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#adhd skill regression
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i used to be so good at writing strong, thoroughly-researched, thoroughly-edited essays.
as a kid in hs, my teacher literally came up to me, holding my 40 page essay on the intersection of the European witch hunts and capitalism/exploitation/gender roles (it was supposed to be 7 pages...whoops) and went like "this is literally a master's-degree level thesis. what are you doing?? you could literally use this as your final dissertation in a master's program, what the fuck."
NOW??? NOW?? you'd think I'd be oh so skilled. but alas. i can barely piece together two ideas. adhd skill-regression is so so real. im SOBBING
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sentientsky · 4 months
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i’ve been terrible at replying to people lately. i feel so guilty, but how the hell am I supposed to explain that i’ve been flaky because i can't stop thinking ab two fictional immortal losers that spend two seasons of a tv show and 5 and a half odd million years just homoerotically gazing at one another and yearning???
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fennopunk · 9 months
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Oh shit... It finally really sank in, that because of the skill regression caused by dropping the mask and not being depressed anymore, I have to learn practically all "adulting skills" all over again, not just the routine of them.
Because skills and memories are context based and I got depressed when I was 12-13 and by then I was already deep in masking, so I learned ALL skills necessary for independent adult life in a mind state I'm not in anymore and hopefully never will be again 😬 I mean, I technically know how to do them, but accessing that knowledge is extremely difficult now, so I need to make make new memory paths.
First order of business: Make a list of foods I like and learn to cook them again. Plus get storage containers that are not banana boxes, box my stuff piles up and learn to clean and organize.
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astarioffsimpmain · 3 months
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Personal; TW: adhd/autistic & general neurodivergent struggles
I don't consider myself a flighty individual, but I am somewhat of a flight risk. Especially in DMs. No, not dungeon masters. But you probably knew that. Anyway. Getting sidetracked. I'm a pretty good conversationalist, until I'm not. Until the idea of conversation comes with imaginary prerequisites in my mind. Until conversation between me and one or two other people feels like crossing an ocean just to have to cross the same ocean back again. And again. And again.
I hate not answering messages, but I also hate answering messages. I hate answering messages because I feel like there's a "right" way to do it, and if I'm not giving my all, the person I'm messaging will notice and take offense. So I distract myself from it because mentally, at the time, my "all" is like, worth the same to the US money distribution system as a stray kernel of corn and I cannot buy a Gatorade with a kernel of corn at Walgreens; do you see my dilemma? Anyway. So when I distract myself from it, telling myself I'll get back to it when I have more spoons in my drawer, the ADHD kicks in and I forget it exists. Not just the message, but the *person* too. The guilt of not having enough normal person brain juice to answer a DM that would definitely take less than 5 minutes to answer basically just shuts my brain off to the fact that the person exists at all and requires a reply. I do not choose this myself, it is a default setting, I am blind, and my brain does not use braille.
Then months later, I will wake up one day and all my mind spoons are washed and clean and tidy in the drawer they're supposed to be in, and I remember, "Oh shit-"
And then by then the person I neglected to message back probably hates my guts. So.
