The wide world of ABA

This morning I met with a student who was a little confused about where to go ‘from here’. I thought I’d share her experience today in hopes it will help some of you looking for your place in ABA, and also give some more information about just how varied the world of ABA is.

This student was questioning whether to stay in the program, whether to pursue other programs, whether she liked what she was learning, and whether she was interested in going where the program was taking her. All in all, she was a little unsure about what she “should” be doing. Which is 100% a place myself and many others in the field have been.

I started out by telling her about how I came into the field (a story for another day) to reassure her that her experience is valid, and very often common for those of us who still find this corner of the world a place we want to be. Then I shared with her some stories of past therapists of mine: one came from a role as an EA and now can never go back; one spent a long time in the field before having a crisis moment and realizing that ABA was a love, but working with children was not. Then, I told her some other applications of the field: OBM, Zoology, eating disorders, involuntary psychiatric treatment - and her response was all too common: for us being a year in I didn’t realize there was so much out there.

So this is all to tell you (any of you students, or other people interested in getting into the field and learning more about the applications) that there are many directions the field can take you. Just because of the bulk of ABA seems to be working with young children in a teaching academics setting does not mean all of us do. Just because some of us started here doesn’t mean we always have, or always will. There is room at the table for all of us to find our place.