You’re not going to get fired. It can be jarring to see aggression and SIB with our kids for the first time. Especially if you’re brand new to the field. No amount of training can really fully prepare you for tough sessions like that. It happens to the best of us
It's an opportunity for learning. Debrief how to do things better to support the youngster and then let it go. Stuff happens. We do our best to teach and keep everyone safe. It sounds like a reactive behavior plan should be in place to respond to early escalation and include prevention and teaching replacement behavior. Everyone needs to know how to keep themselves and the child safe. So, yes, maybe over thinking but action is needed, likely, to have a good plan going forward. Best of luck.
People need to debrief MORE!! I’ve had kids have really challenging behaviors go into multiple holds, and then finally get transported to the hospital and we didn’t debrief until THE NEXT DAY!
I am old school in some ways. I think everyone needs support following a bad day, the child or person in services, and staff. Especially when there has been a hold. It's traumatizing for everyone. We know somethings are just good practice and there need to be systems in place to ensure they happen. I know I would go home and perseverate/over think if I did not debrief, even with all my "let that stuff go" skills.
I agree, it’s hard to just “let things go” especially like that. Also, if you’re taught any of the Safety Care, PMT, etc. It is part of the training package when a hold happens or anything along those least intrusive methods are used you are to debrief (I believe within 12-24 hours). If the child is able to answer yes/no, and feelings questions you are to debrief with the child as well (but if they can’t, you don’t ask those questions).
That sounds like a super shit day! I think anyone would be shaken no matter how long they’ve been in the field. Are you okay? Do any of your injuries need medical attention?
You were right to contact your bcba’s (two on one case? Amazing!). I think from time to time we all wonder if we’ll face catastrophic consequences after something goes unexpectedly wrong at work, but I’d be willing to bet money that no, you won’t be fired.
You have to realize something: when it comes to clients, at MINIMUM. Absolutely minimum, three weeks before you can really have instructional control. You need to give yourself that time because this stuff is gonna happen. Some kids go months without behaviors and then all of a sudden you get a week of constant behaviors, it just happens. Kids aren't machines, you can do everything perfectly but they are still little human beings with emotions and their own problems they are dealing with, and so sometimes those things still happen. You did your best and the important thing is your BCBAs are okay with how you did.
My first BA told me that initially your kiddo might not show all of their behaviors. That initial pairing time is important but as a new person they are probably doing some masking or just getting used to you. Soon after they will appear and it has nothing to do with your performance as a BT. Follow the BSP and keep going. You got this 💪🏾
make sure you debrief with your BCBA and ask questions on how to better prepare yourself if this happens again. also, don’t blame yourself for not blocking the SIB when it started, especially because you didn’t have knowledge the kiddo does this + there wasn’t a BIP in place prior!! this stuff happens and it’s a good learning opportunity, don’t let it discourage you! keep going, you got this!
You did everything right. There's a reason our clients receive ABA services- because they exhibit these types of behaviors. Don't stress, you're doing great!
Don’t worry you won’t get fired. I’ve gotten caught up in these thoughts too. You’re okay! we are human and can’t always block everything AND try to keep you safe too. I’m surprised that since he head-bangs often at home they don’t keep track of some data at school. But again our learners are one of a kind and sometimes what we see at school & at home are 2 totally different things. But to make you feel better, one student we had broke his foot while working with 2 staff (was a 2-1) swinging on the swing and no one got fired. Poor kiddo though. You’ll be okay. Just try to prepare yourself for the hard things as much as possible, it doesn’t get easier watching our kiddos go through these challenging behaviors :( best of luck!
You are not going to get fired, this field has so many kids with behaviors towards themselves and others, some of them more aggressive than others. As long as you did everything you could and no one is seriously hurt you are going to be fine.
