The Pros & Cons of being a BCBA|Let’s Break Down the Good, Bad & the Ugly
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- Опубликовано: 3 июн 2024
- Who said this field was all rainbows and sunshine? Not me. And I wanted to take this time to have a real discussion about the pros and cons of being a BCBA:
Pros:
1. Positive Impact on Lives:
- Direct Influence: BCBAs often work with individuals with developmental disorders, such as autism, helping them improve their skills and quality of life.
- Family/ Community Support: Providing training and support to families and community members can lead to significant improvements in family dynamics and functioning.
2. Career Opportunities:
- Demand: There is a high demand for BCBAs, particularly in schools, clinics, and private practice settings.
- Diverse Settings: BCBAs can work in a variety of environments, including educational settings, healthcare facilities, private practices, dissemination (like RUclips or professional trainings) and research institutions.
3. Professional Growth:
- Ongoing Learning: The field of ABA is constantly evolving, offering opportunities for continuous learning and professional development. Oh I just got an email to become a BCBA in Europe!!! The growth is endless
4. Job Stability and Salary:
- Job Security: Due to the high demand for ABA services, BCBAs often enjoy job stability.
- Competitive Salary: BCBAs typically earn a competitive salary, with opportunities for advancement and increased earnings through experience and additional certifications.
Cons:
1. High Stress Levels:
- Emotional Demands: Working with individuals who have significant behavioral challenges can be emotionally draining and stressful.
- Burnout Risk: The intensity of the work and the need for constant vigilance and patience can lead to burnout.
2. Rigorous Certification (& re certification) Process
- Educational Requirements: Becoming a BCBA requires extensive education, including a master's degree in ABA or a related field, supervised practical experience, and passing a comprehensive certification exam.
- Continuing Education: Maintaining certification requires ongoing professional development and continuing education. This could also be considered a Pro if you love learning like me.
3. Challenging Work Environment:
- Behavioral Crises: BCBAs may have to handle behavioral crises and work in environments where they face resistance from clients or families.
- Administrative Duties: The role involves significant paperwork, data collection, and analysis, which can be time-consuming.
4. Ethical and Legal Responsibilities:
- High Accountability: BCBAs must adhere to strict ethical guidelines and face significant accountability for their interventions and treatment plans.
-Legal Risks: There can be legal implications if interventions are not implemented correctly or if ethical guidelines are breached.
5. Physical Demands:
- Active Engagement: The job can be physically demanding, requiring active engagement movement (running, playing on the floor, jumping on a trampoline, just the name a few),, and sometimes physical intervention.
Overall, being a BCBA can be a rewarding career for those passionate about making a difference in the lives of individuals with behavioral challenges. However, it also comes with its own set of challenges and demands that need to be carefully considered.
I am currently in grad school, pursuing my master's degree in ABA to become a BCBA. I appreciate you and everything you do. You are so encouraging, and your story is so inspiring! My son's ASD diagnosis at the age of two led me to this field. This is where I belong, and I can't wait to continue to serve this population.
Congratulations on all you’ve done so far from parenting to your masters program. I’m so glad you made your way over to this field. We need more parent perspective when practicing. Thank you for commenting and for your encouraging words. I truly appreciate the love!
Love love love your channel! I’m in grad school for ABA to become a BCBA. I absolutely love this field and how rewarding it is to see my kiddos grow everyday ❤
I love love love your comment! Thank you so much. I’m glad you’re enjoying this field. It can be so rewarding
Hello 🤍 Thank you so much for your videos. It’s so inspiring, especially since you are a black woman in the field. Truly inspire me to keep on going and reach my goal to be a BCBA🥳
Recently gave birth, working at Action Behavior Center. All ABA centers have their flaws, but this company is not bad (in my opinion). I was able to get a paid maternity leave for about 12 weeks and I was celebrated before leaving and they celebrated me when I came back. My pumping sessions are factored in my schedule & they accommodate me with well with any need I have. There was also a bonus for coming back as a parent just because they wanted to show their appreciation.
I became a BCBA after 20 years in teaching to have a meaningful impact in the lives of students that cannot afford ABA. I will complete my first of being certified in August. I am a school district BCBA and work part time at a clinic. I trying to launch a school for student with au and other related conditions. I love this channel and hearing your insights. You inspire me to pick up channel back up someday.
