speech language pathologist

occupational therapist

physical therapist

aba therapist

board certified behavior analyst

Cole Health

I worked at Cole for nearly two years. When I first started, it was truly a dream job for me. My BCBA was amazing, supportive, and reliable. Cole provided great training (40 hours online previous to start date and 3 week training program) that really helped me be where im at today. I will always stand by that. However, when my BCBA left and a new one came in, that’s when things started going downhill. Don’t get me wrong, Cole had ups and downs (like every company does) that I noticed within my first month or two there. However, it really started declining within the last year or so. First, benefits suck. They don’t cover a lot and it’s small company’s that I have never heard of. PTO is okay, but it’s only like 5 days I think. Overall, the benefits are not worth it in my opinion, but you aren’t forced to use their benefits anyway. They did have a system where every single employee, had access to a free therapist at any point in the day if you were struggling, so that was extremely nice. It really made you feel appreciated and thought about. I can’t speak for every location, but mine was awesome! It was clean, fresh, organized, and well put together. Again, that changed after my boss moved up. There were other reasons apart from my boss change that made me leave including benefits, pay, and lack of communication throughout the company. I have never worked for a company that lacked SO much in communication, ever! It wasn’t as bad when I first started, but personally, I think the company has grown significantly and that’s when things changed. Please, do know, you CANNOT move up much past your RBT credentials. You would have to go to school and sit for a BCBA exam. That does require school (bachelors in something like psychology, education, etc) and then your masters in applied behavior analysis. So do keep that in mind if you are looking for a career, but not wanting to go to school. There were some good small move up positions available though. Next thing, the pay SUCKED. You technically were NOT paid hourly. You are paid based off your sessions with kids. You have to submit daily notes to insurance providers and from there, you’d get paid. Typically, you’re working with two kids a day (3 1/2 hour sessions each) so you do get decent money. It was just the way the company paid it out that sucked. Occasionally, the clinic would be “up staffed” (too many staff, not enough kids) which then would turn into a “rotation day” (day off but you’re not paid, but you can use your PTO if you have it.) these days happen often around holidays or sometimes in the summer if you have multiple of your kids going on vacation/etc. so keep that in mind!😉

Just keep in mind, just because my experience ended in a negative way, doesn’t mean that yours will. If there were minor changes, I’d go back in a heart beat. Please do consider carefully if you chose to accept a position with the company. Take care of yourself above all and your mental health, because it can decline very fast. Not from the company itself (not completely anyway), but because you are working with kids and everyone needs a break sometimes! ❤️

Again, just consider carefully. Also keep in mind that there is a different BCBA for every location, so just because my new boss wasn’t my favorite, doesn’t mean that the others aren’t as good. I just had to choose myself for once. Best of luck!


**BEFORE I FORGET!!!!!
You will NOT be getting a lunch break (you are technically working under 8 hours per day) which can suck. If you have a good program specialist (i did not) they try their best to give you one “easy” kid and the other who is more “active” so that way everyone does get a small “break.” Keep in mind, that does depend on what location you are at. First, you have to have a good programmer, but second, it depends on what kids are in the program. (I’ve been in situations where we have had a good balance of hyperactive/leas hyperactive but also was in situations where we ONLY had hyperactive kids and there was no chance to “relax.” So please keep that in mind that nine times outta ten, you’ll have a chance to still eat, but it’s not guaranteed. 

I worked as an RBT at Cole ABA for over two years and never got paid more than most places pay people who have not yet received their certification. They cared about the clients at first but that is definitely not the case now. All that the BCBAs and upper management care about is money and making sure they look good to potential clients. Program updates for clients are rare and you will NOT get the supervision hours you need to maintain your certification. As if that wasn’t enough, management constantly treats the RBT team as if they do not matter and uses gaslighting techniques to make them feel as if they don’t care for the clients when the main reason most RBTs stay working there is their love for the children they serve. They boast optimal training but this couldn’t be farther from the truth. New hires barely receive any training before they are thrown into the schedule and expected to work with clients using techniques they have never learned before. You will not receive a lunch or quality benefits and hours are reduced regularly in order for management to avoid having to pay RBTs any more. The clinic is also DISGUSTING. They have never had a proper cleaning crew that does any more than taking the trash out. Bathrooms are rarely cleaned and toys are never sanitized. Since the COVID pandemic, there has been a severe lack of supplies so that most days it is impossible to clean anything, including toileting accidents. There are bugs all over the clinic. Although complaints have been made, nothing ever changes. I would NEVER send my child here knowing how the company operates and the lack of cleanliness standards that they hold. If you care about where you work, DO NOT work at Cole. 

