Autism Spectrum Therapies Employee Reviews about "management"

Pros

Some of the lower level employees, by that I mean the ones that are actually interacting and working with the children, are lovely people. Additionally, being able to teach children can be incredibly rewarding.

Cons

There is a lot that could be said about this company and even more that can be said about what I witnessed specifically but I will try to be succinct. Supervisors were still in training and clearly overwhelmed and stressed by their workload. The result of which was that they were forgetful, inconsistent, and curt supervisors who made learning difficult. The type who would explain something once and if you didn't understand the first time around they would speak down to you. Eventually, some confided in me that they were having panic attacks and chest pains because they were so stressed out. The children all seemed uncomfortable with some of the supervisors. Not only would they lose their temper they would become threatening and mean. We had one case in particular where a child had limited verbal skills, had potential for aggression, and would spit repeatedly. When the child had a tantrum supervisors would grow impatient and proceeded to physically hold the child down by the shoulders while leaning over him or they would hold his arms across his chest while sitting behind him as a sort of 'bear hug' to try and keep him still. I was then instructed me to do the same on days when I was alone. I witnessed this multiple times and for as long as 45 minutes as the child wailed. Any objection and management would get very defensive and combative. Eventually, I got the nerve to speak to the next supervisor up but it was reduced to a 'he said, she said' situation. I felt as they believed I was exaggerating or overreacting and I was not taken seriously. On a few other occasions, concerns for safety regulations were met with disinterest and some mockery. The sentiment seemed to be, 'That's the reality of the business and that's how life is.' Another incident was at a daycare where, to summarize quickly, the child under our care was not being treated well. The child was left in their filth for hours until I arrived, the teaching assistants called him derogatory names, and they would scream at the children at the top of their lungs until they cried. Again, when I brought this up mangement seemed annoyed to have another thing to deal with. Again, they acted like I was being too sensitive and that I should keep my mouth shut. To summarize, the AST branch I'm familiar with seemed to cut a lot of corners on safety and basic respect for the children. They may put employees through a 'safety protocol and training' but it's for show because it all goes out the window once we're out in the field. AST's sole interest is profit and doing the bare minimum to present a nice image.

Pros

One of the few good things about this job is the other CSAs. CSAs tend to grow close because they are all in the same boat experiencing all the ups and owns together. CSAs/schedulers will help each other out and even discuss changes/educate one another because upper management often neglect to do so. It is a fine job to gain some early professional footing in your career, but otherwise there are not much more pros to be said about this company/postion.

Cons

The job can be a lot even when you become an experienced CSA due to the lack of training, growth, incentives and poor management. As a CSA, you will learn how to handle multiple tasks and manage weekly deadlines, but this comes as the cost of mental exhaustion and being burnt out in the long run. There is no room for growth, lack of advancements and no clear professional developments nor incentive structure in place currently. Upper management will often turn the other way if you bring up any of these points and if pushed, all they will say is that “we are working on it.” Management have said that the schedulers are replaceable and are not worth the company’s investments -- they don’t care about CSA's performance. My overall advice is to avoid working for this company, and if you already are, then I suggest to always stay true to yourself and know your worth and advocate for yourself even if you receive push backs for doing so. There are multiple instances where upper management would play favorite and single an employee out thus creating a toxic work environment . The higher ups would talk about your work ethics or their perception of you to other people, but would not hold professional review discussions with the persons they are concerned about. If you express that you require more assistance or show your disappointment in the evaluation structure (which there is none right now), then upper management will label you as being negative and unappreciative. If AST upper management is reading this, please note that this is extremely unprofessional and all that is said about someone will always circle back to that person you are talking about. Whether upper management admits it or not, the fact is that this toxic work culture and cattiness of the the ones in power have caused lapses of mental anxiety and depression for the hardworking schedulers below them.

Pros

I have been employeed with AST for over 3 years as a Program Supervisor. As with any job and any employer, there are exactly two sides to everything. This can be negative or positive, depending on how you frame your mind. Myth 1: AST is greedy AST is a strong company that is here to stay. We are surrounded by smart people at the top who know how to make a business successful. This is a business afterall, and if you are looking for a secure job, AST is the place. I have read the negative reviews about management being greedy and only interested in money. This is ridiculous. This is a business people, and AST's management has to make tough decisions daily to make sure all of its employees continue to have a job at the end of the day. AST is not trying to replicate what happened to Wellspring. They are trying to keep our doors open. So when you here staff say, 'I have not gotten a raise in 3 years', let's just try to think a little more positive and be grateful that we still have jobs. Myth 2: Supervisors are overworked Of course, everyone is! But this is true everywhere. Unfortunately this is the effect of a bad economy. The times have changed. Say goodbye to working 40 hours per week and hello to 45-50. This is just how it is. But it doesn't have to be so bad. It's all about setting limits for yourselves and finding balance in your lives. If you surround yourselves with negative comments such as 'I'm overworked, I have too much to do, I don't have time for anything' then that will be your reality forever. I have the exact same caseload as every other supervisor, and yet I was able to find happiness in my job. Instead of listening to all of those negative comments about how overworked we are, I just say to myself, 'I'm just going to try my best and work as much as I can today.' This is all you can do. Work for today, not tomorrow or the rest of the week. If you can't get it done today, then that's okay. If you are going to make it as a supervisor here at AST, you have to remain positive. Don't get swallowed up in the negativity. It only makes things worse. You are what you think, so think positively and that will be your reality. Myth 3: You can't advance at AST. There is no opportunity for growth. Nonsense! There are plenty of opportunities. The individuals who are saying there are no opportunities are those negative people who can't take responsiblity for their own actions. They are not making themselves stand out among their peers. If you are going to advance, you have to make professional decisions. Present at conferences, be independent, write excellent reports. Don't walk around the office saying, 'I'm going to continue to be negative today. I hate this job. But please give me a raise and a promotion.' It doesn't work that way. If you make yourself stand out, you will be noticed and compensated for it. There is no way I will leave AST at this time. There are tons of changes occuring in our field daily. AST is aware of those changes and knows the solutions. Be smart. You need to remain with a company that is stable. A company that can forsee obstacles down the road and knows how to make accomodations for those obstacles. Also, there are a ton of smart people here that you can take advantage of. Learn from them. Ask questions. Don't be that person that expects learning to come to you. I have heard several others saying, 'I haven't learned a thing in a year.' What have you done about that? What responsibility do you own? You are responsible for your own growth and happiness.

