Meen521 Posted October 15, 2014 Share Posted October 15, 2014 Hello everyone! So I've been looking into SLP for a while, and I've been interning/volunteering at elementary/high schools and also at a clinic. I really love the field and think I have finally decided on pursuing it. However, I have applied for a Behavioral Interventionist job because I believe that it is very relevant for SLP. I will be able to work with special-ed individuals, and also SLPs/OTs. I have been hearing a lot of crazy stories about being a BI though. My friend told me how she gets bitten almost every day and also slapped. I want to go into SLP because I like the whole communication/speech aspect of it, but don't think I am as passionate with dealing with behavioral issues. In other words, I don't want to work with violent individuals one day. I was wondering if anyone can give me some advice with my current situation. Does this mean that I shouldn't even pursue SLP? Will I be able to deny certain patients if I feel as though I am not comfortable working with them? thank you!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kumapanda Posted October 15, 2014 Share Posted October 15, 2014 (edited) Hello everyone! So I've been looking into SLP for a while, and I've been interning/volunteering at elementary/high schools and also at a clinic. I really love the field and think I have finally decided on pursuing it. However, I have applied for a Behavioral Interventionist job because I believe that it is very relevant for SLP. I will be able to work with special-ed individuals, and also SLPs/OTs. I have been hearing a lot of crazy stories about being a BI though. My friend told me how she gets bitten almost every day and also slapped. I want to go into SLP because I like the whole communication/speech aspect of it, but don't think I am as passionate with dealing with behavioral issues. In other words, I don't want to work with violent individuals one day. I was wondering if anyone can give me some advice with my current situation. Does this mean that I shouldn't even pursue SLP? Will I be able to deny certain patients if I feel as though I am not comfortable working with them? thank you!!! I think this really depends on what setting you plan to practice in and what age group. If you plan to work with special ed children as an SLP, yeah, biting is possible along with pinching and slapping. If you're genuinely interested in SLP, I say go for it. You sound like you know what you're getting yourself into and have some interest in knowing more about the field. From my experience, violent individuals tend to have an aid with them, so they would help you if things get out of hand. This applied to the school setting and private setting for me. As an SLP, you should take note if you know you can't control the patient's behavior and that it's out of your ability. If you have background in behavior intervention, that's great, but it's also good to know your limits. SLPs often work with other professionals like teachers, special ed teachers, OT, ABA, etc., so I don't think it would be unusual if you had to request additional professional help. I think grad school will prepare students for additional factors of working with clients like counseling and behavioral aspects. If there aren't courses for it, I'm sure the internships will give students time to adjust to the skills needed for the field. If you work in a private clinic and you see that the behavior problem is beyond your abilities, you can always recommend another speech pathologist or an ABA to the parent of the child if you feel the need to. TL;DNR: I think you're fine and more than prepared to work in the field. That experience in behavior intervention should give you an edge when applying for grad school. Edited October 15, 2014 by rainsonata Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meen521 Posted October 15, 2014 Author Share Posted October 15, 2014 Thank you very much!! very helpful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slpfall14 Posted October 16, 2014 Share Posted October 16, 2014 I actually worked as a BI to gain experience and add to my grad apps. Yes it's true, the children on your case load can be violent. However, as a current SLP grad student, you don't deal with those behaviors. Like the other poster mentioned, children who display violent behaviors usually get an aid to accompany them to speech sessions and if things get too out of control, you can dismiss them back to class and let the teacher know about the session. However, it's best practice to learn and come up with some strategies to work with the student's behavior and NOT send them back to class. Working as a BI is tough but you learn a lot that will help you as a graduate clinician. I'd go for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meen521 Posted October 16, 2014 Author Share Posted October 16, 2014 Thanks for your help! I actually applied for BI positions, but I keep getting rejected because I don't have enough experience. I just graduated 2 months ago and have been volunteering with special ed/ot/slp since graduating. How were you able to land a BI job? did you have a lot of prior experience? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0range Posted November 4, 2014 Share Posted November 4, 2014 Is working in behaviour intervention the same as working as an ABA therapist? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
usernamehere2015 Posted November 4, 2014 Share Posted November 4, 2014 you could try applying to TSS or personal aide positions as well. you gain a lot of skills from positions such as those Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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