My field of study is a discipline related to psychology called Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA). ABA uses the ideas behind how behavior works and applies them to everyday situations to create a meaningful, lasting change in the lives of clients with intellectual or developmental disabilities and their families. Our focus is on using mostly positive and negative reinforcement procedures to address behavioral excesses and deficits. Examples of behavioral excesses (or behaviors of which we see too often or too frequently) that we seek to decrease include tantrums, self-injurious behavior, or aggression to others. Behavioral deficits that we seek to improve are social skills, communication skills, and academic skills. Individuals can receive services in a clinical setting, in the home, at school, or in the community. My experience so far within the field has been working with children with a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and other related diagnoses in the clinic, home, and school settings.
2. Why did you want to pursue a career in this field?
I have always wanted to work in a field where I would be helping children. My career goals bounced around from pediatrician to speech pathologist, and I eventually landed on ABA. I definitely wanted to make use of my psychology degree and love for people, so I chose a field that married the two. I especially like that in applied behavior analysis, we use strategies that are evidence-based, and we track changes in behavior by looking at data. As a behavior analyst, I will never experience the same day at work twice which is something that I am excited about. As I have gotten older, I have been looking into what I can do to make an impact in people’s lives. I feel that God lead me to ABA so that I can utilize the gifts that He has given me to help others. I love the idea of using the love of children and teaching that I have been given to create meaningful and lasting changes that affect not only the lives of the children that I work with, but their parents and siblings as well.
3. What have you learned by working with kids?
Through my time at FSU, I have learned while working with my precious kiddos that there is always a reason to celebrate. That is one of the things that I love about applied behavior analysis. We always look for some aspect of behavior that we can reinforce or provide praise for. Even if it is just for having a quiet voice and calming themselves down after getting upset, we always find something to praise. I have also learned that every single day is a new day filled with different adventures. Through my work experience, I have seen that working with children on the spectrum is never boring, and there are so many important lessons to be learned. I have become extremely close to the children that I work with, and I celebrate their victories as if they were my own children. I am genuinely so proud of them, and it’s not something that I leave at work. I want the absolute best for them, and that’s why I try to push them to become the best versions of themselves that they can be.
4. Why FSU?
If you would have asked me four years ago if I would ever move out of state for school, my answer would probably have been a resounding “no.” While I enjoy my freedom, I never wanted to venture too far away from my family. Florida State University honestly wasn’t on my radar until my advisor at UNA mentioned that they had a wonderful program that is directed by a behavior analyst who literally wrote the book on ethics of applied behavior analysis. I began looking into the program and getting more and more excited for the opportunities that I would have as a student at FSU. I applied and realized that acceptance was probably a long shot. In recent years they had received over 70 applicants and only admitted 16 to the program, so I submitted my application and accepted that if God meant for me to be in Florida, I would be. At FSU I have gained so many valuable experiences already in my first year. I have been introduced to new work settings and populations. I am learning how to better serve the kiddos with which I work. I’m constantly learning what it means to be a behavior analyst and the impact that can be made on the lives of our clients.
5. What have you taken away from your time spent with kiddos on the autism spectrum?
Being able to work with children on the spectrum has truly been one of the greatest blessings that I have ever received. There are so many valuable lessons to be learned from working with kiddos with ASD. I’ve learned to view the world from different angles. There is always more than just one way of looking at things, and through them I am learning to analyze the world around me. I’ve learned that patience is one of the most important qualities you can have, and through working with these sweet children, I’ve learned to apply that patience in my personal relationships with friends and family. They have taught me to find joy in the smallest of victories. There is no greater feeling than hearing a child say a new word for the first time or finally learning a skill you’ve been working on for weeks. But most importantly, working with children with ASD has taught me to love harder than I thought I was capable of. Every child on the spectrum expresses his or her love differently, but each and every one of them love so fiercely. Whether it be through a shy grin, a hand hold, or a “Big hug, Madison!” I am shown God’s love through His children each and every day. Even if I have pushed them hard throughout our session together, they’re so forgiving and willing to extend their love to me once more. It’s the type of love that I want to be known for as well.
6. Can you tell me how your family/community/school impacted you and set you on this path?
My mother is who impacted my journey the most. She was a teacher for twenty-five years, and I grew up watching her love her children as if they were her own. She pushed them really hard but loved them just as much. I saw growing up the way that she interacted with all of the kids, taking the time to fully know each and every one of them. She celebrated their successes and helped them through their struggles. She took the time to make sure that every child, regardless of what his or her life looked like outside of school, was loved deeply. Though I knew that teaching school was not the field that I needed to enter, my mom’s passion for children is what inspired me to work with individuals on the spectrum. It was through helping her in her classroom that I was first introduced to children with developmental disabilities. I hope to be just like her when I become a behavior analyst. I can’t thank her enough for the example that she was to me.
7. Do you have a future outlook or plan of action with developmental disabilities, namely autism, that you could share with us today? (Like what do you project the world/country to be like in terms of advocating and supplying ASD kids with services, etc.)
I feel like the world that we live in is becoming more and more aware of developmental disabilities and the ways to promote greater awareness and acceptance of those who are different than we are. While we still have miles to go, I see where the communities in which we live are trying to become more aware and accessible to people with all types of disabilities, including developmental and intellectual ones. I believe that the most important way to increase awareness is to increase education surrounding the subject and to make autism an on-going conversation. In order to decrease the stigma surrounding individuals with autism, we need to show those around us the abilities that people with ASD have. We often hear the quote “see the able, not the label,” and I find this to be an extremely important concept. Individuals with autism are creating their own goals and are entering the workforce, living independently, and forming relationships. It is my ultimate goal that all individuals with ASD regardless of their family’s socioeconomic status will be able to receive the supports and services that they need to reach whatever goals that they set for themselves. I believe that if we all continue to advocate for those that we love with ASD, in the coming years resources for those with ASD and other developmental disabilities will become more plentiful.
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