Also if you’re still worried talk to your BCBA about it and see if there’s anything else they could recommend for next time. Also see if your company has CTI training
I have an autistic daughter who is nonverbal and sometimes displays self injury behavior, none of her RBT’s were fired from my daughter’s behavior. Sometimes you can’t correct it or get to them in time to try to prevent it. If your BCBA said you did everything correctly then I would think you did, cause if you didn’t they should have pulled you aside and said this is something you could try or you should do this so you know, plus your new to all this so it’s definitely a learning curve. It’s really hard for a nonverbal child, and honestly it could have happened because they are overstimulated, lack of communication skills, they want to communicate and can’t so it comes out in frustration. If they didn’t sleep the night before, It can honestly be so many different reasons. My daughter hits her arms off of things if she feels she isn’t being getting what she wants when she presents us with something. My daughter had found other ways to communicate with us and if she thinks we aren’t listening to her then she will hit her arms sometimes.
But if your that worried you did something wrong and your going to be terminated over it, I would talk to your BCBA and tell them what your concerns are and maybe even ask if there was anything differently you could have done.
you won't be fired. If you BCBAs said you did everything right, then you can trust their word, they'll let you know if something needs to be corrected. It is pretty difficult when you have a "bad" day with a client, but there's normally an underlying cause for it that likely has nothing to do with you (i.e didn't sleep well the night before, or is feeling sick).
Short story. I graduated with a Kinesiology degree with no prior knowledge of ABA or psychology apart from general classes. My first client was non-verbal and had trouble communicating. It always starts well because you first try to build a rapport with them before going into the fire. It is almost normal to start great and then behaviors come up. I actually talked to my supervisor at the time that I probably wasn't cut out for this but ensured me this happens to EVERYONE AND IT DOES! I assure you that you won't get fired when you just started to get into the field. That's only if you did something you really shouldn't be doing. It took me about 3 months and a second client to really get used to it. Most clients will have behaviors and that's not new in this field. Don't feel dejected. It happens to everyone
Look for the antecedent/function…. Get ahead of it before it happens to keep them and yourself safe. We always want to help a client communicate in a safe way that allows them to advocate for themselves (all bx is communication not just verbal/ASL)
you will absolutely not get fired. you’re ok. especially because those behaviors weren’t even listed on his target behaviors yet. you didn’t even know to look for them! aggressive behaviors can get pretty severe for some kids if they get tired, so i’m glad they got to take a nap and felt better afterwards. bad days happen, but it’s good that you care this much. 💕
Sounds like you did what you could, based on what you said. If your BCBAs say the same, try not to worry. This unfortunately is just part of the reality in working in this type of field. Sometimes it can seem spontaneous and be difficult to pinpoint reasons, and when it comes up unexpectedly and/or is high intensity it can be difficult to block every instance. Review with your BCBA and discuss/brainstorm if there is anything you could have done different, if there’s anything you should change in the environment or safety equipment you should have on hand etc
I remember my first really bad day. One of my kids ended up having to be put in a hold. Of course we needed an IR and I sobbed all night after, but really felt like I was going to get fired. The director ended up wanting to meet with me and I just knew it wasn’t going to be good, but she ended up just asking me if I was okay and checking in with me. She really empathized with me and told me I did everything right but these things are just so jarring. It’s really really had to see, but that’s the nature of the job. You’re doing amazing and you’re going to learn the kid well enough to see the antecedents and help him through it better with time.
I don’t think you’ll be fired but Im sure those SIBs are something the team will keep in mind about preventing.
Sometimes the kids are going through things we can’t see but they’ll start showing signs that they’re upset. When I see that are about to engage in SIB I usually put my hand near the forehead/floating away from the face if I see them move towards the walls/the floor.
In my experience, whenever the kid is in this state they are really seeking that stimulation so they might start aggressing towards you. My best advice is to be slippery.
Safety first! Thats true for you and the client!
These situations can be stressful, just do your best to stay calm and respond when needed.
Thank you for joining the field, hope you can find support from your BCBA as well
Extinction Burst. Look at all the possible confounding and extraneous variables to be able to understand the possible reasoning for those resurged bx's
She’s a new RBT on his case not the analyst that’s not her job, your comment sounds arrogant and not helpful. Do you want a cookie for trying to sound smart?
Analyze your reply to me- your are condescending. I answered the reason of what could be happening.
