The Ode to Joe

Completely unrelated to the wonderful world of ABA (its the first week of school- I need to focus on something else) I want to talk about my love affair. "Who is the lucky object of my affection?" you may ask. Well besides the guy who has been putting up with my shenanigans since 2007, I am talking about Trader Joes. Let me list the ways in which the groceries encapsulate my heart with joy:

1. Let them drink coffee: Two of my meals during the work day are consumed at work. My breakfast usually is a protein shake or smoothie of some sort because ease. Trader Joe's has allowed me to drink my coffee and eat my breakfast too. I give you Trader Joe's Coffee Concentrate, you use only two ounces to get a great cup of iced coffee. So when I really in need of a coffee I use the concentrate in my morning smoothie. Hello chocolate coffee protein shake.

2. A little sunshine: Trader Joe's you saucy devil you. You know I am a sucker for pretty flowers and you put them right in the front of the store. Every time I snag a small bouquet of tulips or hydrangeas I hear Donna and Tom from Parks and Rec saying "Treat Yo Self". Darn your beauty!!

3. Snacks! Snacks! Snacks: Snacks are a must for me during the week. The schedule changes daily and therefore my lunch break changes daily. So why not make that half hour be slightly more enjoyable with a variety of delicious snacks. Trader Joe's has the best bars, dried fruit, and trail mix compared to any other store. Just thinking about them makes me excited to pack a lunch (I have a bad case of the adult-itis). 

4. Mecca of Junk Food: If I want to get some junk food I will say NO to the candy isles in any other convenience or grocery store. Why get Pringles when you can get cookie butter?!?! Thats right people you can spread cookie on a cookie if that is what you choose. But I am holding out for the holidays when the most magical item arrives: The Astounding Multi-Flavor Joe-Joe's that are Decadently Enforced. They are the best flavors then dipped in a variety of chocolates. Sorry I'm not sorry Reese's PB Cups (jk I love you). 

4. When  you don't want to completely go off the wagon: When you are not fully ready to give yourself over to the junk food magic Joe's has plenty of foods that will give you comfort without the high cholesterol. My most recent find is Banana Chocolate Chip Protein Muffins. Yes there is chocolate chips in them but they are small and have 5grams of soy protein. I had one for breakfast and I was full until noon. Another product is their Guilt Free Mac and Cheese which I think tastes better than their regular Mac. 

5. So fresh and so clean clean: Didn't know Trader Joe's sells some beauty and hygiene products? Boom, they do! Their Tea Tree Tingle Shampoo and Conditioner smell like high end shampoo and they do not break the bank. My hair feels great from using it and I hope when the cold weather comes it will beat the dry skin.

6. Try something new: Last, the best part about Trader Joe's is that although it is a small grocery store they have such a great variety of products. Growing up I was not an adventurous eater- my favorite sandwich was cheese and mustard. Now that adulthood has granted me an appreciation for more flavors and textures (sorry Mom it took so long). Their prices wont break the bank for a spur of the moment purchase of some delicious treats. Next time I am coming for you India Relish.

What store makes you happy as a clam? Why haven't you tried the concentrate yet? Go! It will change your caffeine needing life.

Misconceptions

As I get ready for another school year (2015-2016 is going to be the best) I thought about what others view my job to be. The head tilt and puzzled look on a new persons face who I have just exchanged introductory information to. "Hey I am Meghan I work as Behavior Therapist with kids on the Autism Spectrum" followed by the slow and questioning "...oh?" After the person has tried to process what I have just said I usually get the following responses:

"So are you analyzing my behavior right now?"
"Isn't that training kids like dogs?"
"Yep I know what you do, I used to babysit someone who had (insert mental health diagnosis here)."
"Oh yeah you bribe kids to do their work."
"Wow you must get beaten up a lot."
"Aren't you afraid of all the vaccines? What do you think causes Autism?"

All three of these remarks could not be more far from the truth! So settle in reader because Meghan is going to drop some knowledge on you.

So are you analyzing my behavior now? The answer is no! ABA is my job and like most individuals I try to leave my work for work. Also I have just met you so the only analysis I could do on your behavior is take baseline.

Isn't that training kids like dogs? No, I do not walk around with a clicker and give out treats every time Timmy gets the newspaper. The techniques that some (not all) dog trainers use are derived from ABA but the focus of behavior change is particular to the client. I work with kids to learn a variety of academic and social behaviors to function in society. Examples: for academics I may work on problem solving math word problems or looking up a definition of a word when reading. For social I could work with a student to find a group to eat lunch with or to make eye contact with the person they are speaking with.

(These kids just face palmed from you comparing my job to that of a babysitter)

Yep I know what you do, I used to babysit a person who was special needs.: In some cases the person may be completely accurate in describing my job but most of the time no. My job does not mean that I hang out with an individual with a mental health diagnosis and we enjoy each others company. ABA is data driven so it is rare that you will see me at work without a clipboard full of data sheets. Babysitting (to me) implies that I take care of the individuals basic necessities when really my job is the opposite. ABA I am training students to become as independent as possible.

Oh yeah you bribe kids to do their work: It is called punishment and reinforcement and can be used as consequences for behavior change. To have a student do their work they first must know prerequisite skills to complete the work (addition and subtraction before multiplication). Then I provide reinforcement when they met the predetermined criteria for reinforcement. Bribe implicates that the student gets something and I get something back when really it is about the student being successful and completing the work. No it is not a quid pro quo situation.

Wow you must get beaten up a lot: Define "a lot". No it is not an everyday occurrence for me because Behavior Therapists go through a lot of training on how to deescalate students before it gets to the point of aggression. Yes, sometimes students will aggress on me for a variety of reasons (feeling sick, escaping work demand, didn't get enough sleep the night before, etc.) but it is not the student picking a fight with me and I lay there like a punching bag. I haven't had my hair pulled in over a year (knock on wood) thank you very much!

Aren't you afraid of all the vaccines? What do you think causes Autism?: This one is a two parter. No I am not afraid of vaccines because there is no scientific proof that the MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) series of vaccines has caused Autism in children. I am not a fan of needles and get light headed in the doctors office but that is a story for another time. As an individual who received those shots at 2 years old I can say that I may be quirky but they did not cause me to obtain the diagnosis. Nor do I have a problem with getting an annual flu shot because I work in a school (its a big old petri dish during the winter). Please look to medical professionals for information on Autism not celebrities. To the second part, if I knew the causation of Autism I would publish it as soon as possible. I do not have a clue what is the cause of the rise in the diagnosis of Autism. I only know that I work with kids on the spectrum to ensure that they can be as independent in the world as possible. I constantly am reading articles from medical and behavior analysis journals to see what treatments are most effective and thats the best I can do.

Now enjoy your day and don't let the misconceptions get you down! Picard knows what's up.