LittleStar ABA Therapy Reviews

- When I first started at Little Star Center, everyone from the top to the bottom cared about the kids and the quality of therapy being given as their top priority. Unfortunately, this is no longer the focus. Now, it is more important to get as many kids in as possible to increase the amount of insurance money Little Star receives. - The management, which includes the Executive Director, HR, and Senior Clinical Leadership, are not completely truthful to employees and are focused more on insurance money rather than the quality of therapy being provided. This unfortunately has affected all therapy company-wide. - As mentioned above, management decided to eliminate some key positions that have decreased the quality of therapy. These positions were unable to get reimbursed by insurance which is why they were eliminated. This has led to a drop in the quality of therapy because there is less support for the therapists to improve what they are able to provide to their kids. - Management is also trying to portray a new image to the public with website redesigns, new logos, etc. They have shifted focus from quality therapy to trying to look good to potential clients. They have chosen to pay for branding but not for people who would increase the quality of therapy. - The $15/hour pay doesn’t seem bad at first but the pay structure is flawed. You will never get an increase in that base pay (unless you get your Master’s Degree and become a BCBA). Instead, you get a monthly “opportunity” to get up to 5% of your pay as a bonus (it is a higher percentage if you have been around longer). The problem is, that money is not guaranteed. Meaning, you won’t be able to count on receiving that money and you can’t plan for it in your household budget. With the rising cost of living, especially in central Indiana, never receiving a guaranteed increase in pay is a hard pill to swallow. - Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance will eat up 20%-40% of your bi-weekly paycheck. - There is no opportunity for promotion unless you have your Master’s Degree. - They no longer offer a matching 401(k). - Your schedule can change in a moment's notice and can be inconsistent. - The job can be exhausting emotionally, physically, and mentally. - Management will tell you that your level of compensation (rate of pay and benefits) is at “market value” for the area. This is only partially true. For an individual who has no experience in ABA therapy, this is true, but after just a year or two of experience, it is not. In my exploring other opportunities in the area, I have found that the Little Star’s level of compensation is subpar to what other employers are willing to offer as long as you have your RBT and a year or two of ABA experience. Most other employers also have a higher quality of therapy.

They have just recently started making changes with scheduling and it is an actual mess. You never know until the last minute who you will be working with, getting in contact with the scheduler about schedule mistakes or scheduling time off is like pulling teeth. There is a lot of petty and catty behavior from the upper management (clinical director, PMA's, and PM'S). Don't get sick more than 6 times a year or you will be in deep water. How do you manage not getting sick when you work with kids? Let me know because it seems impossible to me. It is a very rewarding job, if things were run more correctly from upper management. It is a job that has a lot of burnout because it is intense, but they don't allow you enough time off for mental health days or even emergencies (sick, family issues, just life).I wish I had listened to the negative reviews on this site before accepting this job because I now feel trapped, and I've never felt more undervalued, uncomfortable, or exhausted at a job in my life.