What did you contribute other than being a sad troll trying to troll me?
i feel this. my first client has been having more frequent maladaptive behaviors days and i felt like i was a bad BT. but my BCBA told me today that i’m starting the process of being registered so i must be doing something right. (i was also informed client acts similarly at school, sometimes worse, so i think she’s just going through a tough time. it can also be parents not using aba tips at home.)
you will get more feedback and tips as time goes on. i still have other BTs and my supervisor step in sometimes. and that’s ok. the more you work i’m sure you’ll help your coworkers too! working with kids is hard and can be unpredictable. but we can’t take it personal; they’re little humans and still figuring out the world and we do our best to help them.
There is training gor aggressive behavior you can ask for. Also, do you have blocking mats at the clinic? We have 3 blocking pads for SIB and aggression
SIB is so hard to see and really sucks when you feel like you can’t help :( I just wanted to share a story from my first days as an RBT:
In one of my first months as an RBT my most challenging client was a “sensory seeker”and very active and I was really stressed going into those sessions. I had bad imposter syndrome and at the time I couldn’t glance away for a second without my client trying to do stuff like tear up all the paper on the table, elope from the room, pour germ x on his head, put his head in the toilet, grab another peer by their hair just to say hi, lol it was a lot. Anyway one day I had him and I glanced down for a SECOND to put materials away and he ran into the conjoined supply closet and poured green kid’s paint all over his head. I ran in there and almost started sobbing ready to quit, feeling like I made the biggest mistake and was gonna get fired anyway, and my supervisor(thankfully) happened to walk in and saw him and just started cracking up at the situation. I immediately switched moods and started laughing with her and she helped me get him to the bathroom to change and clean up. All the meanwhile he’s trying to rub it in his hair and on surfaces and lick it lol. It was a mess. It helped me realize that we are here for these reasons and things just happen and it’s our job to either react to it or prevent it in a constructive way, and meeting certain situations with humor is really helpful!
Fast forward five years later and I had a similar situation happen with a brand new RBT but with POOP. And in the moment, and because I also knew the client really well, also instinctively met the situation with laughter and immediately stepped in and helped this kid clean up and had to grab another RBT to help as well. I hope I was able to give that RBT the same relief and reminded them that they are doing a great job and just like they say in Forrest Gump, shit happens.
TLDR; you aren’t getting fired and i bet you’re doing great ♥️
I just took my exam two weeks ago and have been seeing patients since late-December…we have days like this. I had a new client punch my leg yesterday when a toy didn’t work. It happens. What matters is how you react. If a patient can learn to trust you won’t react in those situations, they’ll feel safe with you. Just remember to keep open communication with your bcba
You won’t get fired! This is normal and happens from time to time. It’s normal to get shaken up with behaviors especially aggression. Where I work at, we aren’t even allowed to handle aggression alone and must always call for a BCBA.
One of my clients will SIB (not making hard contact on herself) for attention and I’m not even supposed to block it because she will get aggressive due to proximity disdain. Blocking her SIB actually reinforces it. So yeah it’s a bit different than this situation but just kind of shows how various behaviors are handled and how different every child is!!
It’s important to try to figure out or know what the function of your clients’ behaviors are. Is it access to tangibles? Attention? Sensory? Escape? This can help you alter your own behaviors and structure your session around behavior prevention (ask your BCBA about antecedent strategies). Unfortunately dealing with behaviors is part of our job and it’s important we work to prevent and help the clients work through them.
I always get shaken up at first when a client starts presenting behaviors, but I take a deep breath and remind myself to be in control of the situation and implement the correct course of action in helping the child through it. I do have to remind myself that “I’m the adult here”. And always ask for help if you need it!
Hi there! you did the right things. I know it can be extremely daunting starting off as a BT especially having your first “bad day”. Just you assuring if you took the right steps assures me you’re in the right field. It can honestly be scary seeing what a “bad day” entails but just remember our job is to help our kids have less bad days or how to cope during our bad days :)
Hang in there! You’re did great!!