I would not be the RBT I am and not feel confident in therapy if it was not for this company. Even though I’m no longer apart of the Cole Family anymore, I will always be forever grateful for the education the BCBA’s and trainers provided to me. 

I always encourage BT’s and RBT’s if they are shopping for a new clinic to apply to Cole because of how great they are. Anytime I had a doctors appointment, it was approved and they understood without making me feel stressed that I had to come in later or leave early because they were understanding where as other clinics do not grant you with the same respect. 

Cole provides ALL staff QBS training where some clinics only provides it to grad students and BCBAS. Cole provided my first CPR class at the clinic after work and no other ABA clinic has provided those benefits and level of education.

The only things I can really say that’s negative is that we didn’t get a lunch, unless you’re a grad student there’s no room for growth anymore like there used to be when I had initially started (I.e. becoming a trainer), and pay. 

Oh how I miss the data collection software they use!! 
The best thing about Cole is they truly follow their mission statement of patient first. They have zero tolerance for this. It’s something I will forever respect as a company. 

If you’re looking for an ABA company, new into ABA or experienced, go to Cole! There’s a reason old techs come back. 

BCBA’s are great, HR is great, trainers are great, clinical director is amazing, and the owners are so nice and make their presence known but are the nicest people ever. You truly feel like a family and team! 

And in ABA, you NEED this, to not get burnt out, especially when you need to call for assistance. Plus it allowed us to actually have fun at work with the patients and coworkers! 

Working at Cole on the day to day is a calm & balanced environment. You know the tasks that are put in your hands, and completing them at a timely matter is fairly easy once you get a grasp of all your responsibilities. I've learned so many operations on the admin side of things like how to handle a significant number of patients & making sure that they receive the care that they need at the best of my abilities. i have also learned that there is many changes in my department that affect my workflow(insurance requirements, changes to patient care) but i have been able to handle all of that by working together & having the support of my team.The management team is so supportive & help you resolve any obstacles that you have, they also give you the tools you need to complete your responsibilities & keep you updated on crucial information that you need when there is change. The culture at work is very relaxed, everyone is very polite and works together at ease. I really enjoy when we have team meetings and events that help us build our team/relationships & help us stay together when it comes to any changes & updates that affect our work. i would say that the hardest part of my job is dealing with the changes of the industry as time passes, making the adjustment and learning new things that force you to change the way you've done tasks in the past. But those changes don't happen very often. The most enjoyable part of my job is the environment  at the office & the support that everyone receives.

I worked as a therapist in both San Antonio locations (Schertz and Stone Oak). The San Antonio clinics are really new and are growing every day. 

Pay: The pay rate feels really low and is kind of a punch to the ego when you see the amount on paper BUT it is an hourly rate and a consistent paycheck. Management worked really hard to make sure my paycheck was for all of my hours every week, even when my growing caseload was small and I wasn’t meeting productivity. Except for a few weeks during COVID I was never forced to flex hours. The consistent paycheck is pretty rare for an outpatient therapist in Texas so I appreciated it. 

Management: Communication with management on a regional level is not the best, but the San Antonio Director of Rehab is the HARDEST WORKER YOU WILL EVER MEET. She is the person that you work with on a day to day basis and she is knowledgeable and constantly on the ground working as hard as her therapists. 

Facilities: both San Antonio clinics are really new, so things are growing and being ironed out. The Stone Oak clinic has a small pool which is a really awesome opportunity for therapists and patients. Any therapist willing to come in, be patient, and help build the supplies/space/lay out needed will see improvements in the long run. 

Families: there are so many really awesome families at this clinic 

At Cole Pediatric Therapy, therapists and support staff are always willing to lend an extra hand to a coworker in need. We learn from each others' fields of expertise and work together to form a comprehensive multidisciplinary team to provide the best care possible for our patients. 

The manager and regional manager are very supportive. They balance our needs as therapist while trying to maintain an operational business with patient care and caregiver satisfaction in mind.   

The hours are reasonable and flexible. To maximize availability for patient care, full time therapists work 10 hour days 4 days a week and part time therapists help to fill in the busiest extended hours. I personally love my Fridays off to run errands and make weekday appointments that can't be otherwise made on the weekends. 

