Life has always been about making a difference. In my own little way, I have aimed myself for something big in both my personal and professional lives. My belief has always been centered on the importance of education in the upheaval of society. Such has led me to enhance myself further and improve my craft by pursuing a Doctorate in Marital and Family Therapy from the Alliant University. In 2001, I started working as a tutor for the Comprehensive Educational Service (ACES).
My students were mostly children struck with autism, and I must say that my patience and perseverance in life were greatly tested. Eventually, the daily routine I had in the said institution allowed me to see beyond my reach. I realized that the services I rendered in Applied Behavioral Analysis were not making global changes especially in the clients I had. I learned that autism does not just affect one individual, but may also affect the whole family as well. Realizing this need for change has allowed me to acquire a certification in Relationship Development Intervention in 2003.
I was fortunate enough to become one of the first 20 individuals from the whole world to be certified for this treatment methodology. As an RDI consultant, I was tasked to develop systematic and flexible approaches in teaching, and enhancing the intelligence of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Asperser’s Syndrome. I considered my role as an RDI consultant as an advantage, especially in my chosen field. I worked directly with parents in order to help their children meet the necessary developmental markers.
In addition to this, I was able to help motivate the children in maintaining strong relationships between family systems and peers. My work entailed a lot of hard work and dedication from my end, and empowering parents to work with their children was never an easy task. My patience and perseverance were tested, and my thoughts and dreams were sometimes questioned. As much as possible, my goal was to empower the parents to work with their children and remediate the core deficits associated with Autism and other related disorders.
Eventually, my hard work and dedication in the profession were recognized when I was given the opportunity to speak in national and international conventions as an RDI expert, and become well respected by people from all walks of life, including Northern Italy in 2005 and Cicly in 2007. 2005 was also a good year for me, for it was the year when I received my Master’s degree from the Alliant University in San Diego. I became a martial and family therapist intern, and treated over 100 families who had family members with autism and other related disorders.
The kind of training I received as an intern was beneficial in my growth in the profession. I learned how to deal with different circumstances using different approaches that were all geared towards the upheaval of health. However, I felt the need to further enhance my craft and expand on my scope of competency and practice. I am currently employed as the Director of Family Services at the Area Cooperative Educational Services (ACES). Being awarded such position did not come as an easy task for me.
I started as one of the instructional aides of the company, and was one of the first 10 employees who rose to the top of the said agency. My hard work and dedication may also be attributed to the success of the company, which now has over 1000 employees all across California. My work has also allowed me to become more in tune with the needs of people affected by autism and the members of their families. I felt that it was my personal objective to help as much people as possible, especially those in dire need. I consider myself to be an effective task master.
As much as possible, I give much time and effort in deciphering the results oriented in the practice of marital and family therapy. In addition to this, I consider myself to be a leader for our company and in the community, especially when using the RDI methodology and systems work when dealing with family counseling. My hopes and dreams in my professional life do not end after acquiring a Doctorate in Marital and Family Therapy. I want to be able to have a direct impact on the community in terms of research, focusing on how autism would affect the family system.
In addition to this, I also plan to use my acquired knowledge in revitalizing treatment approaches especially for families implicated by autism. Furthermore, this would also be a way for me to develop better tools in assessing high functioning children found in the autism spectrum. Analysis and assessments of family members are important, especially when dealing with autistic children. Being given the opportunity to study at an elite university, such as the Alliant University would help me to overcome professional barriers that hinder me from making it big in this industry.
In my own little way, I want to promote different family services programs, especially in my current work, making us competent and in tune with other elite programs in the nation. Furthermore, I believe that the knowledge and rigorous training this university would provide me with would help me to become more equipped in this fast and changing world. I would be able to develop my abilities further and become a competent practitioner, especially in the field of marital and family therapy. Autism is one of the most complicated disorders that hurt families and individuals the most.
Such was the reason as to why I want to be at the forefront of developing and implementing services that would help alleviate autism in our country and in the whole world. I know that all my hopes and dreams may seem complicated and impossible to accomplish for some. However, I believe that with hard work, perseverance, and dedication to the craft, ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE. Life is short, and I would want to make sure that I give my best in everything that I do. With the help of Alliant University, I would be able to help the world and make a difference.