Interview with Michelle Warendorf, BT

● Tell us a bit about your job as an ABA THERAPIST.
● What drove you to the ABA Therapist profession?
● How do you balance your career and family?
● How has Golden Care helped you in your career development?
● What advice do you have for prospective Golden Care candidates?
● What do you find the most challenging in your work as an ABA Therapist?
● What drew you to Golden Care originally? And how has Golden Care changed
since?
● What have you gained from working at Golden Care?
● What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given?
● What’s the one thing you’d tell your younger self?
● What is the favorite part in your work as an ABA Therapist/ of working for Golden
Care?
● What is your proudest moment at Golden Care/ in your work as an ABA
Therapist?
● What is one thing that you wished people knew about your job?
● What does the day to day of your job look like?

Working as a Paraprofessional for almost 15 years, I decided to enroll in an ABA masters
course to allow me to sit for the BCBA exam. Receiving my degree while my own children were
in college proves you are never too old. I left the public school system and began working at
Golden Care – which was one of the best decisions I could have made. Each person I came in
contact with at Golden Care could not have been more welcoming, caring, helpful and
professional, which is still the case today.
Each day is a different opportunity to assist your client to become a stronger individual. Some
days are extremely trying and exhausting, while most are fulfilling and rewarding. My proudest
moment came last year after working with a young boy for 1 year. He had made such wonderful
progress and his social skills had truly blossomed, that his parents and I mutually agreed he
could “graduate”. This was certainly one of my proudest moments while at Golden Care which
has in addition strengthened my confidence in my work and knowledge of ABA.
The flexibility Golden Care has provided me with has allowed me to take time to care for my
elderly parents and continue providing clients with the services they need as well. I, without
hesitation applaud Golden Care Therapy for the support and opportunity to be myself in the
constantly changing career of ABA.

Michelle Warendorf

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Lisa Gibbs
Interview with Lisa Gibbs, BT
  • What drove you to the ABA Therapist profession? Well, I have always found myself to be working with children or adults on the spectrum. Mainly in a classroom setting or facility. It’s so amazing to be on such a personable level with children and their families.
  • What drew you to Golden Care originally? And how has Golden Care changed since? A really great friend and scholar! She believed in me and thought that ABA would be an awesome fit for me. Since then Golden Care has grown professionally while offer more towards career enhancement tools, and knowledge.
  • How do you balance your career and family? By allowing myself to abundantly enjoy every moment. I also pray often and I try to say yes to as many events as I can with family! This is what keeps me centered so that I am able to give my best in my both my career and family life!
  • How has Golden Care helped you in your career development? From weekly session tips and encouraging calls to offering certification courses for career advancement. GCT has been a great help in my career journey.
  • What have you gained from working at Golden Care?  I have gained more experience in my career, more confidence in my abilities as a BT and more education in the ABA field.
  • What’s the one thing you’d tell your younger self? Live in the moment and learn to embrace it rather good or bad or you may miss out on something beautiful!
  • What is the favorite part in your work as an ABA Therapist/ of working for Golden Care?  The initial sessions with a new client. I enjoy listening and learning from them.
  • What is your proudest moment at Golden Care/ in your work as an ABA Therapist? My proudest moments come often actually, it occurs every time I since growth happening in one of our clients, my eyes light up and I get so excited in that moment!
  • What is one thing that you wished people knew about your job?  How rewarding it is and how much it will change their outlook on life.
  • What does the day to day of your job look like?  At the start of my work day, I prepare myself for my client.

    I prepared my materials and I prepare my mind. I check my patients, endurance, and listening skills at the door the rest is magical!

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Ashleigh Watson
Interview with Ashleigh Watson, BCBA
  • Tell us a bit about your job as a BCBA.  I am a full time BCBA at a private special education school in the high school program.  I work with students ages 14-18 with multiple disabilities.  I write behavior support plans for students on my caseload to decrease maladaptive behaviors, provide training to staff and get to collaborate with other professionals such as teachers, occupational therapists, physical therapists, and speech therapists.  I work part time at Golden Care where I provide parent training, supervision to RBTs, and complete initial assessments.  There is a focus on communication, adaptive, and social skills.  I have worked with such a variety of clients/students in my career.  I love all the different experiences and knowledge I gain from working in different settings.
  • What drove you to the BCBA profession?  I started my career as a special education teacher and also did in- home ABA therapy.  I worked with BCBAs on a daily basis and I learned so much from them and I just knew this is the job I was meant to do.
  • How do you balance your career and family?  I am a very schedule oriented person.  This helps me to balance both my career and home life.  So I make time in my schedule to spend time with them.  We love traveling, cooking, and trying new restaurants!  I have recently started taking kickboxing classes with my brother and cousins.  This has been such a fun way to unwind after a long day at work!
  • What advice do you have for prospective Golden Care candidates? I would tell them what a great company Golden Care is to work for!  I have referred several people I know to work here because of the great experience I have had!
  • What have you gained from working at Golden Care?    I have worked for Golden Care now for just over 5 years now.  I have worked for a number of other agencies in my career.  I feel that Golden Care really values their employees both as professionals and personally.  I feel appreciated for the hard work that I do each day.  When you feel appreciated for what you do it makes you want to do your very best work.
  • What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given?  The best advice I have been given is how important self care is.  You have to take care of yourself so that you are able to help others.
  • What’s the one thing you’d tell your younger self?  One thing I wish I could tell my younger self is that it will all work out in the end and you will find a job where you make a difference and you will feel fulfilled in your career
  • What is your proudest moment at Golden Care/ in your work as a BCBA?  Some of my proudest moments at Golden care is just hearing from parents at what a difference ABA therapy has made for their family and everyday life.  When a child learns a new skill you have been working on it’s a great feeling!
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Lisa Z
Interview with Lisa Zaharioudakis, BCBA
  • What drove you to the ABA Therapist profession?  I was inspired by the science of behavior change to be able to help others improve their lives.
  • How do you balance your career and family? I create time to engage in activities that I enjoy (going to the beach, hiking, traveling) so that I feel fulfilled and can be my best self for when I’m at work.
  • How has Golden Care helped you in your career development? Golden Care has provided mentorship and opportunities to expand my skill set as a BCBA.
  • What have you gained from working at Golden Care?  I have gained experience completing intake assessments with new clients. I have had the opportunity to connect with other BCBAs and a variety of therapists who have taught me so much!
  • What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given? To take care of myself so that I can help others.
  • What’s the one thing you’d tell your younger self?  Don’t take life too seriously! Have fun!
  • What is the favorite part in your work as an ABA Therapist/ of working for Golden Care?  Meeting so many different people who have taught me so much!
  • What is your proudest moment at Golden Care/ in your work as an ABA Therapist?  Watching kids learn to communicate, play, and have fun!
  • What does the day to day of your job look like?  I spend time meeting with families to complete intake assessments, meeting with families for parent training sessions, and joining therapists’ sessions for supervision. I also spend time analyzing the data/graphs, writing new treatment goals, and writing treatment reports.
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Delsin F
Interview with Delsin Ferreras, BT
  • Tell us a bit about your job as an ABA THERAPIST.   I experience working with special needs children throughout my 14 years of teaching.  A co-worker years ago while she was observing me work said “Ms. D, you could be an amazing Rbt”. There’s where everything started.  I decided to start as a part time after school hours, and here I am today, I stopped teaching and started ABA.
 
  • What drove you to the ABA Therapist profession?  I always had a passion for helping those in need.  The more I worked as an Rbt the more I fell in love with it.  My heart is just full of joy when I see one goal being accomplished.  It is very rewarding to know that on a daily basis you are making a positive in pact in a child’s life and their family.
 
  • How do you balance your career and family?  Working as an Rbt for GCT and a Developmental Specialist for Early Intervention,  being a single mother of 3 kids, could be challenging sometimes.  However, I try to stick to my schedule at work and when I am at home I make sure I spend quality time with my children.
 
  • How has Golden Care helped you in your career development? Through Golden care I met a beautiful soul, my current BCBA Heidi, she has been my teacher, my mentor.  Also, Jeffey who is no longer with GCT but I’ll always remember him by his kindness and humbleness.  Last but not least  the staff at GCT have been very helpful, flexible, and each one of those who I’ve been in contact with have shown professionalism, respect and kindness.
 
