All that changed three years ago when the psychology student saw an advertisement on Corner Brook Classifieds from a family looking for an applied behaviour analysis therapist for their autistic child. She was in her second year of studies, and after reading the job description thought it was something she could do. Now in her fifth year she’s still working in the position.
On Wednesday Tucker took part in a job fair for anyone interested in a career working with those with autism at the Greenwood Inn and Suites.
The job fair was co-hosted by the Autism Society of Newfoundland and Labrador Western Region and fourth-year nursing students Katie Doyle and Moria Lieb.
Surrounded by those in the fields of home care, youth care, mental health and applied behaviour analysis therapy, Lieb said she didn’t realize all those groups actually worked with children with autism.
She got the information she was looking for from Tucker, who agreed to take part in the job fair to help make others aware of it.
“There’s a lot of people that are able to be an ABA therapist, but don’t know that they’re eligible to be an ABA therapist,” she said.
Tucker said there are many students at Grenfell Campus, Memorial University of Newfoundland who are doing social sciences — like nursing or psychology — but don’t know they can work as a therapist.
During the job fair Tucker had a lot of students drop by her booth to ask about the therapy and the wage expectations.
Tucker said the pay rate for applied behaviour analysis therapists, which recently increased, is good and the job offers flexibility as the hours can range from 10 to 30 a week.
It’s that flexibility that makes it a good fit for students looking for work while they attend school.
She said it is a job that can be challenging, but at the same time is really rewarding.
Tucker once worked with a child who couldn’t blow bubbles and after working with him for eight months he finally got it. It was an experience, she said, that left her crying tears of happiness.