Working with Autistic Children?

[MMak]

I've been doing a bit of my own research, but there's not a ton of straight info on this and since this is the most active and widespread forum I know/go on, I thought it wouldn't hurt to ask on here.

I've never really completely known what I've wanted to do for a career, juggled between ideas like being a veterinarian and such, but no matter what, I always knew I was meant to work in the care field.
A little over a year ago I began to learn more about autism and grew a big interest with it... I now have a boyfriend who has a nephew with a milder form of it and experiencing communicating and understanding him only confirmed it further for me that this is something I would like to look into as a career.
Long story short, I don't exactly know what this would be called as a job and what courses I'd need to take. Where do I go from here?
Is there such thing as someone who works solely with autistic people?

 

[smilez_n_hugs]

I'm honestly not sure about just working with autistic people but I would look into a support worker who works specifically with autistism (possibly in a group home setting?) or even an educational assistant. Depending on the age you would prefer to work with you could always do ECE (early childhood educator) or some type of counseling and work with social services. My cousin has a foster daughter who is severely autistic and social services provides a lot of support to the family.

 

[jorats]

I agree with smilez, do a ECE course and or social work course/ Uni degree as well. Then you can go and specialize, maybe not so much for autism alone but for special needs children. Some universities like the one here in Sudbury, offers a bachelor's degree in social work.
This is very brave of you, not everyone can do it. It's totally awesome that this is what is calling you in life. Specialized teachers, social workers are very much needed.

 

[Sharlees rattakisses]

I went through College in 1984 to become a DSW (Developmental Services Worker)
Though I am sure a lot has changed since then I will tell you it is hard work.
Very little pay for all that needs to be done.
I worked in a school for children with behavioural issues,
One on one behavioural modification,
A day care and in a Group home for Autistic children.
I really wish I chose ECE instead.
This is not a field to jump into lightly.
Pharmacology almost killed me.
Why can't Doctors learn to print? Lol
Take your time look thoroughly through all the options available to you.
School is expensive and you want to make sure it's really what you want.

 

[smilez_n_hugs]

Take your time look thoroughly through all the options available to you.
School is expensive and you want to make sure it's really what you want.

This is a very good point. I meant to mention volunteering at a school, daycare and/or group home to see if it's what you really want and to decide what environment you like the best. I spent a lot of time in schools and tutoring before I decided to get my Bachelor of Education.

 

[Mimmom]

Look into ABA (applied behavioral analysis) and BCBA which I think is Board Certified Behavior Analyst or something like that. ABA is used a lot is working with autistic children and is considered one of the best ways to help them. You might want to try being a paraprofessional doing 1:1 work with disabled kids in schools to get some sense of what this is like. I think you can be a certified paraprofessional where I live.

My son has asperger syndrome. He has a 1:1 para who spends most of the day assisting my son to keep him focused and to deal with difficult times. I believe there are college degrees that focus entirely on autism spectrum disorders. There is a guidance counselor at the middle school my son attended who has such a degree. She is known as the district expert on asperger syndrome. She works directly with autistic children but also works with typical kids who just need a guidance counselor for one reason or another. There are educators, behavior specialists, psychologists and psychiatrists who work with autistic children. There is a huge need for psychiatrists in my area who know something about asperger syndrome. There are doctors and researchers. There are also occupational therapists and speech therapists who work mostly with autistic children.

I work as a lunch/recess duty teacher 2 hours/day right now because I also need to have lots of time to devote to advocating for my son. I recently took a course in special education advocacy. I am a volunteer advocate for the next two years. I love working with kids and parents. My most satisfying work experiences are with kids who need a little extra help. It's not a career and it doesn't pay much but I feel like I'm doing something important at recess and in the lunch room.

Feel free to ask me anything. I'm not sure if I've covered all the different careers but this might give you a start.

My kids both love rats. They are my daughter's rats but they really belong to all of us. My daughter doesn't have an autism spectrum disorder but has a few traits. She is very anxious and very bright, she has OCD and pulls her hair out. The rats have been better for her anxiety than any medication we ever tried. My son is better with rats than he is with people. LOL.

Miriam

I've been doing a bit of my own research, but there's not a ton of straight info on this and since this is the most active and widespread forum I know/go on, I thought it wouldn't hurt to ask on here.

I've never really completely known what I've wanted to do for a career, juggled between ideas like being a veterinarian and such, but no matter what, I always knew I was meant to work in the care field.
A little over a year ago I began to learn more about autism and grew a big interest with it... I now have a boyfriend who has a nephew with a milder form of it and experiencing communicating and understanding him only confirmed it further for me that this is something I would like to look into as a career.
Long story short, I don't exactly know what this would be called as a job and what courses I'd need to take. Where do I go from here?
Is there such thing as someone who works solely with autistic people?

 

[sands]

Good idea from Mimmom about ABA. I don't know where you are in Canada, but in Ontario some colleges offer training in ABA and then a lot go on to provide IBI (Intensive Behavioural Intervention) therapy for children with autism under supervisor from a BCBA either in a government funded program or a private program.

I am a speech language pathologist and I work primarily with children with autism. Other people working with children with autism include early interventionists, occupational therapists, music therapists, teachers and educational assistants.

The suggestion about volunteering is excellent.

 

[temblabamomo]

Working with autistic kids is something you can also do on the side to another job. Just a thought, maybe you could try some volunteer work just to get a feel for what it's like. My BF's best friend has some sort of degree in the child psychology field. He works an unrelated field at the moment, but he is involved in some sort of big brothers/big sisters type program where he spends time with an autistic child several days a week. I'm sure there is some sort of volunteer program you could try just to explore the field some.

 

[Naturalraes]

So I don't have personal experience, but I have two aunts who work with autistic children. One has a degree in Phychology (bachelor's), and she takes care of badly autistic children all day long on a one on one basis. They actually come into her home, go grocery shopping with her. Whatever she does, they do. This is in the state of Pennsylvania. It was very draining and not rewarding. The children are from foster care, so there are no grateful parents, and being autistic, no thanks from the child themselves.

My other aunt has no degree. she works in the public shools of New York State. She works one on one with autistic or other mentally challenged children. She goes everywhere they go. To lunch, to the bathroom, in classes. They are sometimes very violent with her. They run away, she has to chase them. However, she finds her work very rewarding. So I have a feeling fullfillment has as much to do with the individual, as with the job.

Hope that gives you a little view of whats out there. Good luck in your pursuits!

 

[MMak]

Wow, thanks for the suggestions and information everyone! Gives me a lot to think about...

I think the reason why I am so interested in autism specifically is because I used to have a major anxiety disorder when I was a kid.. and along with it, I had one counselor who told me I was an empathic HSP (highly sensitive person). What that means, basically, is that I'm extra sensitive to the emotions around me. I generally read off of people well and the "empathic" part means that I can feel others feelings sometimes (and possibly mistake them for my own). So, I guess, in some ways, I feel like with all that in my past, that helps me understand/relate somewhat.

As for working with temperamental children, like noted in NR's post, although I certainly would still have much to learn in that area.. I used to babysit for a neighbour of mine when I was a pre-teen. She fostered kids a lot and always took in the one's that no one else wanted. She was a drug and alcohol counselor so she often took in kids who grew up around drug abuse (or were born addicted to something). Very sad, confused and damaged kids, for sure... it taught me a lot and I was always amazed to watch them change with her.

I am not looking into this field for high pay or seeking a "reward", necessarily. Although, I do believe that if anyone has a passion for the work that they do, they will naturally be given that rewarding feeling when even the slightest things are accomplished.

Looks like I have much to look into.

 

[Aida]

My mom has a degree in working with kids that have issues. I don't think it's solely with Autistic children, I think you have to learn the whole basis of lots of defects, and then you can perfect yourself in just one. Sometimes, on websites like care.com or craigslist, people are looking for babysitters and they have autistic children. Maybe get a gig like that once or twice to see if it is something you'd like?

 

[Godmother]

I know that there are some courses in New Brunswick (Fredericton area, mostly), although the Ontario ones may be more comprehensive. Good luck!

 

[Mimmom]

I find any work I do with autistic kids to be VERY rewarding. I haven't really worked with any of them full-time but when I'm able to make a difference to them I can tell. They may not come out and thank me. Some do. My son is always SO grateful for small things. An order of fries is something to cheer about and thank me for. My son hates putting on sunscreen. Once summer at day camp he went in the pool and wouldn't let anyone put sunscreen on him. He got the worst sunburn I have ever seen. He had huge water blisters on his shoulders bigger than the size of a quarter. Shortly after this I bought Alex a UV protection shirt. He thanked me for it every single day. But thanking me isn't necessary. I can tell when a child feels better is happy. I have a friend whose little girl is maybe not quite as high functioning as mine. She's almost a teenager now but when I first met her she was 4 years old. Sometimes she'd be screaming and terrified. She was a neighbor and I became friends with her mom. I started to take my daughter with me through my back yard, through the fence and into that back yard to visit on many days. When I was there the little girl would look scared and sometimes I would just ask her yes or no questions until she nodded her head. "Is it the noise from the airplane?" She started calling me "MOM" right around this time. I'd go over and she'd sit on my lap and we do the knee bouncing game where I would bounce her on my knee. She loved that. Sometimes I'd have my daughter on one knee and the other little girl on my other knee. Sometimes she would look out her back window and see me in the yard and yell, "MOM!" No thanks were needed. Just seeing her happier and seeing her want to try to connect with someone was enough.

Wow, thanks for the suggestions and information everyone! Gives me a lot to think about...

I think the reason why I am so interested in autism specifically is because I used to have a major anxiety disorder when I was a kid.. and along with it, I had one counselor who told me I was an empathic HSP (highly sensitive person). What that means, basically, is that I'm extra sensitive to the emotions around me. I generally read off of people well and the "empathic" part means that I can feel others feelings sometimes (and possibly mistake them for my own). So, I guess, in some ways, I feel like with all that in my past, that helps me understand/relate somewhat.

As for working with temperamental children, like noted in NR's post, although I certainly would still have much to learn in that area.. I used to babysit for a neighbour of mine when I was a pre-teen. She fostered kids a lot and always took in the one's that no one else wanted. She was a drug and alcohol counselor so she often took in kids who grew up around drug abuse (or were born addicted to something). Very sad, confused and damaged kids, for sure... it taught me a lot and I was always amazed to watch them change with her.

I am not looking into this field for high pay or seeking a "reward", necessarily. Although, I do believe that if anyone has a passion for the work that they do, they will naturally be given that rewarding feeling when even the slightest things are accomplished.

Looks like I have much to look into.