u/Spirited_Home_8110

Hi everyone!

To preface this, I was diagnosed with autism as a child, but my autism wasn’t considered “severe” so I was in general education.

I recently had a baby this year and stayed home for 5 months before putting her into daycare and working a job involving children. I previously only worked corporate roles, but we moved out to the suburbs and there weren’t many of those jobs around. I liked it initially because it was flexible and I could do part time or full time weeks whenever I wanted, but working with children that weren’t my own stressed me out so badly. I dreaded work every day and was desperately applying to jobs that seemed to suit me.

I came across a nonprofit role and applied despite having no prior nonprofit experience (it asked for it). I got through the HR screening, panel interview (both virtual) and the final interview (in person, involved several people). The final interview involved touring the office building. I made many comments and asked insightful questions. At the end, they sat me down with the team and they just started shooting questions at me. Usually, I get extremely anxious at this point and freeze. I shut down, but this, I felt more like myself. I got asked a question about a topic I’m VERY passionate about and started infodumping like crazy. I couldn’t really control it, but I just kept going and going. The team seemed more interested as the minutes passed and I could see them visibly relax.

Before I knew it, the interview was over, and the director of the nonprofit escorted me to my car. I was elated and then embarrassed. I was expecting a “we regret to inform you…” email days later. This morning, I got a call they cancelled the final interviews for other candidates and offered me the job. How lucky am I? I feel so so happy to finally leave this job.

Hi everyone! I made it to the third and final round of interviews for a nonprofit that caters towards the homeless. The first one was virtual and with HR. The second one was also virtual but was a panel interview. I got feedback I asked very insightful questions and gave very in depth personal answers which helped me move onto the final round. They asked me plenty of STAR format questions (like minimum 10 if I recall correctly) along with mission based questions in the second interview. I’m not sure what to expect in the final round though? They said they will give me a tour of the buildings and I get to meet the team along with everyone who participated in the panel interview, but I’m not sure how it will go. I’ve never worked for a nonprofit before and my last job I got, all the interviews are virtual even though the job was in person due to COVID. Thank you so much!

Good evening y’all! I’m just reflecting on my work day. I usually work 8ish hour days split between two kiddos, but today, I had just one kiddo! They’re 3 and it’s their 2nd week of ABA. I’ve been one of their 2 RBTs since they started. Our sessions are typically 4 hours long. I’ve come to find out that they are high acuity with lots of behaviors. Their mom even admitted to me she has never told them no once in their life! So you can only imagine how our sessions have been going.

Anyway, I was originally only going to have them for one session, but the scheduler at the last minute put me on for both sessions. It is so so hard to redirect a kid who escalates every time you deny them access to something. I provide safe alternatives, but they do nothing. If anything, it makes it worse. Their BCBA supervised us towards the last 2 hours of our session and was very critical of me for not being enthusiastic or talking enough. I’m tired. Today I logged 20k steps from work alone. I couldn’t even eat lunch because I didn’t bring it. I’m also super sick, but sucked it up and clocked in anyway because money over mental health /s.

I don’t know where I’m going with this. More of a rant maybe? I feel as if this job isn’t for me and I have been passively job searching and getting interviews. I’ll stick it out for as long as I can.

Hi. I am struggling with severe snoring at night even after losing weight. I believe I might have sleep apnea as it does run in my family. Do you have any recommendations? I don’t have a preference if the sleep study has to be done in clinic or at home. Thank you.

I’m autistic myself although I never went through ABA. Before this job, I had a comfortable corporate role in a different state. We recently moved to a LCOL area for our kids’ quality of life and I couldn’t find anything comparable to my old job. Within a week of settling in, I landed this RBT position, advertised as part time. I figured how bad could it be?

I’ve now been working full time for a month, and I dread every single day. I have two clients. My first client is a young sweet kid, new to the clinic like me. We’re figuring out the environment together. They have tantrums a couple times a week, but nothing I can’t handle. I genuinely enjoy working with them and wish to work with them full time (this request was denied).

My second client is older and has been at the clinic for years and has a lot of behaviors. After several incidents where they’ve physically hurt me, my anxiety is through the roof every time I have to work with them. Management isn’t supportive and doesn’t seem to care. I feel like I’m stuck with them.

Some of my coworkers have been here for years, which makes me wonder if I’m the problem. Am I just weak? Was I spoiled by comfortable jobs and not actually cut out for this kind of work?