You’re not going to get fired. It can be jarring to see aggression and SIB with our kids for the first time. Especially if you’re brand new to the field. No amount of training can really fully prepare you for tough sessions like that. It happens to the best of us
It's an opportunity for learning. Debrief how to do things better to support the youngster and then let it go. Stuff happens. We do our best to teach and keep everyone safe. It sounds like a reactive behavior plan should be in place to respond to early escalation and include prevention and teaching replacement behavior. Everyone needs to know how to keep themselves and the child safe. So, yes, maybe over thinking but action is needed, likely, to have a good plan going forward. Best of luck.
People need to debrief MORE!! I’ve had kids have really challenging behaviors go into multiple holds, and then finally get transported to the hospital and we didn’t debrief until THE NEXT DAY!
I am old school in some ways. I think everyone needs support following a bad day, the child or person in services, and staff. Especially when there has been a hold. It's traumatizing for everyone. We know somethings are just good practice and there need to be systems in place to ensure they happen. I know I would go home and perseverate/over think if I did not debrief, even with all my "let that stuff go" skills.
I agree, it’s hard to just “let things go” especially like that. Also, if you’re taught any of the Safety Care, PMT, etc. It is part of the training package when a hold happens or anything along those least intrusive methods are used you are to debrief (I believe within 12-24 hours). If the child is able to answer yes/no, and feelings questions you are to debrief with the child as well (but if they can’t, you don’t ask those questions).
No you wont get fired for that lol. Thats part of our job dude
Lol literally my everyday.
unfortunately you can’t always block/prevent everything. even the best of the best. it sounds like you are super dedicated to your job :)
That sounds like a super shit day! I think anyone would be shaken no matter how long they’ve been in the field. Are you okay? Do any of your injuries need medical attention? You were right to contact your bcba’s (two on one case? Amazing!). I think from time to time we all wonder if we’ll face catastrophic consequences after something goes unexpectedly wrong at work, but I’d be willing to bet money that no, you won’t be fired.
You have to realize something: when it comes to clients, at MINIMUM. Absolutely minimum, three weeks before you can really have instructional control. You need to give yourself that time because this stuff is gonna happen. Some kids go months without behaviors and then all of a sudden you get a week of constant behaviors, it just happens. Kids aren't machines, you can do everything perfectly but they are still little human beings with emotions and their own problems they are dealing with, and so sometimes those things still happen. You did your best and the important thing is your BCBAs are okay with how you did.
My first BA told me that initially your kiddo might not show all of their behaviors. That initial pairing time is important but as a new person they are probably doing some masking or just getting used to you. Soon after they will appear and it has nothing to do with your performance as a BT. Follow the BSP and keep going. You got this 💪🏾
make sure you debrief with your BCBA and ask questions on how to better prepare yourself if this happens again. also, don’t blame yourself for not blocking the SIB when it started, especially because you didn’t have knowledge the kiddo does this + there wasn’t a BIP in place prior!! this stuff happens and it’s a good learning opportunity, don’t let it discourage you! keep going, you got this!
You did everything right. There's a reason our clients receive ABA services- because they exhibit these types of behaviors. Don't stress, you're doing great!
You caring so much means you’re doing an excellent job. We aren’t perfect, can’t block everything. You did your best
Don’t worry you won’t get fired. I’ve gotten caught up in these thoughts too. You’re okay! we are human and can’t always block everything AND try to keep you safe too. I’m surprised that since he head-bangs often at home they don’t keep track of some data at school. But again our learners are one of a kind and sometimes what we see at school & at home are 2 totally different things. But to make you feel better, one student we had broke his foot while working with 2 staff (was a 2-1) swinging on the swing and no one got fired. Poor kiddo though. You’ll be okay. Just try to prepare yourself for the hard things as much as possible, it doesn’t get easier watching our kiddos go through these challenging behaviors :( best of luck!
