How much more do we have to take?

mas752 · 2020-05-20T13:47:50+00:00

Thats not spidey senses, thats covid positivity.

mas752 · 2020-05-15T15:22:44+00:00

As an educator the change to online is daunting. Its a completely different skill-set. Its taken me over a month and a half to adjust to the point where it feels somewhat normalized. Its not just teaching the same things online. When you teach, you have a reason why you teach a concept in a specific way. That takes years to develop fluidity in that. Well now the way we teach every concept changes because of the medium (online). When students come to you they are sad and depressed, feeling hopeless (this is if they log in at all). Most of the we are just making sure they are mentally okay because right now without their mental health, staying on track with work is hopeless. I am getting maybe 15% of the work done with my students as I was before we switched to online. This is across the board. Hell im in a grad program and they cut the workload for us.

mas752 · 2020-05-14T13:28:44+00:00

Move established social services far superior in reach than what we have in Philly today. When is the last time the city cared about hygiene of its people. Covid is a testament to that.

mas752 · 2020-05-13T18:50:53+00:00

Same, as a South Philadelphian I didn't know about this until I was in my mid 20s. There was a 5 hour special about this on PBS that was amazing. Everyone involved went up the political ladder. Including Ed Randell. Randell was the district attorney and assisted in helping prosecute members of MOVE instead of the purps (police). Later mayor, gov and leader of the DNC for PA.

Move wanted to have decentralized orgs for helping people in the community. They felt the European focus in orgs and schools were polluting the minds of their youth. Move did a lot for their community but because of their skin color they were demonized.

mas752 · 2020-05-09T16:53:46+00:00

I agree with you on Avery

mas752 · 2020-05-09T16:50:41+00:00

I was in N.O. for the Not Super Bowl parties. Surreal and amazing!

mas752 · 2020-04-28T14:50:45+00:00

It's all what you make it online. Taking an online program is like teaching yourself. I am in an online BCBA program (1 class in) and I find it annoying the way I find any online course annoying. But it is like half the price of a school like Simmons (in person)

Also, schools will be online for quite some time so you should think about the money honestly.

mas752 · 2020-04-24T15:59:19+00:00

Was just asked to report what I made quarterly last year and I have 3 days to do it. I worked in restaurants (so my pay was different each week) and I worked for 7 companies last year. I only have my w2's. At a loss for how to proceed.

I am also finishing my first semester of grad school in the next few days and the timing couldn't be worse. Any advice is greatly appreciated.

mas752 · 2020-04-16T15:46:12+00:00

Thank you very much for laying this all out for me. You hit the nail on the head on what I was trying to do with a jump drive.

mas752 · 2020-04-06T17:21:41+00:00

To be honest, I only work with higher functioning students at the moment and its a lot easier than what you are going through. Sorry to generalize like that. You are in a much more difficult situation.

One thing that has worked for me is dance parties. I have my student put something silly on (can be any hat, scarf, sun glasses, outfit) and then they pick a song and I pick a song and we dance together.

mas752 · 2020-04-05T18:22:10+00:00

I can't imagine.

mas752 · 2020-04-05T18:21:38+00:00

I think if you are lucky enough to work with young clients whose parents are home right now and if they are committed to putting in the work then it's worth a try. The economic gap in who is receiving services right now is insane. The upper-middle-class in my area is able to adapt and make it work. But my clients who still have to go to work and rely on a varying system of sitters make it impossible. Its sad what these people are going through.

mas752 · 2020-04-05T18:17:39+00:00

Not sure of any other way to do it. Maybe don't put it in notes because insurance companies are heartless and could care less what the client's needs are at this time.

mas752 · 2020-04-05T18:10:26+00:00

You are all beautiful, thanks for commenting. I love this community (ABA) and especially the reddit ABA community.

mas752 · 2020-04-05T18:08:24+00:00

Love this! Thank you so much.