A day in the life. 🙃
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lonelyfresita · 10 months
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I hate having great ideas for drawings that i don't have the ability to draw, and that is, 90% of them
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asymmetricboys · 10 months
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when u take ur adhd meds that u got on specifically to be better at focusing on work but they just make u really good at focusing on sitting at ur computer for seven hours ignoring all other responsibilities to write fanfic
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The Arcana HCs: Brainrot's Masterlist, Pt 2
Because, apparently, there is a 100 link limit XD. In order from oldest to most recent, updated every time I post! ^.^
What the M6 need to hear
How the M6 found some cool art
When M6 break into your shop (feat. Faust)
When M6 find MC badly injured
When MC is taller than Muriel
M6 talking to their past selves
When MC makes cosmetics for the M6
When MC's memory loss changes them
M6 with a cute but intimidating MC
M6 as friends
M6 with a hothead MC
When MC has to reject someone painfully
M6 with kids
Play fighting with M6
When MC age regresses
M6 during MC’s pregnancy
How M6 act when they’re sleep deprived
Mazelinka comforting MC
When M6 get pregnant
M6 in OHSHC
When MC hides their natural hair color
M6 comforting MC after a bad breakup
MC with Red Plague symptoms
M6 when MC has SH scars
When M6 body swap with MC
M6 when MC has a nightmare of them dying
M6 with an asexual MC
Lucio's Birthday
Vesuvia Weekly: The Marketplace Incident (oneshot)
M6's ringtones
When M6 think MC is dead
Vesuvia Weekly: Fashion Intervention (oneshot)
When MC writes their love story
Vesuvia Weekly: Brainrot's Baking Lesson
M6 and Kisses
M6 with an MC who has ADHD
Portia's Birthday
M6 with an MC who's been through SA
Muriel's Birthday
MC and their familiar bodyswap
Vesuvia Weekly: What it's like to hold the M6
When MC argues with M6 and gets stuck in a storm
When MC can regenerate their limbs
When M6 accidentally trigger MC
Vesuvia Weekly: Secret Skills
M6 in the Future
M6 when MC is recovering from abuse
Celebrating Holi
M6 with a winged MC
MC gets falsely arrested
Lazy days with M6
Vesuvia Weekly: Things the M6 don't do anymore
M6 when MC eats monsters
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strangesickness · 3 days
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richie getting diagnosed with ADHD (or hyperkinetic disorder or ADD or whatever you get the point) as a child but since doctors are... doctors... no one really ever explains it to him and he spends his entire childhood thinking he has the "loud annoying disorder" instead of actually understanding what ADHD is and why it makes him feel/act the way he does...
richie thinking ADHD is something you grow out of and as a result of that + losing his memories of having friends he was comfortable unmasking around, beginning to mask heavily as an adult to fit in with his peers... only showing his ADHD traits in small, palatable pieces for the sake of a self deprecating joke....
richie always feeling like theres something crawling under his skin and letting out the energy in harmful ways because the alternative is any number of heavily stigmatized behaviours he's only seen in gags on TV and he's already dragging under the weight of what people will think of him if they find out he's gay, he doesn't need anything else for them to pick at
richie forcing eye contact until he feels like his insides are going to become his outsides, richie in the beginning going out to open mics every night to try to make it even though he feels like he's going to melt out of his skin if he has to mask for another minute. richie's throat blocking up when he's anxious and him losing the ability to say anything other than canned jokes he's been doing since he was 13.
richie getting mike's call and experiencing a sudden and intense skill regression as a result of his returning memories, suddenly finding himself completely unable to deal with things he "dealt with" (not really) before, richie finding he can't bring himself to look his friends in the eye even though he's been forcing eye contact for years, richie bouncing his knee so hard he shakes the table, richie finding himself unable to get out of bed after the jade because he's so drained socially (+ the other stuff lol), richie stimming vocally while they're looking for the clubhouse and freaking out over it and looking at all his friends for their reaction.
he doesn't know why he's acting this way, why he suddenly can't just suck it up and deal with it like he's been doing for nearly 3 decades, and he's already freaked out enough as is with the clown, and he wants the losers to like him as an adult so bad, why is he being weird, and he's so overwhelmed by everything and he has absolutely no means of dealing with it because he's been pushing everything down for his entire life and can't even name what he's feeling.
post it 2 richie going to therapy to try and deal with the clown trauma and coming out of it with a new understanding of what ADHD is... post it 2 richie learning to be easy on himself when he's overwhelmed. richie unlearning all of the stigma thats followed him his entire life and learning to be okay with himself...
oh btw eddie is also in therapy and his therapist suggests he get screened for ADHD. to no ones surprise he does in fact have ADHD. despite richie having been diagnosed with ADHD decades ago it is very much a simultaneous learning process for them. they're like reading articles about ADHD on the computer together like "hrmmm... OH that makes so much sense" they find out about common experiences for people with ADHD and text the other like "lol this you?"
