Time as a BCBA: 1.5 years
Time at AnswersNow: 9 months
Location: CA

How Cristina Found Her Way Into ABA

Cristina Ahumada was a psychology major in college when a professor pointed her toward ABA, suggesting it was a good way to get experience in a high-need role as a behavior technician. She took the advice, and fell in love with the field almost immediately. 

Other BCBAs around her noticed, too, encouraging her to pursue certification herself. "I used to be like, I could never do what you do," she says. But watching a client's journey from day one all the way to graduation showed her just how transformative the work as a BCBA could be. She went back for her master's, passed her BCBA exam on the first try in May of last year, and hasn't looked back since. 

Joining AnswersNow

Like a lot of BCBAs, Cristina hit burnout fast. Large caseloads at previous companies meant less time spent in session and with families, and less of what had drawn her to the role in the first place. She often felt removed from the care process. At one previous job, a four-tiered model meant she supervised each client's case just once a month, spending the rest of her hours editing treatment plans rather than actually working with families. “It was hard,” Cristina recalls.

She'd once experienced something different, at a small, caregiver-focused practice, and knew that a BCBA-direct care model was what she wanted long-term. That search led her to AnswersNow, and she joined the company in mid-December last year.

“ I felt like it was an amazing opportunity for me to get back into something that I personally really believe in,” Cristina says, “which is empowering parents to be able to learn the tools that we use in ABA and help improve the quality of life for their child and family.”

Why Cristina Loves AnswersNow

In previous in-clinic models, many parents would drop their kids off for care and leave immediately, often only checking in once or twice a month with clinicians. At AnswersNow, Cristina finds telehealth makes it easier for parents to stay involved, creating what she calls "close alignment between the clinician and family." 

AnswersNow's weekly, one-on-one meeting structure keeps her in close, consistent contact with families. "So much happens in the span of even a week," she says. Being able to implement parent training goals in real time has made the work feel more connected and more effective.

She also points to AnswersNow's clinical community as a major draw. A company-wide BCBA Slack channel connects her with other BCBAs across the company, swapping session ideas, CEU opportunities, and advice on tricky cases. That, paired with what she describes as real transparency from company leadership, has made her feel like her voice as a clinician actually matters. 

Above all else, it's just fun and exciting for Cristina to provide hands-on care and work so closely with patients and families. With a teenage client she's working with, Cristina gets to build rapport the old-fashioned way: playing games, adjusting on the fly when he says he's bored of what's planned, and letting sessions become genuine conversations. "That's the fun part of it all," she says. "Playing games with your client, the rapport-building. Just being your inner kid, and having fun with them."

Addressing the Misconceptions About ABA

A common misconception Cristina hears often is that ABA tries to force kids into a mold, making them into who society wants them to be rather than who they are. She says that's not true, and the way she works with families shows why.

She describes evaluating a client whose mom wanted to address hand-flapping. After observing the child, Cristina realized the behavior was occasional and wasn't impeding learning or getting in the way of anything meaningful. Her recommendation was to leave it alone.

"That's just a part of who he is, and it's not hurting him," she told the parent. Parents, she's found, are usually receptive to that kind of honesty. "We're not gonna make your child a perfect child," she tells families from the start. "I'm not gonna ask a three-year-old to never have a tantrum. That's not realistic." The goal, always, is to improve quality of life, not compliance for its own sake.

Cristina’s Advice to Anyone Considering AnswersNow

Cristina’s advice for a BCBA weighing the move to join AnswersNow: go for it, especially if ethics matter to you. She points to AnswersNow's transparency and its focus on getting clients off waitlists and into care as proof that the priorities are in the right place. “This is an environment where you can advocate for yourself and your clients,” Cristina says. “"It makes you feel like your voice as a BCBA in the company matters.”