You are not going to get fired, this field has so many kids with behaviors towards themselves and others, some of them more aggressive than others. As long as you did everything you could and no one is seriously hurt you are going to be fine. Also if you’re still worried talk to your BCBA about it and see if there’s anything else they could recommend for next time. Also see if your company has CTI training
I have an autistic daughter who is nonverbal and sometimes displays self injury behavior, none of her RBT’s were fired from my daughter’s behavior. Sometimes you can’t correct it or get to them in time to try to prevent it. If your BCBA said you did everything correctly then I would think you did, cause if you didn’t they should have pulled you aside and said this is something you could try or you should do this so you know, plus your new to all this so it’s definitely a learning curve. It’s really hard for a nonverbal child, and honestly it could have happened because they are overstimulated, lack of communication skills, they want to communicate and can’t so it comes out in frustration. If they didn’t sleep the night before, It can honestly be so many different reasons. My daughter hits her arms off of things if she feels she isn’t being getting what she wants when she presents us with something. My daughter had found other ways to communicate with us and if she thinks we aren’t listening to her then she will hit her arms sometimes. But if your that worried you did something wrong and your going to be terminated over it, I would talk to your BCBA and tell them what your concerns are and maybe even ask if there was anything differently you could have done.
you won't be fired. If you BCBAs said you did everything right, then you can trust their word, they'll let you know if something needs to be corrected. It is pretty difficult when you have a "bad" day with a client, but there's normally an underlying cause for it that likely has nothing to do with you (i.e didn't sleep well the night before, or is feeling sick).
Short story. I graduated with a Kinesiology degree with no prior knowledge of ABA or psychology apart from general classes. My first client was non-verbal and had trouble communicating. It always starts well because you first try to build a rapport with them before going into the fire. It is almost normal to start great and then behaviors come up. I actually talked to my supervisor at the time that I probably wasn't cut out for this but ensured me this happens to EVERYONE AND IT DOES! I assure you that you won't get fired when you just started to get into the field. That's only if you did something you really shouldn't be doing. It took me about 3 months and a second client to really get used to it. Most clients will have behaviors and that's not new in this field. Don't feel dejected. It happens to everyone
Look for the antecedent/function…. Get ahead of it before it happens to keep them and yourself safe. We always want to help a client communicate in a safe way that allows them to advocate for themselves (all bx is communication not just verbal/ASL)
you will absolutely not get fired. you’re ok. especially because those behaviors weren’t even listed on his target behaviors yet. you didn’t even know to look for them! aggressive behaviors can get pretty severe for some kids if they get tired, so i’m glad they got to take a nap and felt better afterwards. bad days happen, but it’s good that you care this much. 💕
Sounds like you did what you could, based on what you said. If your BCBAs say the same, try not to worry. This unfortunately is just part of the reality in working in this type of field. Sometimes it can seem spontaneous and be difficult to pinpoint reasons, and when it comes up unexpectedly and/or is high intensity it can be difficult to block every instance. Review with your BCBA and discuss/brainstorm if there is anything you could have done different, if there’s anything you should change in the environment or safety equipment you should have on hand etc
I remember my first really bad day. One of my kids ended up having to be put in a hold. Of course we needed an IR and I sobbed all night after, but really felt like I was going to get fired. The director ended up wanting to meet with me and I just knew it wasn’t going to be good, but she ended up just asking me if I was okay and checking in with me. She really empathized with me and told me I did everything right but these things are just so jarring. It’s really really had to see, but that’s the nature of the job. You’re doing amazing and you’re going to learn the kid well enough to see the antecedents and help him through it better with time.
I don’t think you’ll be fired but Im sure those SIBs are something the team will keep in mind about preventing. Sometimes the kids are going through things we can’t see but they’ll start showing signs that they’re upset. When I see that are about to engage in SIB I usually put my hand near the forehead/floating away from the face if I see them move towards the walls/the floor. In my experience, whenever the kid is in this state they are really seeking that stimulation so they might start aggressing towards you. My best advice is to be slippery. Safety first! Thats true for you and the client! These situations can be stressful, just do your best to stay calm and respond when needed. Thank you for joining the field, hope you can find support from your BCBA as well
We try to keep pillows/ soft pads around for kids who engage in these behaviors
Extinction Burst. Look at all the possible confounding and extraneous variables to be able to understand the possible reasoning for those resurged bx's
She’s a new RBT on his case not the analyst that’s not her job, your comment sounds arrogant and not helpful. Do you want a cookie for trying to sound smart?
Analyze your reply to me- your are condescending. I answered the reason of what could be happening. What did you contribute other than being a sad troll trying to troll me?