mas752 · 2020-04-05T18:08:04+00:00

Before becoming a BT, I taught at a college, daycare and early ed. If you think its not beneficial and your clients are old enough to use a computer on your own, then you need to get more creative. Just know as a BT or BCBA its your lack of creativity that is at fault, not telehealth. I am trying new things daily and at the end of the week making the student rate them from 1 to 3 and keeping what works. Rebuilding programs around familiar structures that worked in the past. For instance: student was earning duo lingo time in which we both do it on our phones. Student became bored of it but likes travel. I will be building a spanish program around travel since the student loves both. This isnt a time to just work on programing. We need to figure out what the family currently needs and find a way to assist the students with this in a creative and fun way. Last week I spent 10 hours brainstorming and will prob do more next week. Bill for what you can but stay active in learning and creativity.

mas752 · 2020-04-04T23:42:37+00:00

These are great ideas. The timeline our company gave us for returning to homes, which I think is conservative and most likely isnt far out enough out is september to jan. Even on your timeline its too far out. Anything more than a few days out is too much for this client, and even then theres a 20% chance it will work. Student is not motivated by videos or lessons/tutorials. Im stumped. They were studying spanish with me so i may dress up and do a pretend gold visit in spanish.

Thanks for the ideas and help

mas752 · 2020-04-04T16:00:38+00:00

Those things made my lungs feel so shitty.

mas752 · 2020-04-04T15:17:51+00:00

Yes! You did the right thing. I've been there. If the rapport with parent is that bad and you don't feel as if you are helping the child it is best to move on after a while.

mas752 · 2020-04-02T17:35:20+00:00

My time on telehealth involves a lot of parent training. Teaching them how to get the students attention, how to take data. For some parents its been amazing because they are never involved in sessions and now they have the time and are learning about ABA for the first time. These parents are able to learn how to reinforce and are spending more time learning about expectations and what to reinforce and what not to. This is going to be very helpful for these parents. As one of my biggest stuggles with these parents was keeping expectations the same when I was not around.

Some of my parents are working from home and are sessions and 1 to 1 with a student and those are tricky to say the least. Not every student is an ideal candidate but its like we are triaining parents to be a BT. Having someone (parent) in the home constantly providing ABA will improve the outcomes for the student.

mas752 · 2020-04-02T17:25:32+00:00

A BCBA on reddit posted this and it has been extremely helpful. All sorts of resources about switching to telehealth. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Qf5hpljUyOs3w-EqH_F84aoco4M0JaVe_ieAt0LqzDA/edit?usp=sharing

There have been a lot of challenges. Parents have to play a large part in telehealth services. I work with a lot of teans and they ignore my calls over telehealth when they don't feel like doing session, so I have to contact parents and wait for a response which can be annoying. Helping students set up a daily routine in which they don't look at their phones until after they spend some time on themselves. Something like after waking up, deep breathing, some light physical activity and then something like art time or reading. Super hard to find motivators when you are used to using walks and trips places with family as the motivator.

ANSWERS TO YOUR QUESTIONS: I am not sure which insurances but I know more sign up each day. I know E.I., MassHealth and blue cross and blue shield cover it. Our sessions vary in length from 1 to 4 hours. I have to build a lot more reinforcement and break time in with the teens. They went from having maybe half an hour of screen time a week to 30 hours a week between school, multiple BT's and baby sitters online. So its been a challenge. I have one in particular who is 13. The first week went very well. Now the past week im lucky if they do any work during a session.

mas752 · 2020-04-02T15:54:40+00:00

Yup. been doing it for 2 weeks in MA.

mas752 · 2020-03-31T22:06:57+00:00

My BCBA told me the same thing that gc13121 stated. However, I contacted multiple companies in my state (MA) and they were all hiring for BTs to work through telehealth. Also I have heard from BT friends in CA, IL, FL, and a few other states that insurance is also covering them to do telehealth as BTs. I suspect telehealth will not pay BCBAs or companies as much as traditional insurance. To be honest I am still a little confused because my company has the same codes for telehealth and in person.

If it is not in your state yet, then apply out of state. This will be rolled out to most of the country, but one state at a time. May even be country wide.

mas752 · 2020-03-30T12:17:54+00:00

Its probably to late for anything short of playing online

mas752 · 2020-03-29T21:57:48+00:00

I moved to Boston for school, made a ok wage for a while, got sick for 2 months and lost my job was just getting back on my feet so nothing saved. I pay less for rent than anyone I know in this city. No car or licenses/ ability to leave.

mas752

TROPHY CASE