I am working as a Behavioral Therapist for the Center for Autism and Related Disorders. I do one-on-one therapy with autistic kids by running the activities in the programs that the case manager puts together. I run the programs and take data on the kid's behaviors. The data is used to keep track of their ongoing behaviors and their progress to make sure that they are learning everything that they should be.

EDUCATION | I received my BA in Psychology at CSU Long Beach

HOW TO GET STARTED | My main advice for someone considering this career is to have A LOT of patience along with the passion to work with kids with development issues. Autistic kids are impaired by social interaction and communication, so patience plays a major role in this. They may not cooperate and want to listen to you, but you just have to be patient and persistent in wanting to work with them and make sure that they are focused on what they are doing and are progressing with their development.

MUST HAVE TRAITS | Patience, time management, and be able to work on your own.

how I got started | I started off majoring in Biology, but officially changed it to Psychology during my third year at Long Beach. My plan was to major in Biology to be on the career track of Physical Therapy in a Master's Program, but I realized that I did not enjoy taking Chemistry and Physics classes, which were the requirements for that major. Chemistry and Physics were classes that didn't interest me where it would encourage me to stay awake throughout the entire class period and the concepts I couldn't fully grasp so it was much harder for me to do well. Psychology was what I originally wanted and I figured it would be a better fit for me since I have taken a Psychology class in high school and was taking another class at the time I was thinking of changing my first major. The major change didn't put me behind at all even though I changed it pretty late during my undergraduate career. I was able to graduate within four years and enjoy my college experience with extracurricular activities.

why this job?| I had a few friends who were Psychology majors doing therapy with autistic kids. They really liked their jobs and told me stories of working with the kids on a daily basis. The idea of working with kids really interested me and encouraged me to apply for the position as a Behavioral Therapist especially when I had some experience working with kids. I was a camp counselor at the Silver Creek Valley Country Club for four summers and the end of my high school career up until the beginning of college. This useful experience is what helped me get through the door in my field since having experience working with kids was essential.

why I love this job!| What I like about my job is that it definitely keeps me on my toes. The kids have their good days and bad days so everyday is different. I like this because my job isn't a routine that gets old fast. What I mean by good and bad is that there will be days where the kids are willing to cooperate with me while we do the activities of the program and some just take longer to take focus on what they are doing. I am okay with this because even though I have to work harder with some kids they could still be doing really well with their programs. At these times, I know I helped them accomplish their targets. This is really an awarding experience for me to be able to be in their lives and help them in this way. Autistic kids are usually misunderstood and their parents might not be too familiar on how to help their child to improve their development or communicate with them, so that is where I come in and help them get where they need to be with their development.

my typical day| The difference with my work and other therapy clinics is that I do the therapy at the kids' houses to work in their own setting instead of having them come to me and do it in a classroom or office setting. A typical day for me would consist of a couple of sessions with different kids. For example, if I had two sessions, I drive to the first kid's house, do the session, and then drive to the second house. Each session can be up to three hours long. A session is a mixture of their programs and downtime, which depends on each individual kid. Autistic children lack social skills, so an example of the program that I would do with the kids would be something as simple as teaching them how to play a game. It can be any game or activity that a kid would play with others, such as board games, puzzles, or even coloring. The games depend on the age as well. After the sessions, I then log in the hours online at our website.

what they are | A main challenge is working with the kids when they are not in a good mood, don't want to work, or they just don't want to cooperate with me and the program. Like I said, patience plays a major role in this line of work. If I cannot get the kids to do what they need to do, I would not be fulfilling my duties as a therapist. Also, another challenge is trying to make sure that I am conducting the programs the right way where it is effective to the kids. Teaching is also an art in its own. If the way I am conducting it isn't correct, then it steers away from our goal.

all about growth | I spoke to someone about growth opportunities and I found that there is a well structured way to move up the ladder with the company I work for. Right now, I am considered as a Therapist. From there, I can move up to Senior Therapist, then Case Manager, and then a Case Supervisor. It is pretty cool and very encouraging for me to know all that. In order for any growth opportunities, I must have to be with the Center for Autism and Related Disorders for a certain amount of time. For the higher positions, I can move up as long as I obtain the education. Even for that, my work is willing to pay for my schooling if I wanted to earn a degree that deals with the therapy that we do.

my website|