  • What advice do you have for prospective Golden Care candidates?  Be patient, be open to learning, and don’t be afraid to ask questions.
 
  • What do you find the most challenging in your work as an ABA Therapist?  The most challenging part is when I have to let go of a case.  It breaks my heart to see a mom asking me to please not leave them, sometimes with teary eyes. It makes me sad not being able to help all of those children in need because I am one person and there are so many of them.
  • What drew you to Golden Care originally? And how has Golden Care changed since?  Golden care gave me the opportunity to gain more experience.  From when I started the only thing that has changed has been a few of the staff members that had moved on.
  • What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given?  One thing I would tell my youngest self is “I am proud of you, keep going”
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Christopher Camarena – BCBA
Interview with Christopher Camarena – BCBA
  • What drove you to the ABA Therapist profession?  As a professional working in the field of ABA, I have always had a passion for helping those with disabilities. I discovered this passion while working in the field as a behavior therapist during my undergraduate program. My joy is seeing the client’s growth. It is that growth that has helped me stay motivated throughout the years working in this field. 
  • How has Golden Care helped you in your career development? Golden Care truly feels like a work family. With the amount of support and resources offered, I have learned to navigate new information, ask questions when uncertain, and develop my ongoing clinical skills as a BCBA. 
  • What advice do you have for prospective Golden Care candidates? I would advise that Golden Care candidates takes advantage of asking questions when unsure about certain topics, save all the tools and resources that are supplied for staff so they can cross reference the information at any time, and work on organizing yourself so one can stay ahead when it comes to completing daily objectives and work requirements.   
  • What drew you to Golden Care originally? And how has Golden Care changed since? What drew me to Golden Care was the company’s positive reviews on ongoing support from staff as well as client reviews on staff genuinely showing care about their child and their development as they work through their ABA journey. 
  • What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given? The best advice I was ever given was that no question is ever a bad question. In many cases, especially in a group setting, one person may ask a question that others feel reluctant to ask due to judgment. I learned never to shy away from asking questions as this field is always evolving and learning is limitless. 
  • What’s the one thing you’d tell your younger self? One thing I would tell my younger self is to push through obstacles that may seem difficult in the beginning. Eventually when you keep pushing, you will build enough confidence to achieve it!
  • What is one thing that you wished people knew about your jobOne thing that I wish people knew about my job is that we are not babysitters! From an outside perspective of someone who is not familiar with ABA, I can see how they may view this field as “hanging out” or “babysitting”. ABA is much more and can apply in a multitude of settings not just within the field but in anyone’s life. If there is a particular behavior people want to change about themselves, ABA can be implemented to help that person achieve their goals. 
  • What does the day to day of your job look like? As a BCBA, I feel that I can speak for most behavior analysts and say that we love seeing data! As a BCBA, it is my responsibility to ensure that program and skill development is ongoing, and implementation of programs are being targeted correctly. I provide ongoing support for both the therapist as well as the parent (this may also include the complete treatment team such as school staff) to ensure everyone is on the same page. Consistency is key especially when implementing strategies to help the client learn to sustain proactive behaviors through their development with ABA services. 

 

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Katherine K
Interview With Katherine Klausner, BT

My job as an ABA therapist involves working with a client in the home and school setting. I was able to shadow the clients previous ABA therapist before starting in May, and I found that very helpful!

I have always enjoyed working with children on the Autism Spectrum. I have worked in schools and for companies that focus on providing services that require a knowledge and understanding of autism and other diagnosis. I find that I gravitated to this field after going to college for education and teaching.

In order to balance my career and family life, I am always planning ahead for the week. I try to adjust my schedule around appointments and personal commitments. I find that the flexibility in this career makes the life/work balance easier.

Golden Care has helped with my career development by allowing me to work with BCBAs and other therapists. I have learned so much from the collaboration I’ve had with other professionals in the company!

