Soak it up!

Work starts for me next week. It will be a new job but an old job. I will be returning to an agency I worked for for over 8 years and resigned the sorta cush job I originally left my old agency for two years. My experience in the world of autism and applied behavior analysis for over ten years and my recent Master's degree, has made me extremely valuable in the field. I am still pretty uneasy about my decision to change jobs (and regret even doing so this summer since I feel like we're swimming in debt). I completely turned around the whole program at the place I recently resigned at - making it a real ABA program and I even began to make a name for it as well. It drives me crazy how money-hungry agencies are. The demand for ABA services are increasing rapidly with the onslaught of children being diagnosed with autism. Agencies, despite the capability and expertise to meet these demands, still set up ABA shops. The result; a poorly run program, children who suffer, families who suffer, and a bad name for ABA. Even worse still, is the fact that ABA Early Intervention is becoming more and more in demand and teachers all-over, special ed or not, experienced or not, early childhood or not, are rushing to receive the lucrative pay agencies are willing to shell out for them (anywhere from 35 -130 an hour to be exact...still makes me kick myself in the head for not doing that). My previous company, recognizing me as" the" expert in ABA (which I didn't want to be), had me training previous high school math teachers/general education teachers/idiots to work in their ABA Early Intervention program. It went against everything I believed in. And finally, at my exit interview, they tried to persuade me to stay yet in the same breath claimed I was "TOO ABA". It was this lack of support for my field that finalized my decision to leave my agency and, sniffle, to say goodbye to my office, the painstaking energy I put in to my program, my kids - 5 of which we successfully transferred out of an ABA classroom and into a larger less intensive special ed class, my staff, and the unlimited use of the fax/copier (damn I miss it!).

Despite the lack of support, I did learn quite a bit, albiet on my own, in the past two years. I came in with 8 years of ABA experience but what I learned in these past two years surpasses that combined. I also got to learn the NYC education system quite a bit (Damn if I ever allow my child into the public education system!), and really, I just grew as a person. I will miss that growth and worry that I may not continue to do so.

Anyway, my scars on my arms (from kids scratching and biting me) have faded nicely, mainly thanks to the sun, but September just means new scratches and bite marks. Which really doesn't go well with a white wedding dress. But hey, that's me. The man tells me that I'm such a guy - I've got bruises and marks all over me. But it's better than having a "girly-girl" whose constantly primping in the mirror. Still not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing.