For teachers they are often contacting at least 20 or more students in their classroom. Imagine what a difference it would make if as a society and as educational institutions we made the effort to boost their wellbeing on a regular basis.

Yes, many RBTs have received great training and coaching to teach skills and reduce challenging behavior for the people they work with. For the vast majority of them though: this knowledge has come from what they have learned well beyond the intial required 40 hours of training. It means that deeper levels of knowledge to address more complex behavior, and teach a variety of skills come from extensive time spent in training, spent with a variety of clients, and most importantly: spent with a supervisor who also has adequate experience in these areas.

When you first get your Master’s degree and then become a BCBA, it can be very tempting to make your whole life about the work you do as a behavior analyst. Over the years, you may quickly find that you start to view yourself or your self-worth as defined by how well or detailed you can write a behavior plan, or an FBA. Your conversations with people might become more and more scientific, or about your work and accomplishments within the field.

Do you ever get overwhelmed by your worries, feelings, thoughts or just feel like your brain becomes cluttered?

Present moment awareness is something many of us know we need to do-just stop and be aware of whats going on in our lives. But how often do we actually do it?

Knowing the early signs, characteristics and diagnostic criteria are important but awareness alone is never enough. Ensuring that we treat autistic individuals with respect, and dignity, and accepting their differences is just as important. Additionally, it is important to acknowledge their strengths and contributions to society.

Here are 3 initial suggestions for beginning to do better and be a more inclusive society: