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Teaching Autistic Children

  • 24-05-2009 9:16pm
    #1
    ScarletVanT
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9 ✭


    Hi All

    I'm currently training to be a Montessori teacher and during the course of my work experience, I encountered two Autistic kids. I had an amazing time with them and the sense of fulfillment when I was able to truly communicate with them and help them learn something new was fantastic. I've been considering a career in Special Needs ed. for quite a few years as my youngest sister is Autistic with severe learning difficulties but meeting and working with these two other children has me 100% convinced that this is the career for me. I will shortly be finishing up my current course and was considering a special needs assistant course but I've since begun researching Applied Behavior Analysis and it really appeals to me as a teaching method.

    I would love to take a degree in Psychology and a post-grad in ABA.
    Unfortunately, money is quite a factor at the moment and I'm unsure if attending university for 5 years full-time is realistic for me. I'd like to know if I would be able to get a job teaching children with Autism with a Montessori qualification and a special needs care diploma or if there is another way of becoming ABA qualified without having to do a Psychology degree.

    I know I will more than likely end up taking the full-time degree path and having to declare myself bankrupt (!) but I would really appreciate if anyone has any advice on other ways to becoming qualified for my dream job!!!!

    Thanks
    :)


Comments

  • #2
    eimear87
    Closed Accounts Posts: 18 ✭eimear87


    Hey so its a while since you posted but there are a few options you could do; most ABA schools take people without experience and the training is on the job, alternatively CEAT in Belfast train therapists to go to peoples homes and tutor the kids this is what I am doing now. I found an add in the paper looking for a tutor and I applied I had no experience with ABA but they took me anyway as CEAT do a training day with the child and family. If you look on the educate ABA website you will find people looking for therapists. If you do decide to do the psychology degree you could always go through the open university which is online and fully accredited. and the ABA masters is a part time course, you are in classes one day a week and working in ABA the rest of the time and your thesis is then based on your work. I would definitley advise you to get as much experience with ABA as you can as it is a really tough job and can be very challenging, plus you need all the experience you can get to get into the masters. Hope it goes well for you.


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