"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.
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