewards of Being a Behavior Technician
In becoming a Behavior Technician I didn’t go out looking for Behavior Analyst Jobs. I got into substitute teaching and, since I wanted to work more, I took “Special Ed” assignments. This is where I got to see a special day class first hand. I also got to see Behavior Therapists practicing ABA. One thing I realized was that ABA could be done in multiple ways but across every setting a person was in. So, depending on the person, the behavior technician’s job might be sitting across from one another at a table. Or, it could be assisting a person with being flexible during a group activity. We might be in the classroom or out of the classroom.
It was here that I learned Behavior Technicians also work in people’s homes. I saw how (with the training that companies like Autism Behavior Services, Inc. provides) I could directly impact the life of the people I was working with. In fact, sometimes I was lucky enough to work in school and at home with the people I was assigned to. All the while, never forgetting the core idea of what I was doing, or the great teachers’ warmth and enthusiasm I was trying to emulate. ABA Therapist jobs will give you some of the most rewarding experiences you can ever imagine. I often find myself filled with gratitude that I get to touch these people’s lives every day.
Who we are
At ABSI, we are committed to helping children with autism. This is why we provide ABA for toddlers all the way through adulthood. We believe a consistent and specialized therapy plan is key to developing and reinforcing nurturing, positive, functional social skills in the home, school and community settings.
Our certified Behavior Technicians work with families to develop a therapy program specifically designed for clients and their families. It is our goal that what families and their children learn from us, will be the bedrock for a lifetime of learning that they continue to build upon.
In our continued high quality pledge for helping children with Autism, we believe in the highest level of training for our therapists.
All Behavior Technicians at ABSI receive their certification in CPR and as an Applied Behavior Analysis Technician (ABAT) to ensure safety and premier therapy for your child with Autism.