My turn!

Hi,
Well, good for you that you're going back tomorrow. I am curious, however, about the bathroom issue. If you're not supposed to use their bathrooms, what are you supposed to do? It seems completely unreasonable not to have use of a bathroom during work.

I feel your pain about worrying over needing to use the loo while watching kids. A few months back I was teaching my 13 year old's religious education class (it's only once a week for 1 1/2 hours) and I had the worst urgency ever. It was so terrible and unusual that I had it at that late hour of the day. In any event, I quickly excused myself (my son totally knew why), used the bathroom and it was all okay. Wishing you good luck tomorrow!

Well typically I am only with a client a few hours...most people in our field suggest going to a public restroom before and after. Its just a grey area ethically in this field lol. We see clients on all ends of the financial spectrum, and the thing is to not put pressure on families when we are already intruding in their homes so many hours of the weeks......seriously with some families we are always there......dinner, bedtime, first thing in the morning sometimes...we don't want them to feel they have to do extra work for us, like having a sparkling bathroom. I heard a horror story once of a coworker asking to use the families restroom....come to find out there was no door to it because of the clients severe issues, and the family just promised not to watch lol.

I'll do it if I really have to...I did when I was preggo with a few families I knew would be ok....but, its just one of those awkward things to me. We can't really accept coffee or gifts either lol.

Thanks for the wishes!

Are you the only one on these house calls? Is this a gov't job?

Oh no, most ABA therapists go into the home. We take medicaid, but its still private sector, and in other jobs doing the same thing we've been private pay. It's just where we need to be. I could get a job in a clinic setting if it turns out to be an issue....but my passion is really parent and caregiver training, which happens best in the home environment. Clinic is all well and good, but a kid spends most of their time at home and if a parent doesn't know what to do....all the skills taught in a clinic are pointless.

I'm sure it will turn out okay. And if not, I'll just have to switch things around a bit, find a new passion in the field. Just a bit nervous to see what happens and figure out how to balance it.

Ohhhhhhh. Usually by myself. Sometimes I go with a few other therapists to do some training with them, make sure we are all on the same page, and sometimes my supervisor comes. There is almost always a caregiver present.

I sometimes am supposed to transport to activities, but I've already said I can't do that unless this clears up all the way, and so far no one has given me a hard time about it.

I havent had to stop work yet... besides these days off that the doctor suggests. (Fri and mon) but I worry that day is coming if this hemmy surgery doesn't fix things up!

Congrats on getting back to work. And ethically speaking... having to go to the bathroom is an act of nature. I think its more of a professional ethics thing not a moral ethics... so really... not as big of a deal.

"Everybody poops"