Asandra Andrews

ABA Tutor

Namaskaram and Marhaba from the Malayali girl raised in Qatar!

Quite early in my high school years, I knew I wanted to effectively help and make a difference in the lives of children with disabilities. So, after my schooling in Doha, I decided to do my undergraduate studies in Psychology at Christ University in Bangalore, India.

I was first exposed to Applied Behaviour Analysis during my first year at an internship. I was in awe of how meticulous everything is, especially in data collection. I was thrilled with the way therapists worked with the kids and made it so fun and energetic. I loved being able to see actual improvements in learning for the kiddos and decided this is what I want to do—ABA!

As soon as I got my bachelor’s degree in Psychology (Hons), I jumped at the first opportunity to work full-time at a centre for autism in Bangalore that specifically utilised ABA. Over the span of a year, I was trained, worked with over 10 different children aged 3-7, implemented interventions, wrote progress reports, used various teaching strategies, conducted group sessions with the kids and enjoyed my time. Work made me feel extremely happy and fulfilled.

During the lockdown of 2020, I returned home to Qatar and worked full-time for half a year at two centres, providing behavioural therapy to about 50 different individuals aged 4-25. It was then that I realised there is so much more I wanted to learn about behaviour. I wanted to gain more knowledge and experience and eventually be able to create my own ABA programs for children. This led me to enrol for postgraduate studies in behaviour analysis within the UK. After completing my master’s degree in ABA from the University of Kent, I joined TCP ready to use what I learnt to help improve the quality of life for our kids. I am truly looking forward to meeting and growing with them in the days to come!

Outside of work, I’ve been trying to learn Korean through Netflix and Duolingo. I also enjoy cooking, singing and dancing when no one’s watching, swimming, and exploring new places.