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sarlusmonoele · 10 months
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Aspiring Writer Introduction
Hi! I'm an aspiring writer/author and have been lurking around writblr for a while. I've just recently set this blog up and hoping to get more involved with the writing community. I have always had interest in creative writing but never actually did much - I'm here to change that.
About me:
☽ You can call me Sarlus ☽ In my early 20s ☽ Used to be an avid reader, trying to get that back ☽ I haven't written very much - I'm here to mostly learn and hone my craft ☽ Mostly interested in contemporary, YA and fantasy genres ☽ ADHD + Autism and currently in regression - trying to rekindle passion and actually develop skills this time ☽ Actively searching for my muse (she got lost and has been reported missing)
About the blog:
☽ I've never actively used tumblr before, so I'm not sure what I'll be posting ☽ ^ Not my WIPs for sure, because they don't exist (I've only gone as far as having some basic ideas) ☽ I'll mostly be reblogging things that inspire me ☽ Is mainly a tool for me to learn how to write from real writers
I'm interested in following blogs that post about their own writing journey and wips, as well as tips and advice blogs. Huge plus if you write fantasy or YA!
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yo i just want to let you know that i really relate to your adhd skill regression post. its literally so distressing to have excelled at smth in hs and then Bam! no longer be able to do it :/// youre valid and thank you for posting abt it
Aww thank u! I totally understand what you mean; it can be so so disheartening and frustrating to feel like you’re backsliding!! You’re also so valid!
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haunted-headset · 3 months
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🎧✩°。⋆⸜ About Me 🎧✩°。⋆⸜
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i'm robin, but you can call me haunty, haunted, robbie, rob, birdy, or any other nickname you come up with!
i'm a minor, but i'm not going to say how old i am exactly. that makes me uncomfortable.
i haven't been diagnosed yet, but i'm pretty sure i have ocd, maybe autism, & maybe adhd. i am diagnosed with anxiety & depression, so sorry if my posts are a bit random at times.
i'm a panromantic asexual & genderfluid, & i use they/he/she pronouns.
i like a lot of things, but my main hyperfixations & fandoms are lovejoy, qsmp, wilbur soot, bursonas, heartstopper, harry potter (although i strongly dislike JK Rowling), dsmp, alice oseman novels, dark academia novels (if that makes sense), twitch streamers i like, & a few other things that i cannot remember.
i write, sing, play piano, read, & make art. i'm learning how to play the ukulele & trying to improve my art skills. i can always post some of my art if you're interested.
i am an age regressor flip, which means i am both a regressor & a caregiver. when i regress, i regress to around 3-6 years old. please be respectful & mindful of this.
this is an SFW blog, which means no NSFW fics will be written. NSFW jokes, however, will sometimes be made.
if you have any other questions for me, let me know & I'll add any other fun facts onto this post when i remember :)
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ask18thcenturyrussia · 3 months
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|| Y'all digging out the old stuff makes me so embarrassed because I can see I used to do so much more detail :'''^D (but i love you for it, thanks for the nostalgia!) Everything was shaded and lace-trimmed and rendered. Now it's a miracle if it looks vaguely finished fjhfgjg Sorry, I think I hit that dreaded ADHD skill regression that I read about. Or I just got lazy (shrugging emoji) ||
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angelsandarsenic · 6 months
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I’m sorry, what the ever loving fuck is ADHD skill regression (I’m actually horrified because I’ve been feeling this big time and ARE YOU TELLING ME THATS AN ACTUAL THING)
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cryptidpupper · 25 days
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rediscovered (read: remembered) tumblrs existence!! thought id do a quick re-introduction as my use for this account as changed.