Cons

Waste: There is a ton of waste here at AST. Too many supplies being ordered and too many staff not being mindful of how much they waste. I have seen others photocopy tons of colored documents, only to throw it out because the edges are not perfect. Talk about autism, most of the staff have 'autism' qualities. Inflexible: They like photocopies to be perfect. If they are not, in the trash it goes. Rigid: Too cold, too hot. The darn theromostat is set to like 50 degrees daily. Wasteful! Non-compliant: Follow the rules about recycling. Staff just don't care about reusing things. Remember all of those colored documents being thrown away.....ever think about reusing them for crafts? Attention Deficit Disorder: We have 20 different kinds of creamer, 5 different kinds of M+M's, and tons of extra stock on hand. And I can't find 1 salt packet????? Waste! Anti-Social: Smile every now and then. Say hello to new people around the office. It's okay. And don't forget to look at their eyes. Whining: There is way too much whining around here. Drives me crazy! Knock it off. We are all adults. Stop throwing tantrums and be happy. I think if we apply a little ABA to our staff, then we can make this place more friendly and welcoming.

Pros

So far I have had 2 great sups! they do errorless learning which makes me want to do even better. If you like seeing kiddos progress, this is rewarding and company is invested in cx success. Great training material.

Cons

-scheduling availability, wish they would stagger the schedules so someone is always available via phone as services run to 8pm. At my old job they had a system that would track if our scheduling dept didn't pick up (a certain percentage), unless staffing is the issue Id say invest in this. - even with the best time management you will end up working on your off time (no pay). There is admin time for meeting with sup but bot for cx related/admin related, session related work. you sometimes feel like you are working for free. Example: scheduling is not available for evening session you need to call the next day you don't start until 12pm, you get an email saying you didn't convert, worse if your issue is on a Friday afternoon they usually don't pick up. You can send an email but honestly I have been discouraged because I get a generic template email that doesn't address what I need. so you will have to call in the am to make sure you are not on 'the list' and its just on your mind that when you are 'off' you are not really off.

Pros

I cannot say enough good things about AST, I absolutely love my job! Upper management is always super helpful and they have a genuine concern for ALL their employees. They create positive working environment, are very encouraging and the work/life balance is taken very seriously. You feel supported every step of the way at AST and are always getting feedback to help you excel. The workplace culture here is very diverse and all inclusive which is one of the things I love most about this company. The starting pay is the best compared to other local companies in this area and the benefits are top notch. The best part of the job is working with the kids and the teamwork amongst my co-workers, we are truly one big family.

Cons

None, I feel very lucky to work for such a great company.

Pros

I love working for a company that truly cares about your opinion and tries to make a change based on the feedback received. Management is very professional and always informative when changes do occur. Family like atmosphere which is so important to me

Cons

Personal time off and sick time are accrued as one. So if you take a sick day you are technically also taking from your vacation time. It would be great if PTO and sick time were accrued seperate from one another

Pros

-Flexible hours -Amazing clients -Ability to make up hours -Upper management is great and they do an incredible job in making their employees feel appreciated. -Same Day cancellations are paid

Cons

-advanced cancellations are not paid -not all supervisors are available to support you personally

Pros

In this economy it's just nice to have work, but even better to have a job where you really effect people's lives in a dramatic way. Opportunities for professional development are ongoing (AST generously supports conference attendence for supervisors who conduct research); pay is very competetive. Management is supportive; the exectuvie team is hands-on. In a horrible economy, this company offers security and growth opportunities in a respectful environment. A great place to work, and a fantastic opportunity to do work that matters.

Cons

Caseloads for intervetionists are inconsistent; caseloads for supervisors are too high. (These problems are due to the difficult economy in CA and management is working to find solutions).

Pros

AST provides excellent training and professional development opportunities. AST provides services based on current research for Applied Behavior Analysis and each program is individualized for the client and family. Supervisors provide excellent support to staff in the field and provide opportunities to grow professionally. The management is supportive and listens to staff feedback and concerns when they arise. The services provided are extremely rewarding and there is not a better company I would recommend to work for.

Cons

Due to circumstances outside of AST control the hours may be variable and not consistent. The scheduling department works hard to provide opportunities to re-route when these unforeseen events occur and make-up time is available.