For prospective Golden Care candidates, my best advice is to learn from your mistakes and be open and willing to grow. I have found that being open to feedback and new ideas has helped me so much. Also, I suggest new candidates ask questions!

My favorite part of working for Golden Care is being able to connect with the clients and families. I have grown very fond of my clients and the opportunity to watch them change and excel! ABA has worked to assist my clients and decrease behaviors. It is very rewarding!

The day to day of my job involves meeting my client at their school and spending the day with them there. On the day my client does not go to school, I go to their home and travel with them to speech therapy. I enjoy my schedule and the home/school therapy I can provide.

I would tell my younger self to practice self love and kindness towards oneself in the face of challenges.

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INTERVIEW WITH KIMBERLY PACELLI, BT

I have experience working as a paraprofessional in the public school system in New Jersey. I received my first ABA training in this environment. I very much enjoy working and teaching children, especially children in elementary school. I enjoy working with children that have special needs and find it extremely rewarding. Especially working in environment where you were working with the families, your supervisors and colleagues and supporting the students.

 

Balancing our careers and families, especially during these hectic times, is very challenging. I find that the flexible schedule working as an ABA therapist helps to balance other family obligations. Golden care therapy is very helpful in terms of availing cases to you that you are interested in and during the times that you are looking to work. The families that I have and do work with currently are very flexible in terms of their family obligations and working out times and dates to make up sessions that We need to reschedule.

 

Golden care therapy has a very dedicated team to support the families, the children and the staff. I find that the BCBAs are very available to give feedback and support, especially in all methods such as telephone calls, texts and emails. There is continuing training and monthly meetings that are extremely helpful. It is great to hear and see feedback from the colleagues that you may not have met in person but that you can meet and get information from up during virtual trainings and meetings.

 

If anyone is interested and becoming a behavior technician and or a registered behavior technician, I would highly recommend golden care as they are very supportive And communicative with the behavior technicians that are out in the field. Even during after hours when I needed to speak with someone, I find that even upper management as well as supporting staff are always there!

 

Now golden care therapy I was an extremely professional organization that provides constant support and service to their staff. They are growing and expanding their services and have added additional staff to support the families, staff and the children. The golden care has a strong presence online as well as social media which is very important and critical in digital marketing.

 

After working for golden care therapy, on my understanding of providing ABA as a medical service to the community has grown. There are many variables in helping to have the child’s targets achieved and mastered. A golden care staff is very knowledgeable and has many staff that have many years of experience in the field and they are able to use their experience and skills to help manage the cases and give you a better understanding of working with the families and children to have a win win situation.

 

Oh best advice that I was ever given, do what you love and then it is not a job or work!

 

If I could tell the younger self of me some thing, I would say that I should have gotten involved in education earlier in my career.

 

My favorite part about being a behavior technician and working for golden care is to see when the children achieve their targets! When they smile and or happy; when they make a sound or say a word! The moments when they are imitating an action or or asking for help nonverbally, those are the moments that you cherish!

 

A proudest moment For me, working at Golden care therapy, was when a parent told me that any parent or guardian would be lucky to have me as a behavior technician.

 

The one thing that I would like people to know about how it is to be a behavior technician is that I learn from the children that I work with every day; even if some of these children are nonverbal or have very limited vocalization.

