Interview Series: Sharon Alert-Burgess, Behavior Intervention Specialist

Reflections

Before the interview section, let me share some reflections.

November will mark the start of my tenth year working in the intellectually & developmentally disabled field. I spent my 30s, in various shapes and forms, caring for those that are recognized in the general public as the mentally retarded. In fact, using the developmentally disabled to refer to those that I serve, generally results in confusion. It requires a longer conversation. Outside of the field, most people don’t know of whom I am referring to with that usage. I don’t blame them.

Prior to my entry into the field, I wasn’t familiar with the usage either. I knew only of one such person, and besides allocating the same amount of respect that I would give to everybody else towards them, I didn’t pay much attention. Retardation was the only word I ever heard in regards to them.

How can we change things? Lack of familiarity with the intellectually & developmentally disabled category and people can be greatly impacted by employees. It is the role of employees, who are familiar with this group, to share with the general public not only the nature of the people they serve (which is most important) but also the more suitable way to refer to them. The use of “mental retardation” has negative connotations”, it was said, became “offensive to many people, and often results in misunderstandings about the nature of the disorder and those who have it” ( Federal Register).

According to the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities ( AAIDD), “ Intellectual disability is a disability characterized by significant limitations in both intellectual functioning and in adaptive behavior, which covers many everyday social and practical skills” (emphasis in original). This definition is in line with the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders ( DSM-5; American Psychiatric Association [APA], 2013), the authoritative manual for the field.

According to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association ( ASHA):

“ID is characterized by significant limitations in intellectual functioning (e.g., reasoning, learning, and problem solving); significant limitations in adaptive behavior (i.e., conceptual, social, and practical skills in everyday life); and onset in childhood (before the age of 18 years; American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities [AAIDD, 2013]).”

Naturally, those working in the field are in a position to help those unfamiliar with the population to understand them better.

How often have you come across someone that works in the field? And if you have, how often have they familiarized you with a general understanding of the people being served?

The following is an interview of Sharon Alert-Burgess, M.S.Ed. Ms. Alert-Burgess is a Behavior Intervention Specialist (BIS) in Queens, New York. We appreciate her for taking the time to answer these questions.

Where did you go for your bachelor’s and master’s degrees? What did you major in?

M.S.Ed., East Stroudsburg University (ESU)

B.A. Psychology, York College (CUNY)

How long have you been in the field? What made you select being a BIS as a career?

I started working in this field in 1999 after I graduated high school. I began in Early Intervention doing ABA with Children who were diagnosed with Autism. After high school, I wasn’t really sure what career path I wanted to follow. I wanted to go out of state for undergrad. I was accepted to three out-of-state schools and one locally. And, of course, the one local school I applied to (York College) was the one that my parents decided on against my desire.

When I looked at the programs of study offered at York, Psychology was one of the shortest program/course work to complete. So I declared my major would be “psychology.”

Fast forward after completing my undergraduate studies, I continued to work in the mental health field as an Assistant ABA teacher for children diagnosed with autism. It was there I decided that I would pursue a Master’s in Special Education. After completing that program in 2009, I took a job working as a BIS and the rest is history…

That’s one of the best answers I’ve heard in regards to why someone chooses a degree. What is your best advice for those interested in being Behavior Intervention Specialists?

Make sure it’s something that you’re really interested in doing. Try interning or working at a company that serves kids/adults who are diagnosed with intellectual disability/mental illness to see if it’s something that you would enjoy doing. You have to be a patient, creative, compassionate, and loving person to be in this field. If you’re not a people person, this is not the path for you.

“You have to be a patient, creative, compassionate, and loving person to be in this field.”

- Sharon Alert-Burgess

I think you have really captured the essence of what it means to serve. Do you think enough is known about your field in the general public? How would people you know outside of the field describe what you do for a living?

Not enough is known. When most people hear BIS, they ask “what’s that” or “what exactly do you do?” People I know outside my field would describe my position as: “working with people with disabilities.”

What are two things that people misunderstand about those you serve?

1. They don’t understand anything or can’t communicate.

2. They are violent.

Do you think the field is sufficiently funded? Why or why not?

No. I say this because the rate of pay for staff in this field is very low and does not commensurate with the duties they perform daily. Either people are not aware of what being a direct care worker and assisting those who are most vulnerable and cannot do for themselves entails, or they don’t care.

“. . .the rate of pay for staff in this field is very low and does not commensurate with the duties they perform daily.”

- Sharon Alert-Burgess

Sources

• American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities ( AAIDD)
• American Speech-Language-Hearing Association ( ASHA)
• Federal Register, The Daily Journal of the United States Government Federal Register

Originally published at https://www.mrjerryjacques.com on August 6, 2021.