Pros
- I was able to gather direct experience working with a variety of different clients that had an ASD diagnosis - I was able to get my RBT training and certification - It was rewarding to see my clients benefit from services - Coworkers were often supportive and provided helpful feedback - Benefits were pretty good - health insurance, PTO etc.
Cons
- I often had very long sessions (3-4 hours) with clients that had high rates of aggression/dangerous behaviors. This was both mentally and physically exhausting - This job was often physically demanding with squatting, lifting, carrying, and otherwise physically supporting clients. Work-related injuries were not uncommon. - Management was unprofessional at times, with the co-presidents responding aggressively or passive-aggressively to requests or concerns shared by staff members - Daily schedule was inconsistent and subject to change at any moment - When I was working at Steps, there was a time where we were not given lunch breaks and had to quickly eat lunch while attending to our client. This was stressful if you had a client with unsafe behaviors or frequent tantrums. - There were times when it took a long time for someone to cover my client so I could go to the restroom - High turn-over rate