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here we go! (will update)
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general introduction !!  ༘
my name is cody (call me feral! /nf) i am 16, my birthday is the 27th of september. i use he/him it/its pronouns + neos (they/them is okay as well) i am transmasc and spectrasexual, i struggle with labels but so far i am happy with these. (+ some xenogenders)
australian !
autistic, adhd, sad, mdd and arfid. (i am professionally diagnosed, am and have been medicated since i was 4yo and been going to talk-therapy for 8yrs)
this is my resource carrd it also links to my special interest & personal carrd :3 my prns page and thats about it. (my twt, disc, ao3, pin and spotify are in my carrd)
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  ࣪ ៹ specifics !!
BYI 𓂃★ ︵︵ ⧣₊˚﹒ b4 u interact . . .
i am white + christian (religion is personal for me) ︵︵ i use neoprns and identify with multiple xenogenders ︵︵ i (usually) need tone tags ︵︵ i talk about my interests *a lot* ︵︵ my social skills are poor ︵︵ if i dont respond, please know that its most likely due to my own mental health / stress !!
DNI 𓂃★ ⸝⸝ ⧣₊˚﹒ do not interact if you. . .
are transphobic, homophobic, queerphobic, ableist, racist, antisemitic, sexist, pro life, anti-vax, etc.  ⸝⸝ force beliefs/opinions onto others  ⸝⸝ disrespect agere, petre, any religion, zodiacs, etc  ⸝⸝ talk over / for minorities  ⸝⸝ make fun of someone for having 'basic' interests / 'niche' interests  ⸝⸝ belittle someone based on their interests  ⸝⸝ victim blame ⸝⸝ dont like my interests
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╰➤ Other ° . ıllılı . ꒷꒦
ꔛ ۫ i separate art from the artist, however this only works to an extent ☆
𖥦 if i say something insensitive or speak on a topic i am not knowledgeable on, please feel free to educate me or alert me.ヽ♥︎
꒰୨୧◞ i love to share my headcanons ! and general thoughts/theories ! however i dont enjoy seeing negative attention towards my special interests 。
⤷ i am sensitive ◍
☆ જ⁀➴ my favourite aesthetics include yamikawaii, gurokawaii, feralcore, cryptidcore, chaotic academia, puppycore and more!
リ﹒Ꮺ i might post and reblog a bit too much — ♡﹒;
✚⠀i age regress ! usually not willingly, i do so after meltdowns⠀❜⠀⠀
﹕i draw, write & read fanfiction, scrapbook, talk to my friends and i am homeschooled! ≛ ・
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. .╭┈ ᐟᐟ☆🗒️💭 QnA .ᐟ ╰୧
 ──★ ˙ ̟  lets go  .ᐟ .ᐟ
. .┇ ◟ ✰ ⋮ why am i blocked ? : 
 ──★ ⇨ ˙ ̟   multiple reasons, but most are simply for my own peace of mind.
. .┇ ◟ ✭ what will you post?┆
 ──★ ⇨ ˙ ̟  i'll be reblogging things related to my special interests, pixels/resources/graphics, things i find funny, things i find interesting, and more ! the stuff i'll post will be thoughts, headcanons, maybe some art, my own pixel collection, rants, etc. while practising coding, this will be my lil online journal of sorts. ('cause i wanna make my own website !)  
