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Hard Times; In search for guidence

JesseRBT

New Member
Hello everyone,
I am in search for some guidence.
I currently work for one individual with autism. Let me fill you in on the back ground story. This individual is an adult male. 6 foot, 180 lbs. He is completely in the minority with current problem behavior. I see aggression to staff, high intensity SIB, low intensity SIB, stereotopy, perseveration, public undressing, eloping, throwing objects, behavioral incontenence, ect. He has been on a long list of medications, and treatments. Even Electro convulsive therapy, and marijuana.
This person has a parent who gets too involved with behavioral interventions. The parent pays for BCBA, 3 RBTs around the clock and the individual's house. The normal role of the RBT should be working directly under the BCBA, and not the parent. But the parent is my boss, and we "consult" with the BCBA irregularly. The BCBA will create a behavior plan, and the parent will tell us to do the opposit. For example, the plan says to ignore self injurous behavior and the parent will say to provide replacement behavior (self restraining with clothing, tying hands with a sweatshirt, protective gear) The BCBA insists that the self restraining, and protective gear is only reinforcing the behavior. I have witnessed this first hand. They even mand for the items before, and during the behavior. Then will smile and laugh when they receive the item (example; hitting head while asking for helmet). The ABC data is clear. This whole situation is a mess. On top of it all, the parent wants us to take the individual into the community several times a day. This person unbuckles the seatbelt and will scratch, pull hair, attempt to gouge eyes out, and put their fingers in your mouth. Then when we arrive at the destination, they will try to run into stores and steal items. Open bags of candy, open juice and dump it on the floor. This person has also deficated and urinated as a response to us removing stolen objects from their hands. Makes it extremely difficult to explain to managers, security guards and anyone else who witnesses it. This person also Breaks objects. One time this person ran into a neighbors yard, saw a garden gnome and smashed it in the street. When you tell the parent, they come up with excuses for him. When you tell the BCBA, they will say to block the behavior. Then when the parent sees this, they become upset.

Here is my dilema:
There isnt any helpful literature on what I can do. The parent needs to listen to the BCBA. The parent also needs to stop sending us out in the community with all these safety concerns. The BCBA needs to work on training sessions with RBTs. There are a lot of things conflicting with ethics of my role as an RBT. Everyone in my family says I need to quit. It is really taking a toll on me mentally and physically. Ive been scratched then pooped on. Went home with ripped clothes. The emergency room knows me by name because i go so often from work. Everything is telling me to quit. However, I do love my job. It is highly rewarding. My pay keeps me afloat. Double national average pay for RBT. I just need everyones cooperation. The parent, BCBA, other RBTs need to unite and tackle all these issues together, but they dont. Everyone thinks they know best. Its a very dysfunctional situation.
 
Hi JesseRBT. Not sure what you're asking. Are you autistic, or asking for help in how to deal with this one person? Or are you asking for opinions on whether or not to keep your job? Also, I don't know what BCBA or RBT means.
 
Hi JesseRBT. Not sure what you're asking. Are you autistic, or asking for help in how to deal with this one person? Or are you asking for opinions on whether or not to keep your job? Also, I don't know what BCBA or RBT means.

Hello! Thank you for the response! So I dont have autism. I take care of someone with autism. So the most sucessful type of treatment for autisn behavior is ABA therapy. It means applied behavioral analysis therapy. The BCBA stands for board certified behavioral analyst. They observe the behaviors of a person anf then design an intervention plan to reduce bad behavior and increase good behavior. RBT stands for registered behavioral technition. I am an RBT. They follow the plan made by the BCBA. The man who i take care of has a lot of challenging behavior. Like throwing poop at me when he is mad. So you can imagine that being hard to deal with. Maybe someone can guide me in the right direction because the plan we have in place isnt working.
 
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The parents are an essential part of the team. Without them being on board and everyone presenting a united front to the patient, it is hopeless. No one here can change these facts. If martyrdom appeals to you, by all means continue. Rather than wasting your time, helping no one, at a cost to yourself, find someone you can help.and do some good there.
 
Yes seems like the parent needs some support to cope in this situation, counselling and help with their feelings for example? But if you cant influence this to be provided, the situation is unlikely to change. Surely the fact that the person endangers their own life and yours plus any road users is enough to prevent these trips out? Dont you have any risk management and safeguarding protocols?
 
Why would the parents hire and set up so much, only to ignore what they're told by the people they hire? It sounds like it should be explained to the parents that there is very little possibility of improvement if you're not allowed to do what you're trained to do and implement what's known to work. If they absolutely refuse, then it does seem like quitting is the only option. Otherwise, it continues as you describe, indefinitely.
 
Hello & welcome @JesseRBT .
  1. Is your patient verbal; can you talk to him?
  2. Regressive autism is a developmental disorder. It sounds like you are trying to adapt general behavioral strategies, without having a specific sense of autism nor realistic expectations for this patient. If his co-morbid conditions are severe enough, you will have to deal with him at his mental age, instead of pressing him to rise to adult expectations. (My 24yo daughter has a mental age of 18 mos.)
  3. So much of behavioral therapy relies on positive & negative reinforcement. My ASD2 son (now 31) does not grasp causation, so punishment and reward were lost on him (even in the form of natural consequences).
The two organizations below can help caregivers develop more effective strategies for managing their patients on the spectrum.
 