I would love to hear from other RBTs. Is this level of dread normal starting out, or is this a sign I’m in the wrong environment (or wrong field)?

I did the online 40 hour training, an in person 40 hour training and a week of shadowing before I took the RBT exam and passed on my first try. During the week of shadowing, I got to shadow clients with little to no interfering behaviors. Very chill and mellow. Also on the younger side. They were all no older than 6 or 7. I thought to myself maybe this job isn’t too bad?

I was thrown right into it once I passed the exam and assigned a very “difficult” client. She is 10 and nonverbal. She sometimes communicates with one of those communication boards and the rare one word mands.

The first day went ok! But I feel as if it went downhill from there. Today, it all came to a head. From the start of our session, I could tell she was having an off day. I gave her space while still trying to pair with her doing things she loves like pushing her on the swing or chasing her around playing tag.

After maybe 10-15 minutes of being outside, she wanted to go back inside the building. Of course, I follow her lead and to make sure she doesn’t elope since she has a history of it. I asked her where she wanted to go next and she suddenly turns around and digs her dirty nails into my face, drawing blood on both sides. I was really shocked, but kept my composure. I gently got her hands off my face and redirected her. She pulled my hair shortly after too. Again gentle redirection. I had to file an incident report. I cleaned my face off, but part of me is scared of infection. I feel sort of dejected. The rest of the session, I struggled to run trials. The client was clearly in a bad mood today and it just feels really cold and clinical to run trials when she’s not ready to engage, but the BCBA insisted.

When I told the clinical director about the incident since she’s also my supervisor, she initially seemed empathetic, but basically told me to suck it up and that I had to go back to work tomorrow. All I asked is to be reassigned to another client. I want to work, but I feel miserable working with this client. She has 2 RBTs on her case. I just wonder why they need me?

I thought being a mom and having multiple children would help prepare me for this job, but somehow, it drains me way more than any of the short stints as a SAHM.

I started shadowing this week at an ABA clinic for the first time. My first day I was pretty normal. I shadowed 2 RBTs and their clients. Everything seemed normal. Everyone was engaged, happy and relaxed. I had a good first day.

Today, the director was scrambling to figure out who I get to shadow. The RBT I was supposed to shadow cancelled on me because her client was older (teen) and didn’t feel comfortable with strangers. The director let me shadow an RBT with a “difficult” client. He was non verbal and much larger than both me and the RBT. He was on his personal iPad the entire time while the RBT was watching videos on her phone on full volume and taking selfies (???). It was very odd. She was really burned out. She told me she was often scheduled with the more difficult clients. I just finished my session with her.

Also something else that stood out to me was that although we get a lunch break, there’s a small shared kitchen we can take it, but most people eat during their sessions with clients outside of that area. Is that normal? It seemed unusual to me. A bit unsanitary too.

I finished my 40 hour online training and final orientation last week. My in person training starts in a few hours and I’m getting anxious. My onboarding specialist didn’t respond to my pumping accommodation email at all. I only asked to pump twice a day since I’m part time. How are pumping breaks handled at your ABA clinic typically?

For context, I do have a car and car insurance in my name! I had to sign a client transportation waiver since I didn’t show them my car insurance yet. I’m not sure I’m comfortable doing it. If it’s required, I most definitely will. The job listing doesn’t say I’m required to transport clients, but I’m worried that I’m expected to. Thank you!

For context, I was working a corporate job when I got fired towards the end of my pregnancy. I got unemployment. My old employer didn’t contest it. Now my baby is 4 months and my unemployment is ending later this month. I just started looking for a new job.

I have a teaching assistant job interview tomorrow, but I am getting cold feet because 1. It’s across town and traffic is awful here 2. It’s not at the daycare my two kids are at (they don’t have any openings) and 3. The pay is half as much as I used to get paid at my old job. With rising gas prices, I don’t know if it’s worth it. I felt rushed to get a job because we get childcare financial assistance that’s contingent on both me and my husband working. I just found out today that I have 6 more months to find a job before they review our eligibility to receive the childcare fee assistance.

Should I go or cancel? I am really torn. The job market here sucks. I have 2 more interviews lined up besides this one.

For reference, I usually wear a 39 in Margiela and 25 in Nike Air Rifts. Would a 26 in Marugo tabis fit me? I bought a pair secondhand since they’re pre order. I didn’t want to wait the 3 months and I like wearing broken in shoes. The seller said they usually wear a 25 and Marugo recommends going up .5-1 cm so it fit them well.

Please lemme know your experiences. Thank you!