. .┇ ◟ ∿ what sort of suggestions do you take? :
 ──★ ⇨ ˙ ̟   i make pngs, banners, and am trying to start making more gifs, pixels and graphics. i doodle occasionally too ! once i post that i'll link examples here
. .┇ ◟ ↳ AR level ?:
 ──★ ⇨ ˙ ̟   50, but i have a bunch of xp 'cause i get too nervous when levels get too high >_<
. .┇ ◟ ‧₊˚ ┊genshin uid? : 
 ──★ ⇨ ˙ ̟   i am on the asian server and my uid is 852754946 :D (my current pfp is childe)
. .┇ ◟  ₊˚ ‧ current 5stars ? ₊ ๑
 ──★ ⇨ ˙ ̟   12 ! kazuha, tighnari, cyno, neuvillette, childe, albedo, xiao, venti, jean, wriothesley, yoimiya and dehya ! (pls come home alhaitham)
. .┇ ◟ ૮Ꮚ  . ₊ ⋆
 ──★ ⇨ ˙ ̟   
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 ──★ ⇨ ˙ ̟   
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 ──★ ⇨ ˙ ̟   
. .┇ ◟
 ──★ ⇨ ˙ ̟   
. .╰ ┈ ٩(ˊᗜˋ*)و ♡
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special interests & hyper-fixations ᯓ★
HISTORY ★ .ᐟ History .ᐟ English Monarchs .ᐟ Russian Tsar .ᐟ Ancient Medicine .ᐟ Egypt .ᐟ Boudica and much more .ᐟ The history of Psychology .ᐟ Sigmund Freud, and others .ᐟ WWII .ᐟ All of it .ᐟ
MEDIA ★ .ᐟ Haikyuu!! .ᐟ Yuri!!! on Ice .ᐟ Sk8 the Infinity .ᐟ Boku No Hero Academia .ᐟ Manhwa, Manhua, Manga .ᐟ Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba .ᐟ Bungou Stray Dogs .ᐟ Genshin Impact .ᐟ Hazbin Hotel .ᐟ
MISC ★ .ᐟ Random Facts (literally anything) .ᐟ SFX Makeup .ᐟ F.R.I.E.N.D.S. .ᐟ Big Bang Theory .ᐟ Poetry and Literature .ᐟ Etymology .ᐟ Sharks .ᐟ Podcasts .ᐟ Mäneskin .ᐟ Linguistics and Language .ᐟ Junji Ito .ᐟ
OTHERS ★ .ᐟ Bones .ᐟ Teeth .ᐟ Organs .ᐟ Aesthetics .ᐟ Coding .ᐟ Genshin VAs .ᐟ
SCIENCE/BIO ★ .ᐟ Medicine/Paramedicine/Surgery .ᐟ Psychology/Mental Illness/Disorders .ᐟ Tourettes .ᐟ ASD .ᐟ DID .ᐟ PTSD .ᐟ ADHD .ᐟ Schizophrenia .ᐟ Bipolar Disorder .ᐟ OCD .ᐟ BPD .ᐟ PANDAS .ᐟ Tuberculosis .ᐟ Typhoid .ᐟ Bubonic Plague and others .ᐟ Medical Mysteries .ᐟ Human Behaviour .ᐟ Autoimmune Disorders .ᐟ Lobotomies .ᐟ Pharmacology .ᐟ
TRUE CRIME ★ .ᐟ True Crime .ᐟ Missing Persons .ᐟ Murder .ᐟ Serial Killers .ᐟ Medical Murders .ᐟ Israel Keyes .ᐟ Charlie Brandt .ᐟ Dellen Millard .ᐟ Ed Kemper .ᐟ Rodney Alcala .ᐟ Herb Baumeister .ᐟ Robert William Pickton .ᐟ The "Lonely Hearts" Killers .ᐟ Dexter Killer .ᐟ Bathtub Killer .ᐟ Lipstick Killer and others .ᐟ
UNKNOWN ★ .ᐟ The Supernatural/Ghosts/Aliens .ᐟ Mothman .ᐟ Spring Heeled Jack .ᐟ Chupacabra .ᐟ Jack the K!ller .ᐟ Van Gough .ᐟ BigFoot .ᐟ Rasputin .ᐟ The Dyatlov Pass .ᐟ Reykjavik Confessions .ᐟ Other Unsolved Mysteries .ᐟ Cryptids in general .ᐟ Urban Legends .ᐟ Mythology .ᐟ Religion .ᐟ Cryptozoology .ᐟ
YOUTUBERZ ★ .ᐟ Kurtis Conner .ᐟ Drew Gooden .ᐟ Danny Gonzalez .ᐟ Moriah Elizabeth .ᐟ penguinz0 .ᐟ Primink .ᐟ Sam O'Nella .ᐟ Buzzfeed Unsolved .ᐟ
SONGS ✮ �� [▶︎ •၊၊||၊|။|။၊|• 0:10]
⤷ "SPIT IN MY FACE" THXSOMCH
⤷ "BABY SAID" Måneskin
⤷ "Girl Anachronism" The Dresden Dolls
[ BANDS & ARTISTS ✮ 🎸
⤷ Måneskin
⤷ Will Wood
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ᶻ﹕→ .kins !