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Hi Jesse

welcome to af.png
 
Hello! Thank you for the response! So I dont have autism. I take care of someone with autism. So the most sucessful type of treatment for autisn behavior is ABA therapy. It means applied behavioral analysis therapy. The BCBA stands for board certified behavioral analyst. They observe the behaviors of a person anf then design an intervention plan to reduce bad behavior and increase good behavior. RBT stands for registered behavioral technition. I am an RBT. They follow the plan made by the BCBA. The man who i take care of has a lot of challenging behavior. Like throwing poop at me when he is mad. So you can imagine that being hard to deal with. Maybe someone can guide me in the right direction because the plan we have in place isnt working.

Hello, JesseRBT.
I hope that this situation resolves itself to everyone's satisfaction.
That being said, I must point out that in your
description of the "difficulties" that you are experiencing, not once did you refer to your "subject" as being a person with likes, dislikes, preferences, thoughts, and fears.
You very clinically describe the behaviors, but not your efforts to reach or understand him. This throws up very poignant red flags, for me.

For every difficult or undesirable action that this person takes that troubles you, there is a cause, something troubling him, or a lack of knowledge of what socially acceptable
behavior is, or both.

This person, is just that, a person.
A person capable of feeling, regardless of his difficulties or behaviors, or inability to express them in socially acceptable ways.
If otherwise in his life, there has been little
attempt made to understand him, and only attempts to "fix" him and his actions and make him conform, then I am afraid all such efforts will fail.
It is tempting to distance oneself from such a difficult situation, depersonalize the interaction, but such distancing is the most damaging action one can take.
It may be that his difficulties are such that
substantial improvement in his behavior
and social interaction may not be possible.
It may also be that he has never recieved
the loving attention of someone that cares about his struggles.
It could be that with such care, he could progress toward more socially acceptable
behavior, and his own happiness.
It is also possible that very little progress
can be made in changing his behaviors.
In that case, the only improvements to be made are for his comfort, and his and others' safety.
It may be that he could be better cared for
in a different setting, or type of setting,
with different goals specific to his needs and desires.
Perhaps a meeting to assess more appropriate goals, and his quality of life and happiness, needs to take place.

My heart goes out to this fellow, his world must be a scary, confusing, irrational place.

My heart goes out to you, such a difficult situation must make it hard to see the right course, or even an acceptable one.
Maybe it would be best for you to move on.
You're suffering needlessly.
Go where you can do some good.

One thing is for certain, though, skillful compassion is vital to his wellbeing.

I hope that you find the right course.

May you, and he, and all involved, be well.


sidd
 
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Everything is telling me to quit. However, I do love my job.

Demand a new client. If your employer does not comply... buy some time while looking for another organization. Quit then try a new place out.

If there is no other place offer your services on your own. Post classifieds. Care taker basically? You can meet clients... pick and choose who you will work for. Look fora client that is lower maintenance. Then you can still do what you love and not everything will tell you to quit anymore.

Double national average pay for RBT

What do you value more. Your health and safety or large sums of cash?

The parent, BCBA, other RBTs need to unite and tackle all these issues together, but they dont.

Unfortunately there's not much you can do to change that. Unless you rise up and become the leader of BCBA ( i assume that's an organization that assigns RBT's? Unfamiliar with these acronyms but based on how you've used them in sentences RBT = care taker and BCBA = distributor of care takers right? lol)
 
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Why would the parents hire and set up so much, only to ignore what they're told by the people they hire? It sounds like it should be explained to the parents that there is very little possibility of improvement if you're not allowed to do what you're trained to do and implement what's known to work. If they absolutely refuse, then it does seem like quitting is the only option. Otherwise, it continues as you describe, indefinitely.
I was thinking the same thing. Why hire someone to help and not go along with it, unless they basically are just wanting a babysitter. Apparently what they are doing hasn't worked. I would refuse to take him out. Actually, due to the un-cooperation from the parents, I'd refuse to go back.
 
My ASD2 son did/does take some medicine for his impulsive behaviors, too. (I think it was/is Depakote.)
 
We can't help you, practically speaking. You need to bring it up with Behavioral Analyst. Problem parents are common as dirt in these situations. Some are largely responsible for the behaviors by not dealing with them early on. Hence, 6 foot tall monsters are created. If the parents do not follow the plan they should be dropped from the program and the money effort spent on kids and parents who do try.
 
Problem parents are common as dirt in these situations.
Some fixes are too controversial and poorly supported. When my then-12yo daughter would bite me with pit-bull determination, all I could do was slap her thigh to get her to cry (releasing her grip). She eventually stopped biting me, but she still bit her teachers fairly regularly, because they refused to go there.

We did not abuse her and she always passed her physical exams. And she isn't afraid to be around me, otherwise (unless she is trying to bite or pinch me).
 

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