Cornerstone Reflections: Internship Q&A

On the last day of their internship at Cornerstone, Myia Dorsey and Alise Weeks recapped the previous three months spent as ABA Therapists. Read further to learn about their experiences from training week to being with clients during the therapy day.

Interview with Myia Dorsey

What school do you attend? What’s your degree and expected graduation date?

School: Purdue Univeristy

Expected Graduation Date: May 2020

Major: Psychology

Minor: Sociology

How much did you know ABA before starting this internship? What did you learn by seeing it every day?

Myia’s Answer: “I’ve taken psychology classes. I knew some basics of psychology, but I didn’t know about the programming or specific ways to utilize ABA. My younger cousin, who is 8 years old, has autism. He’s  in a school setting. He’s the first child who I’ve personally known with autism, but this is my first experience working with children across different ages and behaviors. He’s one of the reasons I wanted to work in an autism center. I also took a class called Abnormal Psychology where I learned more about Autism Spectrum Disorder.”

How did the training help you get prepared for the internship?

Myia’s Answer: “The training was so helpful. I was scared at first, but I was happy that it gave me all of things I needed to know to do the job well. I liked how after we learned something, we’d go back on the floor to see it in action. I discovered something new every day. I’d go home and review my notes as well.”

What responsibilities did you have?

Myia’s Answer: “For the most part, I worked with kids 1:1. I was able to help Kayla the Speech Language Pathologist out and help around the office as well as teach groups.”

What were some of your favorite aspects?

Myia’s Answer: “In the beginning of my internship, I was floating [with different clients every day], and I really liked that aspect. Trying something new every day was really exciting because I got to know each client better.”

How has this internship helped you grow?

Myia’s Answer: “A lot of moments definitely pushed me outside of my comfort zone. I think I’ve grown a lot since I’ve been here. It has definitely taught me about having patience. I also learned how to be more vocal and reach out to others when I needed help. It has been great to find community here and build my communication skills.”

Would you recommend this internship to others within your major? If so, why?

Myia’s Answer: “I definitely would recommend Cornerstone to anyone interested in working with kids with autism. It exposes you to autism in every way. It’s a warm environment where you can grow as a therapist. If you think you would like to work in this field, I definitely recommend having an internship at Cornerstone.”

What will you remember the most about Cornerstone?

Myia’s Answer: “I will always remember how committed everyone is about coming to the job, knowing you have to deal with behaviors, but you love your job and you care about kids’ development. I think the commitment to something that you love is what I’ll remember the most.”

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Interview with Alise Weeks

What school do you attend? What’s your degree and expected graduation date?

School: Ball State University

Major: Applied Behavior Analysis

Expected Graduation: December 2020

How much did you know ABA before starting this internship? What did you learn by seeing it every day?

Alise’s Answer: “I had no past with autism or special needs. It seemed super interesting to me, and I loved learning about it. I thought this would be a great way to get some experience.My end goal is to go to graduate school for Occupational Therapy (OT).”

How did the training help you get prepared for the internship?

Alise’s Answer: “I honestly didn’t know how anything worked. I read and learned about it, but it’s just so different being with a client. Being able to shadow, write down notes and take a test on the material was all very helpful.”

What responsibilities did you have?

Alise’s Answer: “I did one-on-one therapy. I floated for the first few weeks and then I had two consistent clients. That was really special; I really liked it.”

What were some of your favorite aspects?

Alise’s Answer: “I learned that each client is very specific. You can’t generalize people with autism because it’s so different [for every individual]. I learned each of their behaviors, the behavior plans and how to interact with them specifically. One of my clients was very verbal, and he asked a lot of questions. My other client would use her speech device to communicate.  I was able to learn how to use that with her. She also loved to sing, so I found music to be helpful.”

How has this internship helped you grow?

Alise’s Answer: “It put me out of my comfort zone a lot. I am a very anxious person and have to know everything in advance, so when I floated on new clients for every session during the first month of my internship, I learned how to communicate better with people and come out of my shell.”

Would you recommend this internship to others within your major? If so, why?

Alise’s Answer: “For sure, especially because of the hands-on experience within the field. It’s so different going from learning about it on paper, books and videos to actually being here implementing therapy. It’s very cool!”

What will you remember the most about Cornerstone?

Alise’s Answer: “I really like how the therapist is one-on-one because you grow so close to the kids. You get attached to them — I didn’t think I was going to, but on my last day with both of my clients, I felt really sad. My first client loved bike rides so I’ll always remember that, and my second client would sing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star with the piano, which melted my heart every time. I’ll also remember the sense of community — how everyone at Cornerstone is so kind and social. I’ll remember all the kids — they’re so unique and special. I’ll definitely miss everyone!”

To learn more about career opportunities at our various locations, please visit our careers page on this link.

Last updated by Morgan McClellan at August 15, 2019.