u/Cianalas_Calluna_22

I'm currently completing a post grad cert in ABA. My background education is in developmental psych. I have a interest in health and wellness, specifically to focus on caregivers. The further I get into this grad cert program though, the more I'm questioning if the BCBA credential is the right path. Don't get me wrong ABA is applicable, but the credential seems so focused on the autism community it's a bit frustrating. As do available fieldwork options, as I haven't found any that fit my personal goals. I am wondering if a certification like the NBHWC would be a better fit for my overall goals.

I understand I would not be a BCBA. However I could still take my education and apply it within a coaching framework. I feel it may be more marketable this way also, and less restricting given my professional goals and background in developmental psych. What, if any, downfall am I failing to consider? Has anyone else done this?

We are currently living in a very populated area of South Florida and I despise it (the chaos of living in a high population area - not Florida specifically). We are looking into moving next year for a better quality of life. Both my son and husband are disabled, so medical is important.

Considerations:

Family -Our extended family is mostly in Nebraska. We have zero family near us now. So, we would be 8-10 hours from family in MN vs 20-24 hours in FL. Flying is not really feasible for us because of health reasons. Traveling would be easier from MN, but day to day would be no different than it is now.

Health Insurance/Medical Care - When I bring this one up to friends/family they jump on MN being better - but my son currently has commercial insurance - and, my husband is a disabled veteran and my son will utilize ChampVA as an adult, so access to health insurance is less pressing overall. As well as quality of local medical care - unsure what Duluth MN really offers in that realm and we would be 3+ hours from Minneapolis. While MN has better services in theory, being in Rural MN may impact that. Florida would give us easier physical access to hospital systems in Gainsville and Jacksonville (plus not having to navigate Minneapolis would be a plus). Additionally, We would not have to transition medical care now.

Property - We'd be looking at spending 300-400K on a home in either location, priorities would be land/acreage in MN vs having a larger lot (.5 acres - 2 acres) and pool in Florida. Due to homeowner's insurance we'd be at the higher end of that price range in MN and the lower end in FL. From an accessibility standpoint - FL probably makes more sense, and the pool would be a huge benefit to both my son and husband for PT purposes. Owning land has always been a dream of my husband and I, so that is the reason for the pull to having an acreage. We have also lived in AK and that would be our dream, if it was feasible medical-wise, but it's not. So northern MN would be as close as we can get to replicating that.

Taxes - My tax burden would change, but my husband's income is not taxed because it's VA disability income. We wouldn't pay property taxes for the most part in either state - FL offers slightly better benefit in this regard.

Weather - Florida has hot and humid summers which make it hard to get out of the house, but I feel like MN would just be the reverse of that situation with the winter months. I miss the seasons in FL - but I do feel moving North in FL would help that.

Education - my son is homeschooled. He gets a unique abilities scholarship in FL which allows for us to afford extra therapies, curriculums, adaptive equipment etc to support his learning and development. This is huge for us. We would lose this in MN. MN homeschooling requirements are much more strict, and from my understanding that is because the public schools are more involved and do provide some therapies and access to part time enrollment. This could be of benefit to us, but I'm concerned that what they realistically provide would not benefit my son as much as the services he is receiving now through the use of the scholarship.

As I write this I feel FL comes in as the slight advantage in every category except family - and maybe that is why I'm so torn.. so to whoever read all of this I ask you:

A - Rural/Northern MN (north of Duluth)

B - Gainsville area (between Gainsville and Jacksonville)

and for those who don't want to (and I don't blame you) TLDR -

Family 8-10 hours away in MN, 24 hours away in Florida

Health Insurance/Medical care- utilize commercial insurance and champva in either location - considering availability of adult community services and physical proximity to local care (Duluth MN vs Gainsville FL)

Property - acreage in MN, pool in Fl

Taxes - largely waived due to disabled veteran benefits

Weather - Heat humidity vs extreme cold

Education - homeschool scholarship in FL vs more public school involvement in MN

Thank you!!

Essentially what the title says. My undergrad was in person (Human Development - essentially an intro to counseling/SW) - I gained so much more from that environment, simply because there was true discussion/discourse. My graduate degree was online (Developmental Psych), and it was largely what I put into it. I love research, so I didn't limit myself and I do feel that I learned and gained a lot from the degree (or my time spent completing it). But, it was moreso because of what I did - used the course work as a guideline and did far more research on my own.

I'm now completing a post-grad degree in ABA, because I want to pursue a career as a BCBA (also online). While I do feel this post grad is more challenging, essentially because the coursework is more structured than the Developmental Psych degree, there are correct/incorrect answers rather than everything being theory based - the instructors seem like they are only there to pat you on the back.

I say this because as I read through the obligatory discussion posts, I see responses from other students that are blatently wrong. Never does the instructor say "this is the correct answer" they always just say something along the lines of "great idea, your explanation of ____ perfectly describes _____" negating the fact that the student missed the whole point of the assignment. Are they hoping that the student cares enough to read every other post that drastically differs from their own? Or are they concerned that if they are "too harsh" the student will give up and the school loses funds? It just seems like yet another avenue in life where the bottom dollar is more important than the perceived purpose and it's so frustrating.

*Just noting due to life's current circumstances, in person is not an option for me at this time. I am again getting from this degree what I put in to it. I don't know why I even care how involved these instructors are, I didn't go into it with any hope they would be better than the last time around. But, it just frustrates me, probably from a moral perspective more than anything.

**How do I get the job where I can use AI to generate BS responses and otherwise not work? Sounds nice.

Ok rant done.. have a great day everyone!

Has anyone ever done fieldwork hours in an OBM environment? If so, were you already with the organization or are there trainee opportunities out there?

I'm currently rotating yoga and running almost daily. I eat a whole foods based diet. Count calories, typically around 1000 per day. Gluten free (gluten intolerant), significantly reduced added sugars and avoid processed foods. I'm 200 lbs and need to lose 70 to 80 to be in a healthy bmi.

I was prescribed a GLP 1 today. I've turned it down for now. I've been working hard for 2 years to lose weight, and I've instead gained 10 lbs. So I am at my wits end, but I'm scared of the side effects and long term risks. Plus, I'm also worried that it would be something I'd be stuck with for life. I'd much rather lose the weight on my own so it's easier to maintain. But nothing I'm doing is working.

I did recently start running again. I was an avid runner in my younger years and was always very thin, so I'm hoping maybe the increased cardio will be the last piece for me.

I guess I'm wondering, if you did or didn't take GLP 1, what was your experience? Why did you decide what you did? And any other suggestions for me are welcome.

I am a parent of a child with multiple disabilities as well as an ABA student, with a master's in Developmental Psych. I'm looking at this question from varying perspectives. I'm early on in the ABA program, so there could be a scientific benefit to X hours that I'm just not aware of. However, as a parent I know that my child does not benefit from constant therapy. Like any child, they require down time. This seems to be a frequent concern on this page, from both sides. And I suppose my concern is that ABA agencies are prescribing the max allowed, with $ in mind more than the individual's need/benefit. My skeptical mind says that the more dysregulated a child becomes, the more ABA they would theoretically require... Perpetuating the cycle.

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As a BCBA do you see this often? What is your perspective? How do you navigate it?

This is not a job searching post ** I'm just wondering if anyone has ever heard of student analyst positions that are not in the traditional autism/child focused environments? I'm really interested in clinical behavior analysis/health and wellness sub specialities. Would it be possible to find companies that hire students in these areas? Or am I better off doing volunteer hours until I can sit for the exam? I'm in a post grad ABA program currently, completed an MS in Developmental Psych last fall. I have not started any supervision hours as I currently work in lending compliance, but I'm really wanting to transition sooner than later.