What does a good ABA tutor look like?

[TLSP]

I am think of starting an ABA programme where I will be looking to hire one or two tutors to support it, but I have no idea what qualities and characteristics a good tutor should have.

Can those of you who are have experiences of recruiting ABA tutors please share with me what I should be looking for in their CVs and interviews.

Over the years i got to know who was right for the job as soon as they walked in the door.

• Your child must find the tutor reinforcing.

• Good with children - watch out for how they interact with your NT children if you have any. If they are awkward with them, they are going to struggle to get responses from a child who is more complex!

• They need to have lots of energy. ABA is very hard work indeed and the person must be able to work hard for a long time for the therapy to work.

• They need to understand the theory of ABA and be able to use prompting procedures and reinforcement correctly without making mistakes, otherwise they may create problems for the next tutor coming in and put the child back.

• It should be clear that this person really cares about your child's progress and delights in seeing them make progress.

• Avoid anyone who gives a hint that they might be a coaster.

• They must not be impatient. We had one tutor who started work with my severely autistic 3 year old. At first everyone thought she was great but after a while I heard her snapping at my dd through the door. On that point you do need to listen out sometimes and sit in on sessions sometimes and see how things are going.

Another thing to consider is that you need to feel comfortable to have them in your home.

A good ABA tutor is actually quite hard to find, but we had some real stars. You just have to be aware that not everyone is up to the job.

By the way, a CV won't be much help - the best way to see what they are like is to watch them interact with your child.

I agree - I didn't even see the CV, tutor was recommended to me. Of course it depends on the situation - how old is your child etc. I first met her without kids and she told me her experiences and we talked about money and availibility.

Then she came to taster session and it was just wonderful, here was child that 2 Salts, OT and various doctors couldn't engage and after she asked me if she can have a run of the house with him she kept him engaged for 3 hours with 10 minute breaks :). I couldn't believe it. At first ds played it cool so she started mirroring him - admittedly it was weird and fascinating at the same time to see her crawling and making the same sounds as ds :). At the end of session ds was in love. He does not have autism so we did not start proper ABA programme in the end, she just comes once a week and adresses whatever is needed, she was a great help at preschool as well.

So watch if they click and how is she with other kids - my NT kids adore her and love it to be at home when she is here. She was trained in DIR/Floortime and Denver model as well though.

Does her name start with a R Babiki?

I learned how to tell a good ABA tutor too. They are the ones who when offered a seat, sit on the edge of the chair ready to jump up at any sign of a child and an impact they might be able to make, with sideward glances of hope that they get to meet them soon.

The ones that sit back with a cup of tea and talk for England aren't the right 'type' for a child that needs quick reflexes and minimum but concise language.

Oh, and our best tutors always had a slight awkwardness and appeared shy with me. Dunno why. Thankfully they stayed for a while so I can't have been that scary. But they just didn't like to talk about themselves much and preferred to get on with the job.

Starlight yes it does! Could it be you know her??

Yes, she is not much for tea and biscuits haha.

I think so as that's a pretty rare profile, though thankfully increasing.

An ABA tutor trained in DIR is pretty lethal.

Hope she's doing well. She's great. Would have loved to stay in touch but she isn't about parents, she's about the kids.

Yes to all the above. My best tutors also seemed reserved when I first met them, so it's important not to to judge on how they initially seem with you.

And the worst tutors I had had fantastic CVs!

I would also value punctuality and reliability from the get-go very highly indeed. Anyone who cannot be bothered to turn up on time...it's a real red flag. You will be leaving these people alone with your child (in most cases) and trusting them not only with your child's care but with carrying out the programme properly during each session. And imo and ime, those who cannot give you, your child, and the programme, the simple respect of turning up at the right time should be avoided at all costs (with obvious exceptions for genuine reasons!), as it reflects a lack of commitment and professionalism. Although they're working in a more informal setting, they should be taking it as seriously as they would a job in an office (ie they wouldn't take the piss by turning up late!)

Sorry, but was a real bugbear of mine while we were running our programme

Starlight she is doing great :)

Thank you everyone for the advice, at least I now know some of what to look for. It seems good tutors are a rare as a straight politrician.

You will find someone good, TLSP - you just have to make sure you have an efficient filter

'But they just didn't like to talk about themselves much and preferred to get on with the job.' - totally agree with this and also about people who turn up late!

We had quite a few very good tutors and some exceptional tutors. If you live in an area where there are a lot of programmes you may be able to 'share' a tutor with another family. I personally think that people who work on more than one programme can be an asset too.

Who is this tutor whose name starts with 'R'? I am intrigued