From Teaching to BCBA: Finding My True Calling
Author: Kristin Adams
Ever since I can remember, I wanted to be a teacher. I wanted to make a difference and watch kids grow and learn. I was so sure of this that I stubbornly disagreed with my parents, who wanted me to start at community college to save money, and went straight to a university right after high school graduation. While working towards my goal to become a teacher, I realized that inclusion was becoming the future of education. I didn’t have experience with individuals with disabilities so I decided to take an introduction to special education course. It was at that time that I was introduced to several types of disabilities, and decided to change my major to learning disabilities. My goal changed to then teach students that had learning difficulties reading and math.
I graduated from college, got married, and moved to Florida all within less than two months of each other. I had no previous experience with autism, but started my teaching career in an elementary classroom for autistic children with intense behaviors. I was excited for this opportunity! I worked under some incredible BCBAs and behavioral support teams in Florida. That was my first introduction to ABA. I recognized that when I was able to work with students in the classroom, using ABA principles, learning was greater and I felt more accomplished. I dove deep into the world of autism, learning as much as I could about people with autism, my students, various teaching methods, etc. I began to look into ways to do more than what I could do in the classroom. Teaching was great, but I felt constant conflict and pushback when I advocated for the needs of my students or the intensity of support that was necessary. I began to look into going back to school to become a BCBA but was not able to make this happen due to the requirements of coursework and supervision while I also needed to continue full time teaching. I set that thought aside and moved back to Michigan a few years later. When I returned back home to Michigan I began teaching in a high school. This opportunity allowed me to see the secondary side, the transition side of education. Though it was great to see that I still felt as though I was not able to do all that I wanted to to help my students. I was introduced to the idea that some Medicaid providers allowed people that have a specific certification and credentials to work as a behavior specialist while going to school to get a BCBA certification.
I left the teaching field feeling a little confused, as that was what I had dreamed of since I was a little girl, but also excited for the new opportunity. Being in the ABA field as a BCBA has been life-changing for me. Once I was introduced to the autistic community, there was never a question of the population that I wanted to work with. Being a BCBA has allowed me to teach kids in ways that the school didn’t allow. I get to meet with families to collaborate and make a difference in the clients’ home environments. I’m still able to be part of their education as I get to collaborate with teachers. I am able to see kids for an intense, therapeutic service and see the great difference that it makes in their lives. I always thought that I wanted to be a teacher, but really I just wanted to make a difference. I found that being a BCBA has allowed me to do that more than I ever dreamed possible.
Kristin Adams, BCBA
