Life of a Behavior Therapist

If I had to describe the life of a behavior therapist in one word it would be UNPREDICTABLE! Every client is different and every session is different. A behavior therapist may work with a client for two years or more and each session will be completely different.

The life of a behavior therapist is unpredictable, because our schedules may change multiple times throughout the day. During a session our clients may try or do different things they have not done before so we have to think on our feet to manage it.

In this field there are ups and downs, whether it is experiencing your client say his or her first word or getting spit or pooped on five seconds later. With that said, working as a behavior therapist is one of the most gratifying roles to be in.

I specifically did not refer to being a behavior therapist as a “job,” because it is more than “just a job” and we are more than “just behavior therapists.” We are the ones who manage the problem behaviors and implement programs in order for each client to reach their full potential.

A behavior therapist is the one person who perseveres with the families through the most difficult times, but also is the one person who can celebrate a client’s accomplishments because they have been there every step of the way. As a behavior therapist, we have the privilege and opportunity to help our clients grow, experience their progress and celebrate their accomplishments. It is the simple things in life that, we, as behavior therapists truly appreciate and do not take for granted.

My name is Brante’ Ruaro and I am the Therapist Liaison for Center for Autism and Related Disorders at the San Dimas office. I have been in the field of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) for three and a half years.

My role as therapist liaison is hiring and training new behavior therapists and conducting ongoing training and quality assurance for our current therapists. I have the privilege of igniting a spark in incoming and current therapists for the field of ABA. It is amazing to see therapists fall in love with ABA as much as I have. 

Brante' Ruaro

School of Social Ecology

Criminology, Law and Society-Psychology and Social Behaviors

University of California Irvine 2015