instructional aide

speech language pathologist

special education teacher

special education aide

board certified behavior analyst

Pacific-Autism-Center-For-Education

There are some good things about working here; my supervisor and coworkers are all great, and I love the work itself. It can be quite stressful working with a child who, for example, screams a lot or is always trying to hit/kick/bite you; but it's so amazing and incredibly rewarding watching that child grow more independent and learn to function better and better over time. There is also a rather amazing amount of free food floating around the place. Everyone here at all levels of management are very friendly and personable, easy to talk to, etc. Most people are supportive and try to be helpful about most things. It's highly frustrating to me, though, that the only way I can get almost-full-time hours is by working a 6th day at a separate location; and the pay is definitely too low. I also do not get the training I was promised at my interview. Staff turnover here is very high for the above reasons, and possibly others. There is a suggestion box, and management keeps conducting surveys to see how they can better support staff, but they never seem to follow through with any action that truly, meaningfully impacts the workplace environment. There are people who have been working here 5-10+ years, and there are a lot of people who quit within a week; but when people discuss the latter they usually cite the stress involved in the work, rather than the pay, hours, training, etc. It's almost like a lot of people here -- at all levels of management -- put on blinders in regards to the very real things that might turn people off (but should be able to be fixed relatively easily) and just want to talk about how the type of work we do and the population we work with is not for everyone. Someone looking to get an instructional aide job with special needs children in this area might want to look elsewhere instead of/as well as here; Aspire Kids, ACES, and Morgan Autism Center are a few places I've seen coworkers go to and report being much happier doing the same kind of work.

Before and after hire, the administration puts on a nice presentation about supporting one another, teamwork, professionalism, etc., but they're all talk and no walk.  I agree with another reviewer - management is very disconnected from what goes down on the floor.  

I don't mind the extra-challenging clientele.  I honestly enjoy helping populations with emotional disturbances and developmental delays.  What does bother me is having an unreasonably large class size and very little support.  The culture at PACE is a little clique-y...if you're not in the "cool teachers club", you will be the last to know the important information and the last to be thanked.  

I often had to forgo my breaks and lunches just to maintain the necessary classroom coverage and I was usually the last to leave work.  I realize that this is the sad reality of teaching at many schools, but it felt like a huge slap in the face every time somebody made a joke about teachers taking 2 PM lunches and thriving off instant ramen.  It happened several times.

In the 5 months I've worked at PACE, I've witnessed 11 employees leave.  There's a reason why.  I have a great deal of respect for their mission - "Connect, Support, Educate".  It's a shame they don't live it.

Having been with PACE for six years I have seen much growth and change. Some change has been positive and some a learning experience for all of the leadership group. PACE is a typical non-profit that is constantly attempting to reinvent and recreate to achieve better performance. In the past six years that I have been in a leadership position, we have had many struggles but have been successful due to the flexibility present within the environment. PACE this year is once again changing. The ever changing environment tends to cause some anxiety for some and excitement for others. The constant variable at PACE is change. Those who do not appreciate a changing and dynamic platform should probably reconsider prior to joining the team.

Overall it is a great place to be that is rewarding and exciting. There is still much room for growth and improvement and PACE will definitely achieve their vision.

This job started out fantastic.  It provided the opportunity to work with kids on the Autism spectrum in a truly unique way that allowed for progress across all areas....not just academic.  However, the management team began to discourage independent thought, and used fear and intimidation to force conformity and submission.  There were also several questionable issues surrounding IEPs and documentation that were either illegal, unethical, or both which the management encouraged.  

The management staff has little to no experience working with individuals on the spectrum but were often the first to step in to the limelight to profess their "wealth of knowledge."  

During my time there I watched an alarming number of staff leave within a four-five month period, and despite repeated attempts on the part of the staff to make changes, the board refused to acknowledge the problem which ultimately led to more staff leaving, myself included.

P.A.C.E is a meaningful and fast-paced workplace where each day begins with a team huddle to prepare the classroom and review student needs. Every day is different due to each child’s unique goals and behaviors, which makes the work rewarding but also unpredictable. The team is very supportive and always willing to step in during challenging moments. The most difficult part of the job is managing behaviors that can lead to injury or make academic progress difficult. However, seeing students grow and reach their goals is incredibly fulfilling. With the level of responsibility and the physical and emotional demands of the job, the pay should be higher and the benefits more comprehensive.

I recently worked at PACE and resigned for happy personal reasons, not because I didn’t love it here. Although I did not work in a direct support or teaching role, I received ABA training and was able to assist directly with clients, as well as perform Admin duties directly related to my job. The children’s programs are well run by a great program director who genuinely cares about all of the clients she serves and has a great handle on being a manager of different departments and their needs as well as relationships with client and student families. As long as you are professional, willing to learn, and love being part of a team that cares about clients with autism, you’ll love working here! 

There is no formal training on behavior management or how the classroom works. I really like the idea of the place and what they have in mind, but the execution was beyond poor. Working in the field of autism with no formal training is extremely intimidating and is just not safe. There are students who had very intense behaviors and with no formal training there is no way to keep yourself and especially the student safe. 

I left the place after 2 days of work. Gave feedback of no formal training for such a specialized school and that it creates a dangerous environment for both staff and students.

I am an OT at this facility and it is so fun to work with the other OTs and SLPs in the office.  Students are here from 9-2 so we can share ideas and collaborate together on our caseloads before and after school. This place offers great benefits and continuing education opportunities.  They also throw staff BBQ's and cater lunch as a treat to the team and allow team bonding. Caseloads are reasonable which allows adequate time for planning and documenting. Love my job and team here. :)

Its a great place to work with special needs kids. Helping those kind of kids is really a pleasure to me because I get to learn and understand their strengths as well as their weaknesses. I also learned to be very patient and more tolerant with people.
  The management and co- workers are so wonderful people who are always available when needed.
   I enjoyed seeing improvements in the students' behaviors. Seeing that enable me put more efforts in my job.

Pay is not enough to cover the physical and emotional battering you get on a daily basis.  Daily, you do not know if you are going home that night, or if you are going to spend the night in the ER.  Zero training,  zero feedback, zero questions answered.  High turn over means that the students have to suffer from constant changes,  which in most of them leads to more aggression.  $22-27 should be the pay range.  They would keep more people that way.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Instructional aide 3 salaries reported	$19.00 per hour
Speech language pathologist 2 salaries reported	$91,250 per year
Special education teacher 1 salary reported	$80,000 per year
Special education aide 1 salary reported	$24.50 per hour
Board certified behavior analyst 1 salary reported	$90,000 per year

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