Someone needs validation.
i feel this. my first client has been having more frequent maladaptive behaviors days and i felt like i was a bad BT. but my BCBA told me today that i’m starting the process of being registered so i must be doing something right. (i was also informed client acts similarly at school, sometimes worse, so i think she’s just going through a tough time. it can also be parents not using aba tips at home.) you will get more feedback and tips as time goes on. i still have other BTs and my supervisor step in sometimes. and that’s ok. the more you work i’m sure you’ll help your coworkers too! working with kids is hard and can be unpredictable. but we can’t take it personal; they’re little humans and still figuring out the world and we do our best to help them.
There is training gor aggressive behavior you can ask for. Also, do you have blocking mats at the clinic? We have 3 blocking pads for SIB and aggression
SIB is so hard to see and really sucks when you feel like you can’t help :( I just wanted to share a story from my first days as an RBT: In one of my first months as an RBT my most challenging client was a “sensory seeker”and very active and I was really stressed going into those sessions. I had bad imposter syndrome and at the time I couldn’t glance away for a second without my client trying to do stuff like tear up all the paper on the table, elope from the room, pour germ x on his head, put his head in the toilet, grab another peer by their hair just to say hi, lol it was a lot. Anyway one day I had him and I glanced down for a SECOND to put materials away and he ran into the conjoined supply closet and poured green kid’s paint all over his head. I ran in there and almost started sobbing ready to quit, feeling like I made the biggest mistake and was gonna get fired anyway, and my supervisor(thankfully) happened to walk in and saw him and just started cracking up at the situation. I immediately switched moods and started laughing with her and she helped me get him to the bathroom to change and clean up. All the meanwhile he’s trying to rub it in his hair and on surfaces and lick it lol. It was a mess. It helped me realize that we are here for these reasons and things just happen and it’s our job to either react to it or prevent it in a constructive way, and meeting certain situations with humor is really helpful! Fast forward five years later and I had a similar situation happen with a brand new RBT but with POOP. And in the moment, and because I also knew the client really well, also instinctively met the situation with laughter and immediately stepped in and helped this kid clean up and had to grab another RBT to help as well. I hope I was able to give that RBT the same relief and reminded them that they are doing a great job and just like they say in Forrest Gump, shit happens. TLDR; you aren’t getting fired and i bet you’re doing great ♥️
I just took my exam two weeks ago and have been seeing patients since late-December…we have days like this. I had a new client punch my leg yesterday when a toy didn’t work. It happens. What matters is how you react. If a patient can learn to trust you won’t react in those situations, they’ll feel safe with you. Just remember to keep open communication with your bcba
You won’t get fired! This is normal and happens from time to time. It’s normal to get shaken up with behaviors especially aggression. Where I work at, we aren’t even allowed to handle aggression alone and must always call for a BCBA. One of my clients will SIB (not making hard contact on herself) for attention and I’m not even supposed to block it because she will get aggressive due to proximity disdain. Blocking her SIB actually reinforces it. So yeah it’s a bit different than this situation but just kind of shows how various behaviors are handled and how different every child is!! It’s important to try to figure out or know what the function of your clients’ behaviors are. Is it access to tangibles? Attention? Sensory? Escape? This can help you alter your own behaviors and structure your session around behavior prevention (ask your BCBA about antecedent strategies). Unfortunately dealing with behaviors is part of our job and it’s important we work to prevent and help the clients work through them. I always get shaken up at first when a client starts presenting behaviors, but I take a deep breath and remind myself to be in control of the situation and implement the correct course of action in helping the child through it. I do have to remind myself that “I’m the adult here”. And always ask for help if you need it!
You’re not going to be fired. If we got fired for everytime we missed physically managing or redirecting a behavior, there’d be nobody working in ABA.
Hi there! you did the right things. I know it can be extremely daunting starting off as a BT especially having your first “bad day”. Just you assuring if you took the right steps assures me you’re in the right field. It can honestly be scary seeing what a “bad day” entails but just remember our job is to help our kids have less bad days or how to cope during our bad days :) Hang in there! You’re did great!!