Kelsey Kalal
Seeing the Able not the Label
Meet my friend Kelsey! She’s a special one, a true light in this world. Something I admire most about her is the way she takes care of people. Not only her patients, but her friends, family, yet even a complete stranger.
Her passion just so happens to be her career, and when you’re fortunate enough to do something everyday that you love and excel at, it’s admirable. Let’s discover how she became Ms. Kelsey Kalal, CTRS and will one day soon be Dr. Kelsey Kalal, PhD, BCBA-D, CTRS.
SPARKED INTEREST IN MEDICAL FIELD
To me, it’s interesting to hear how people became inspired, interested, or changed from a certain experience. “When I was in high school, I had a family friend that was a Special Ed Teacher. I would sometimes eat lunch with her in the special ed room and it was there that I got to know the students really well.” Her passion sparked from those conversations which led to a new perspective on life. Since then, she earned a degree in Recreational Therapy, has worked with an extensive range of individuals with disabilities, and is an excelling addition to this field.
“I am a huge advocate for having a large tool kit of skills to utilize. It is important to be well rounded in this sense.”
Kelsey is someone who has to wear many hats - each kiddo is different, just like you and me.
BEHAVIORAL SCIENCE BRANCH OF THE MEDICAL FIELD
Like other fields, things are constantly changing and evolving with new information, technology, scientific-evidence, etc. - different diagnoses, how they present in different individuals, boys vs. girls, etc.
“For example, the diagnosis of girls with Autism is fairly “new”. It is now being discovered that stereotypical Autistic traits do not manifest in females the same way as they do in males. It is very common for females to not be diagnosed on the Spectrum until their early 20’s. Whereas with males, it’s common to be diagnosed before age 5.”
A TYPICAL DAY AS A BEHAVIORAL THERAPIST
Since it’s the medical field, everyday is different because you see new clients, patients, etc. “Each session I have with a client is specifically designed to them. Each client will take an initial assessment upon intake into the clinic and the assessment will place them somewhere developmentally along the spectrum.”
In her current position, she’s implementing behavior therapy for kids with Autism. “It is typical (before COVID) that I would have roughly 5 clients a week and would see them multiple times a week very regularly. My current kiddos are each SO special in their own way. It’s like how my group of friends each has different personalities (the outgoing one, the sassy one, the introvert, etc) A big take away from this job is the new perspectives I got from daily living activities.”
“The thing I enjoy the most about my job is seeing the impact I have on my clients as well as my family and friends when I get to share the knowledge I have. I have several clients that I have had for almost 2 years and the immense growth and change you get to see over a period of time like that really shows just how much the client is impacted by daily therapy. “
FIELD CHANGED YOU
“This field has changed me in the ways I see things in the world. I am so aware of my surroundings and how inclusive or accessible a place might be. One of my favorite restaurants in my college town had a massive staircase and no elevator to get to the top and every single time I was there all I could think was, ‘I know people who would love this place but have no way to get up here’. It’s frustrating to see. I am also extremely aware of language that people use and how it can be discriminatory. For example I use ‘person first language’ which means the person comes before the disability. (ie. Boy with autism, not Autistic Boy). The disability is possessive, it is something they HAVE, not something they ARE.”
“I feel a sense of accomplishment in my job when I get to see one of my clients finally execute something we’ve been working so hard on. When you see their face light up after doing it for the time it’s unforgettable.
I’m inadvertently educating so many people by just being passionate about it myself.”
Want to learn more about what Kelsey does? Looking for a mentor? You can find her on Instagram for more information! Recognize somebody today. We need to embrace everyone’s differences, abilities, and overall perspectives.