Coloring Outside the Lines with Mia

The Little Girl Who Changed My Career

If you had asked me years ago if I wanted a career in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), my answer probably would have been no.

Not because I didn't respect the field.

Because I knew how hard it was.

I knew about the long hours.

The emotional investment.

The burnout many professionals experience.

The responsibility that comes with helping families during some of the most difficult moments of their lives.

I respected the work, but I wasn't sure it was a life I wanted. 

See I had taken a job to become an RBT many years ago.

I quit, I didn't even make it beyond a month. It was grueling, the commitment, the hours, the studying. 

I thought that when I had left that I had closed that door forever. 

Then Mia came into my life.

Everything changed.

When Mia was diagnosed with autism, I suddenly found myself on the other side.

I wasn't the professional.

I was the parent.

And I was overwhelmed.

There wasn't a handbook for the challenges we faced every day.

Simple things that most families never have to think twice about suddenly became enormous obstacles.

Baths.

Sleep.

Eating.

Communication.

Doctor appointments.

Haircuts.

Leaving the house.

Things people often take for granted became victories we celebrated.

So I started doing what I knew how to do.

I researched.

Every night after Mia went to sleep or sometimes while she was still awake, I searched for answers.

I read articles.

I watched videos.

I searched forums.

I read parents' stories.

I wanted to understand everything I possibly could.

Slowly, something unexpected happened.

I stopped researching just for Mia.

I became fascinated with understanding why certain approaches worked.

That curiosity eventually led me to complete my 40-hour Registered Behavior Technician (RBT) training online.

For the first time, I wasn't just learning as a parent.

I was learning as a future professional.

The more I learned, the more I realized something.

Everything I had struggled through with Mia wasn't wasted.

Those sleepless nights.

The tears.

The uncertainty.

The victories that took months instead of days.

They had given me something no textbook could ever teach.

Perspective.

I know what it feels like to leave an appointment more confused than when you arrived.

I know what it feels like to question whether you're doing enough.

I know what it feels like to celebrate something that other people might never notice because they don't understand how much work it took to get there.

Those experiences changed ME.

Today, I'm working toward my master's degree in ABA.

Ironically, I found myself running toward the very field I once thought I would avoid.

Not because the work became easier.

But because I realized families like mine deserve professionals who understand both the science and the human side of autism.

Mia didn't just change my life.

She changed my purpose.

Every class I take.

Every paper I write.

Every exam I study for.

Every future client I hope to help.

They're all connected to one little girl who unknowingly became the reason I chose this path.

People often ask why I went back to school.

The answer is simple.

Because one child changed my entire future.

And I'm grateful she did.

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💜 Mia's Lesson

Sometimes the path we were meant to take isn't the one we planned.

Sometimes it's the one that finds us when we need it most.

Mia didn't just teach me how to be her mom.

She taught me who I was meant to become.