Does anyone know anything about Developmental Relationship-Based Intervention (DRBI)?

[GypsyMoth]

Hi All,

I'm job hunting and a recruiter contacted me to apply to a Developmental Autism Specialist position. In the full hour that I've looked into it, so far, I'm really impressed by what I've seen. It looks like it values the child's uniqueness, preserves and respects their autonomy, and appears to be nurturing for both the child and the family.

Now, I am brand-new to this type of play therapy and surely there are some of you who may have some thoughts on this, so I'd love to hear them. Everything that comes up when I Google it is somehow connected to the company that contacted me, so if anyone has any personal experience and/or opinions that may be helpful for me to consider, please share!

 

[Gerontius]

I've never heard of it either but it sounds really intriguing as a possible improvement and replacement for ABA which definitely needs to go.

And glad to see you back!

 

[Tom]

Do you have a college degree and if so what is it? It sounds like a standard ABA position that would require a Bachelors and usually a Masters. Actual requirements vary state to state and public to private. Behavior Analyst is a special license you can get as part of Bachelors/Masters programs in Special Ed. Not an easy job, as you are the one to design the education plan for each student individually. It can be a teaching position or work with kids in the home designing their program and supervising the aids that do it day to day. Or even teaching parents how to work with their children. Don't want to frighten you but while with many kids you are working with have learning and/or moderate behavior issues you may have to deal with severe cases. That is part of the reason for all that schooling and training. Best to know that going in.

Unless they are somehow talking about the various assistant positions that work under the supervision of a BA or BCBA (Board certified behavior analyst - which requires a lot more schooling/training).

Growing field though. BA and BCBA seem pretty decent salaries but the assistants are fairly low.

I think people tend to stay with it more when they see it as a vocation, like being in medicine. Not just a money making job. You may need that commitment to see you thru.

 

[Crossbreed]

I'm job hunting and...

What happened to your previous job where they were cool with your autism?
Are you disclosing your autism in this job search?

(The reason I ask is that some therapies are designed to be conducted by NTs...)

 

[GypsyMoth]

I've never heard of it either but it sounds really intriguing as a possible improvement and replacement for ABA which definitely needs to go.

Yes; that's what it looks like to me, too. The lady I spoke with made a clear separation that this was not ABA but said that DRBI is designed to meet the kids where they are for the purposes of building relational skills through play. While I can't stand watching ABA videos, the few videos I saw of DRBI just seemed healthier and like something I might be able to support.

And glad to see you back!

Thanks, @Gerontius!

(Actually, I'm supposed to be job hunting. This is sooo not what I should be doing-!)

 

[GypsyMoth]

Do you have a college degree and if so what is it? It sounds like a standard ABA position that would require a Bachelors and usually a Masters.

Hi @Tom, this is what intrigued me about the invitation to apply, that DRBI is (apparently) not linked to ABA at all. Now, if it is or if it isn't, that is what I'm researching as I have no interest in supporting ABA.

Actual requirements vary state to state and public to private. Behavior Analyst is a special license you can get as part of Bachelors/Masters programs in Special Ed. Not an easy job, as you are the one to design the education plan for each student individually. It can be a teaching position or work with kids in the home designing their program and supervising the aids that do it day to day. Or even teaching parents how to work with their children. Don't want to frighten you but while with many kids you are working with have learning and/or moderate behavior issues you may have to deal with severe cases. That is part of the reason for all that schooling and training. Best to know that going in.

I was thinking about pursuing the position to gain just that sort of experience, as I am considering pursuing a PhD in psychology.

Unless they are somehow talking about the various assistant positions that work under the supervision of a BA or BCBA (Board certified behavior analyst - which requires a lot more schooling/training).

That's a good question for me to ask, as I'm not familiar with alternatives to ABA as having a governing certification board.

Growing field though. BA and BCBA seem pretty decent salaries but the assistants are fairly low.

It might be a 'low' wage but it's more than my bachelor's and two+ decades of related career experience can net me.

I think people tend to stay with it more when they see it as a vocation, like being in medicine. Not just a money making job. You may need that commitment to see you thru.

That is a healthy perspective. And I think that is more of what I'm looking for, a vocation rather than a job.

Although, I might need to find a job first, as I still don't have the vocation-thing settled on... (Grrr...)

Thanks for your thoughtful replies! You've given me some good things to think about.

 

[GypsyMoth]

What happened to your previous job where they were cool with your autism?

Yeah, well, I'll PM you later about that. I, ah, ought to get back to the job-search-thing first, though.

But I won't forget.

Are you disclosing your autism in this job search?

No.

(The reason I ask is that some therapies are designed to be conducted by NTs...)

No kidding.

You know, I am still completely mystified by the whole ND/NT thing. I can see differences if an autistic friend is in NT company, but unless an ND friend is struggling with some issue and it comes to the forefront of our conversation, I generally can't see it when one-on-one.