I love hearing your story! I see you’re doing the multiple streams of income as well I see. But also multiple ways to make an impact and share your gifts🫶🏾🫶🏾. Thank you so much for watching.
You are 100% an inspiration for me as an aspiring autism/IDD professional working on my Bachelor's in psychology now (I have high-functioning autism myself and am inspired to help others with disabilities)! I'm not 100% sure if I want to become a BCBA (though I'm heavily leaning towards it), autism/IDD researcher, other IDD/autism professional, or have those as multiple roles in one career but getting to know more and more about the field really helps!
You are 200% reinforcing my "keep creating" behavior. Thank you so much for your kind words. They really mean a lot to me. Congrats on your bachelor's program. I started in psychology as well. The world would be thrilled to have you in this field. We need more diverse practitioners especially those who can relate to the individuals we serve.
This came right on time 🙏🏾
Amen for that! I’m glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for watching and subscribing
this helped so much ♥️
I’m glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for watching and subscribing. 🫶🏾🫶🏾
Phil Dom! Thank you for the video!
Any time! I’m glad you enjoyed it. Don’t forget to like, share, & subscribe if you haven’t already. Thank you !!!
Thanks for watching ❤
I actually am a mom of 2 boys that have autism. I am currently trying to go back to school for social work...but I have fell in love with ABA. And so I have been struggling to see if I should just go with psych major and be out of school quicker to get to grad. I just feel like being a BCBA I will always be knowledgeable towards my son's growth concerning their autism😊.
Hey Nandi Hey! I love meeting other autism moms. In response to your question, both fields of study are great and will make for a dynamic and diverse behavior analyst once you enter into the program. Personally, I got my undergrad and grad degree in psychology. But I know a few BCBA ‘s who went the social work route and that gives you a little more letters behind your name and the possibility of doing more than ABA therapy. Whichever you choose, I know you’re going to be an exceptional mom and an exceptional therapist. Just remember your “why”
😊 oh thank you very much!! And I m glad I am not alone. Your so kind and a great BCBA. Keep posting videos! They're so helpful!
I’ve recently become interested in pursuing this field. As I’ve been doing some research and the only thing holding me back is seeing so many people talk poorly about ABA. That it’s been harmful and abusive towards clients-specifically those with autism. I’m trying to get some clarification on this. Would you be able to shed some light on this?
Wow! Thats a loaded question. But I’ve definitely heard that before. There are so many reasons why people would say negative things about ABA and usually it’s from the perspective of an autistic adult who had a terrible experience as a child. Since then we would hope the field has changed and progressed. I see it like this. If we have good clinicians who uses cultural humility and sees a child/individual as a person and not a problem that needs to be fixed, that is the first step to changing that narrative. I don’t have all the answers but I think we need to start addressing our own basis towards the people we help support and learn more about autism acceptance verses just sticking to the ABA techniques w/o considering social validity. Here is an article written by an autistic adult that helped me
autisticadvocacy.org/2012/04/acceptance-vs-awareness/
Launch Therapy Center (GA, WI) offers:
Paid Time Off
Unpaid Time Off
Sick Leave
Bereavement (3 Days)
Maternity Leave (6 weeks or 240 hrs over almost 3 months)
A now, new secluded area for nursing mothers to pump
Okay Launch Therapy Center 🫰🏾🫰🏾
Hey Dom !!
Hey Taniajean!! What’s been going on?
My question is this a career field one can actually retire from. My company action behavior center offers maternity leave and are a really great company
That’s a great question. If your company also offers 401K I would take advantage of that as well. I also recommend that you sit down with the financial advisor and let them know when and what you would like your retirement to look like with the current job you have.
I think proud moment does have maternity leave they def have 401k which is so helpful and beneficial im sorry you had to go through that.
I just charged it to the game 😏. I’ve also had some really great experiencing while 🤰🏽carrying and practicing as a BCBA. I hope all of your experiences are pleasant . Thanks for watching
Hey! Are you in private practice?
Yes and no. I have a behavior consulting business. We are not currently taking on clients.