I work at George Brown arranging and allocating placements in the autism and behavioural science and the behavioural science technology programs. I’m a part-time instructor with the latter. I have clients that I see privately as a behaviour therapist and worked as a behaviour therapist prior to starting this position in May.
After high school I took political science at University of Toronto and realized it wasn’t for me. I was interested in international development, but my heart wasn’t fully in it. I spent a summer working at an overnight camp for kids with disabilities and discovered a passion for working with kids with special needs. When I came home, I enrolled in George Brown’s behavioural science technology program.
At the camp, I was interested in how other people who had experience in behavioural science interacted with the campers. I really like that it’s a systematic science. You have to have patience and follow through on giving instructions and consequences, and these interactions were always very positive.
The co-op placements best prepared me for working in the field. I did five, but students now do four. I graduated from the three-year program in 2011. You’re sent to different environments and settings, so typically you do placements with children and youth and two with adults with complex behaviours. I worked at TDSB schools for students with disabilities, a centre for young kids with autism and a program that taught parents with learning or developmental disabilities strategies for raising their own children.
We took courses on research methods, ethics and applied behaviour analysis, which is geared to assessment and intervention strategies and competencies. We studied how they apply to working with different populations, such as people with brain injuries or older people.
Five or 10 years ago, people in behavioural sciences were mostly getting jobs working with people with autism, but now we’re seeing a surge in opportunities in various behavioural health areas. For example, CAMH tripled the number of behavioural therapists on board. We’re seeing grads working in nursing homes and hospitals. Employers are finally seeing the benefits of the skills of applying interventions based on behaviour and learning theories to improve socially significant behaviour.
One thing I continue to have difficulty with is not getting emotionally attached to the individuals you work with. You’re often with them when they’re in crisis or working through challenges. I’ve definitely found myself getting emotionally involved and bringing work home, which is draining. It can be a tricky line to find the right amount of emotional involvement.
It’s something we discuss often in the program and in doing field education. It’s not something you can learn from a textbook.