⟡ ⁺◟biggest kin . . . ꜜ (they're literally me /nsrs)
kaveh ໑ tobio kageyama ໑ edogawa ranpo ໑ tighnari ໑
⁺◟mid kin . . . ꜜ (similar in trauma, general character, likes/dislikes, humour, etc)
osamu dazai ໑ alhaitham ໑
⁺◟least kin . . . ꜜ (only one or two aspects.)
akutugawa ryunosuke ໑
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vizthedatum · 2 months
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Understanding that I'm AuDHD (autistic+ADHD) has made my life more tolerable, even if it's not where I want it to be yet.
Today I cooked two grilled chicken sandwiches, and they're awesome. I pan-fried the chicken myself, I cut up the veggies, I knew how to proportion things, etc.
I ground up whole coffee beans and made a whole pot of coffee (with saffron added in, because my friend had alerted me to to a study about how saffron is a natural stimulant).
I'm cooking and making things myself more and more. I've been so embarrassed over most of my PhD training years that I haven't cooked more - I was doing it pretty solidly the first two years of my PhD training, but I went into varied levels of functional disability when I lived with my ex-spouse.
I still did things, of course. It became harder and harder the more I self-abandoned and the more I was emotionally controlled.
This past year, I've been doing so many more things. It's been hard, though. I wish I could go faster with my healing.
I wish I could cook all the time (I want to, and I am trying to take it slow), I wish I could do all my hobbies, I wish, I wish, I wish.
But today, I felt proud that I've gotten this far. AND IT IS SO MUCH PROGRESS. I'm trying to tell my past self, "See, we got here!! So what if it took you so long to get started? Didn't it feel great to not do it under mountains of pressure?"
--
I have a lot of trauma from childhood and early adulthood about people criticizing the way I do things, the way I don't do things, and how I am.
Everything up to my stims, my facial expressions, my eye contact, the way my hands shake, and so on and so on. I got yelled for all of it.
I got yelled at, beaten, and punished for the intrinsic way of how I am.
And when the trauma sits in, it gets even worse. I have an endless stream of self-defeating thoughts: you're stupid, you can't do this, you can't possibly know how to do this, people hate you, people just put up with you, stop fidgeting, you're too still now, etc. etc.
--
When I meltdown or shutdown, I go through massive skill regression. People usually lose trust in me after that. Sometimes it only takes one or two episodes of seeing me not being able to (or flat-out refusing to) do something
That or when I have a pain- or fatigue-flare and I have to cancel plans very suddenly.
Or when I'm deeply emotionally uncomfortable, and I can't stand to be in my body, and I cancel plans.
When I regain my skills, I am fighting so much self-doubt and doubt from other people... the heartbreaking part is when you've lost trust in yourself.
It makes it so hard to do things that you know you can do.
--
Regulating my nervous system is one of my FIRST AND PRIORITIZED goals for this life... I don't want to continuously go through cycles of panic attacks, meltdowns, shutdowns, and bouts of skill regression or executive dysfunction.
Plus when I'm stressed, I almost always flare.
I'm still figuring out how to lead a balanced life FOR ME. When I'm feeling well, I push myself too hard and then I get off balance again.
"Trying my best" means that I have to try less sometimes.
--
I've been realizing that I have been self-soothing and self-assuring myself a lot this past year, living by myself.
I'm becoming best friends and partners with myself... maybe for the first time.