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INTERVIEW WITH Heidi Gebhard – BCBA
I began my journey in the field of special needs in 1996. I started working in group homes for those with developmental disabilities. Then, it progressed to day programs and job coaching. I worked full time in a behavioral unit for individuals with DD and severe behaviors. I continued to work part time in group homes. In May 2000, I began working at a school designed specifically for those with autism while still working at group homes and, on my days off, in the behavioral unit. I quickly became a behavior assistant and loved the responsibilities that came with it. Then, I started working for early intervention which I continue to do to this day. Working with special needs started off as a job and ended up as a lifelong career. I found my passion in helping others. I love(d) seeing the progress that each one of my children went/go through. I saw the need for help from the parents and even had some of my students stay with me so their parents could go away on vacation or take a needed break. My daughter loved what I did, and she became involved in special Olympics as a volunteer. In 2021, I became a part of the Golden Care Therapy (GCT) family. Working at GCT has been amazing. They have become my second family. Everyone is so nice and treats you with so much respect. They listen to our concerns and help us navigate any problems we are encountering. My favorite part, if I have to pick one, is that GCT gives us support as BCBAs. As a BCBA there are many challenging parts and the most challenging part for me is not being able to help everyone. There is such a high demand for therapist and BCBAs and it bothers me so much that we are not able to help everyone that needs it. This is the hardest part of being in this field. The best advice I was given was to get my BCBA because others saw my passion to help those with special needs. I loved what I did and did not want to give up the hands-on part of working with my clients. I realized that I did not have to give that up and went for my BCBA. Going from a therapist to a BCBA made me see how hard a therapist job is. So as a BCBA, I always keep my therapist in mind and let them be a part of my decision making. I will never ask them to do anything I would not do; I will jump in and work with my client since this is the best part of my career.   Being a BCBA is the best decision I made for my career. I just wish people really knew how much work goes on behind the scenes as a BCBA like the tireless research and all the planning that goes into making individuals treatment plan. There are nights that many BCBAs stay up thinking about what else can we do to help, what more can we do, is there new research on this, am I doing enough, the thoughts go on and on. Then, when you see the progress, you realize that it was/is all worth it. If I could go back and tell my younger self one thing it would have been to tell my self to get your BCBA sooner and not to be so scared of getting it. As a single mother, there were a lot of worries and fears. I wish I conquered them sooner but, in the end, it turned out great.  I am now a grandmother 2 two boys and juggling being a grandmother and a BCBA can have its own challenges. Being able to prioritize and make time for both has been my priority and so far, it has been a great adventure that I was able to conquer.
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INTERVIEW WITH Bergica Duran, BT
  • Tell us a bit about your job as an ABA THERAPIST.
I provide ABA at home but also as my main job and this is a way for me to help children in different ways like their life skills, social skills, play etc.
  • What drove you to the ABA Therapist profession?
Something that drove me as ABA therapist was the interest of helping kids. When I first started ABA I saw the difference of one kid and that makes me go for more to help them. I realise that just with a little bit of help they can get better every day. 
  • How do you balance your career and family?
I always say do the best in what you do or don’t do anything. So I work every day, except Sundays and Saturdays I work in the morning so at the moment that I am with my loved one I try to enjoy them to the max. 
  • How has Golden Care helped you in your career development?
The way Golden Care had help me is in a extremely way because now working one to one I can see that I can do better everyday and I have learn a lot in these positions 
  • What advice do you have for prospective Golden Care candidates?
The only thing I can say is that be better every day and make goals not for the kids only but for yourself. Think of what you can do for that kid that can make them better. And never take anything personal and do everything with love. 
  • What do you find the most challenging in your work as an ABA Therapist?
The most challenging part is to keep repetition. A lot of the ABA needs repetition to learn, however I try to keep to the programs and do the best I can. 
  • What drew you to Golden Care originally? And how has Golden Care changed since?
Something that drew me to Golden Care was the big opportunity I could have, to keep learning and expanding my knowledge. 
  • What have you gained from working at Golden Care?
Something I have gained is knowledge. Everyday there is something to learn from you clients and that makes you better everydays. 
  • What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given?
Be better in everything you do or don’t do it let someone else do it. Everyday is a new day and a better day to learn. 
  • What’s the one thing you’d tell your younger self?
I would love to tell my younger self is don’t be afraid of becoming who you want to be. Risk yourself  because the only thing that can happen is you losing and starting again and that’s okay. 
  • What is the favorite part in your work as an ABA Therapist/ of working for Golden Care?
My favorite part is seeing how the connection of you client and the change of you client makes in the everyday. 
  • What is your proudest moment at Golden Care/ in your work as an ABA Therapist?
My proudest moment at Golden CAre is starting with a kid that could know how to talk now talking and asking and saying anything that he needs or want. 
  • What is one thing that you wished people knew about your job?
If people would know that seeing others learning, being better, and the change that they can become is the best satisfaction you can get. 
  • What does the day to day of your job look like?

My day to day looks like fun, challenging and a lot of learning. 

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