The pay is competitive for a pediatric outpatient setting. I could choose to be in a different setting for a higher pay, but I'm here for the kids. The most enjoyable and hardest part of working at Cole and any pediatric setting are the kiddos. Some of them are the sweetest angels and others are rolling around in circles on the floor while you're trying to implement the best intervention you've ever though of in your career. It happens. At Cole we both commiserate and joke about these times and enjoy our careers together.

My experience with Cole Pediatric Therapy was eye opening. My co workers were great and I thoroughly enjoyed working with a lot of great families that we served. Management was great in the beginning however that quickly changed once they felt I was no longer needed. Therefore I implore to any therapist if you are going through any difficulties and need a job, this would NOT be a place for you. 
 
I had health challenges that affected my job. Although my performance declined, it did not warrant being demoralized and treated with minimal respect. Micro management, speaking to a therapist as if they are less than, passive aggressive tactics, and minimal overall support does not make this position worth it. 

You are paid poorly to help manage both clinics (Schertz and Stone Oak locations), supervise a COTA, and complete multiple evaluations/progress notes for shared patients (despite there being another therapist and expressing it is a team effort).

Overall, poor pay, poor benefits ( insurance is not great and you are not allowed to take time off without using your PTO even if its one day), and inconsistent/poorly educated management regarding helping others with mental health/ health conditions. I say RUN. They are not who they paint themselves to be.

I made the choice to take a pay cut from my previous job to come work here. At first it was ok, but then when it came time to pick insurance benefits for myself and my family, my hourly wage was a joke.  It was almost as if I was going to get an even bigger pay decrease. When advised to try and get an HSA to help save me some money, I explained that even getting one of those would further deplete my paycheck. When I was deciding to leave for another job that was going to offer me a much better hourly pay with better hours and benefits, it was THEN that they decided to TRY and offer me more money. I felt this was a slap in the face, because the pay increase at the other employer was a guarantee, and with 16 years of medical experience, they hadn't even tried to give me this type of pay in the beginning. If they really valued an employee and wanted to keep them, why didn't they offer a better hourly salary to begin with? The people in management had great personalities and were all very kind, but what really got to me was how my coworker felt she could control me and tell me what to do, when she wasn't in any type of managerial position, just an equal to myself. That was not the kind of environment I could be in, and after less than 3 months, I bolted from there.

The only thing the company does right is their training. I think every BT should get their training from here. EVERYTHING else is trash and management makes it clear 
THEY DO NOT CARE.

Therapists stay for the kids not the company and they leave usually mad/ frustrated or burnt out because of the lack of support by management.  I feel sorry for the patient’s parents and wish they knew what the service they were paying for. 

Now being 3 ABA clinics later, I know what real ethical service looks like and this is not it. I’m not sure what productivity checks upper management gets but the BT’s productivity were checked way more than the ones who needed to update programming etc. 

Management plays favorites, putting more work on people they like even if it causes them to feel overwhelmed.

BCBAs were lazy while the techs had to deal with their errors without help.

Don’t even ask about cleaning during a pandemic. 

Pay? There’s no raises unless you’re a grad student or you move up in the company like become a bcba but you can do stuff for free. They love that.

When i first started, the culture was great and we were able to dictate our clinic processes based on client needs and being patient specific. Corporate has come in and is trying to make all clinics look and feel the same which is hurting some of the patients. the bcbas inside of the clinic in each location should be consulted and utilized instead of relying on outsiders that do not work in the clinic every day with the patients we do. i love our kids and the culture we have built, so it’s sad to see corporate tear it down for the sake of “consistency” across clinics. i thought we were patient first? wouldn’t you want to listen to the needs of each patient in a clinic before deciding what’s best? we need flexibility, not rigidity. we don’t get paid enough for all of the work we do. to have a pay cap means there’s nothing to work towards and no way to move up without schooling that many can’t afford. we need more opportunities. we need a corporate that listens, takes notes, and doesn’t come at us when we try to talk about real concerns. do better.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Speech language pathologist 318 salaries reported	$54.84 per hour
Occupational therapist 90 salaries reported	$50.35 per hour
Physical therapist 45 salaries reported	$54.54 per hour
Aba therapist 32 salaries reported	$18.22 per hour
Board certified behavior analyst 60 salaries reported	$85,792 per year

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