I CAN DO THINGS. Of course, I can. I can do a lot of things, and even now that I'm academically/professionally qualified, I think I surprise people by doing things. Which is weird to me.
I also need a lot of compassion and understanding. There are many things that I have to do a certain way. There are things I need help with that other people may not need help with.
And that's normal. This is all NORMAL for me.
I accept myself.
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cheekycherry20 · 3 months
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I work in the field of aba (applied behavioral analysis) and have been for a little over a year. I started off really passionate about positively influencing the lives of children under the spectrum, because as an adult with adhd, I understood how hard it is as a kid to live in a not-so-opened minded neurotypical society.
I myself was bullied, left out, and made to feel unimportant on numerous occasions. I lacked the correct social skills, trying to mirror my peer’s behavior, yet being completely far off, and struggling to fit in for years. I’ve dealt with anxiety and depression with no outlet and proper coping mechanisms, all made worse with skewed communication skills. All of which I still struggle with today.
I started as a bt(behavior technician) and was quickly pushed into getting my license to become an rbt (registered behavior technician). On the journey to getting my license, I tried to soak up as much information as I could. It was very important to me to be a voice for the children. I had more downs then ups, as I put more pressure on myself then I should.
I wasn’t worried about running targets and gathering data. I wanted to ensure a good quality of life for my children. I’ll always call them my children, because I care for them that much. It’s almost maternal. I cry over my kids, worry about my kids, get angry at my kids. I love them more than anything in the world, I never knew I was capable of love until I got into the field.
Rbts don’t just work alone, we’re directly below bcbas (board certified behavior analyst). They make the plans for the kids, as the rbts run the sessions and gather the data bcbas need. Since the bcbas aren’t in session, it’s incredibly important that the rbt is collecting the right data and being extremely analytical over the session.
In my short time in being an rbt, I’ve been made to feel unimportant (as mentioned before) by numerous senior rbts and most importantly, bcbas. In my personal opinion, not being in a session can make it quite easy for a bcba to make the wrong decisions. In the past I’ve been quite vocal about ideas and goals that my kids can have long term, or just to push them into their next step of life. With children who are learning to functionally communicate, I step up and speak for them if I notice anything. I’m not a bcba, so technically I’m not legally allowed to run something without a bcba knowledge. But once again, my voice doesn’t matter.
As well as taking data, rbts are required to speak to parents. Not just about the child’s day, but for goals, progress, regression, and behaviors. Parent communication is very important, but parents implementing the same strategies as rbts is even more important. Some parents are amazing, but some parents drop their children off as an aba clinic is a daycare. It is far from it.
It’s very difficult watching parents drop their kids off in sick states, or seeing them come in minimal clothing in extreme cold. I’ve seen parents listen to therapist feedback and do the opposite of protocol,ensuring intense behaviors for therapist. As a parent it’s very difficult to live with the behaviors, so I undertstand how hard it may be. But as a therapist, I feel as if I’m not doing enough for my kid because they’re not making progress, because I can’t get them there alone. Parent cooperation is key.
I continue to get shot down and made to feel like I’m incompetent. I don’t know if it’s my age or minimal experience, but whatever the case may be, I no longer want to allow myself to be in spaces where I don’t feel heard. This is a really difficult thought for me to have, as I feel like I’m giving up on so many kids who just need someone to care about them. But I can acknowledge that in this field, caring isn’t always enough.
In the beginning I definitely tried my best. Advocating for my kids wasn’t the hard part, but my mental state is rapidly declining in the process. I truly still want to advocate for my kids, but when I voice my opinions I feel like what I’m saying is wrong.
I believe that stepping out of the field is my best option. To sit and watch fellow rbts and bcbas care too little or not at all for my kids has taken an incredible toll on my mental health. If you’re a parent or friend of someone interested in bringing a child into an aba clinic, please be sure you know exactly who is with them. There’s good therapists and bcbas , but there’s also a lot of people who just so happened to get their license and want a check.
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