In-home Behavior Technician
Kyra
Experience Information
Employer: BRAINS/Pinerest
Job Title: Behavior Technician
Major: Psychology
Received Credit: Yes
Paid: Yes
Abroad: No
Description of the Organization
When I started at BRAINS we were a medium-sized company with many departments functioning to provide many services for a neurodiverse population. Recently, BRAINS has been acquired by Pinerest, which is a large organization with many locations, serving an even greater population of patients and needs throughout Michigan. In my position, I work mostly independently of the rest of the organization. I receive direct support from the BCBAs in the ABA Brains unit.
Description of the Tasks/Projects Completed
During my time at BRAINS as a Behavioral Technician I have worked with 6 different clients 1:1, 5 of those being in home, and 1 being in a school setting. These children are all on the Autism Spectrum and have behaviors that are preventing them from being successful in their everyday lives. The parents of these children work with the Board Certfied Behavior Analysts (BCBAs) that I work under, to develop a list of goals for each child. The BCBA then formulates a plan based upon each individual's unique circumstances, and I, as the behavior technician, carry out this plan. In practice, I meet with each child on my caseload a couple times a week for a few hours at a time, and we will do anything from read to play pretend, all while working on things like functional communication (using your words to get what you need or want), relinquishing of control (not needing everything to go exactly to plan), and peer relationships.
Skills/Knowledge Gained Through The Experience
Being a behavior technician has taught me an enormous amount of patience and to see from different perspectives. My clients and their families live very different lives than I did with my parents growing up, and to witness first-hand how neurological differences can impact every aspect of life, has given me a better understanding of what it means to be neuroatypical. Furthermore, the supervisors at BRAINS have given me a certain level of autonomy in my working with the clients, which has given me a passion for the work and a sense of confidence in my technician abilities.
Favorite Part of the Experience
My favorite part of being a behavior technician will always be my clients. I really think we learn the most by spending time with children.
How the Experience Influenced Future Career Goals
When I became a behavior technician, I thought that I wanted to go into Clinical Psychology and work with children. Now I am going into Industrial/Organizational Psychology to make workplaces more equitable for all populations. While I won't be working with neuroatypical children in their primary years of development, hopefully, I can prepare the workforce to be more welcoming for them when they grow up.
Internship Format
In Person