Watson's Way ABA - Pinellas Park, Florida

Ash

As a former employee of this organization, and I feel compelled to share my experience to shed light on some critical issues. While I initially believed I had found an ethical and supportive ABA therapy company, my perspective changed due to the administration's practices.

Firstly, I want to emphasize that the RBTs and BCBAs are dedicated professionals who genuinely care for their clients' well-being. They foster a family-like atmosphere among staff and clients alike. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the administration.

There is a noticeable lack of accountability and communication within the management. While they encourage staff to uphold high standards, voicing concerns can lead to retaliation, including defamation and efforts to undermine employees. I have witnessed serious safety issues within the facility, including unsanitary conditions and hazardous materials being accessible to children.

Furthermore, the administration claims to value their staff but fails to provide adequate benefits or support. Requests for raises are often met with pressure to switch to a 1099 status, which is inappropriate in our field. Additionally, the management has manipulated caregivers, threatening to remove effective therapists from cases under the guise of performance concerns.

As an RBT, my priority was always to provide the best possible service to help my clients achieve independence. I believe it is essential for any organization to operate with integrity, compassion, and respect, especially in the field of ABA therapy.

I hope my feedback will encourage the company to reflect on their practices and improve the working environment for both staff and clients.

Emery Martinez

Watson's ABA has been life changing for me and my family , my daughter has been receiving therapy for some time now and in a couple of months she has started to call me mom. The staff its been awesome and without the support of the administration I would have taken longer to start therapy for her. The staff is wonderful and I would recommend 100% this agency if you really want to help your child.

Ryan Flint

I truly couldn't imagine what our life would look like today compared to a year ago. My spouse and I decided to take a recommendation from one of our local parent support groups when we mentioned we were looking for ABA for one of our Kiddo's. We never heard about ABA before this, so you could imagine just how nerve wrecked we were but to our surprise all the fears we had, left at at the door the staff was beyond helpful, and that's not even mentioning the growth we've seen in our child! We've been recommending Watson's Way to EVERYONE we know, have shared our amazing story to all the parenting groups we're in! We are entirely grateful to the Watson Way Team! Thank You!!

tia lashea

I became a Registered Behavior Technician (RBT) in September 2021 without any prior knowledge of ABA, but I did have experience working with children. I started at a company where Eliana, who conducted my interview, worked. Although I was initially sent to a different facility, the company decided to close the school not long before Christmas. When the owner came around to hand out letters explaining the closure, I started worrying about how I would manage my bills. However, just before the new year began, Eliana, who is now the CEO of WWA, approached me with an opportunity to join her at Watson's Way. I have been working here for three years now and I absolutely love it! I have had the pleasure of working with some wonderful staff members, including RBTs, BCBAs, and the owners, and each one has taught me something new about this field. We are very supportive of one another, whether it's related to work or personal matters, and we also have fun during our daily sessions. Working at WWA has been amazing, as I've had the opportunity to witness the growth of our young clients and see them become independent superstars. It's incredibly rewarding to see parents tear up with joy as they witness the progress of their children, and to watch our nonverbal clients begin to speak. The relationships we build with these parents and clients are truly heartwarming.

Entering this field without any knowledge of ABA was quite nerve-racking, as I wasn't sure if I was doing things the right way. However, Eliana and other staff members were there to train and support me. While working here, Eliana, along with other BCBAs and RBTs, encouraged me to start school, and I'm grateful to them because that was one of the best decisions I've made. The staff here has been incredibly supportive and has helped me while I've been in school. I can always call or text anyone for help or feedback with assignments before turning them in. They are supportive not only of my work and education but also personally when I need it. I love my job and the staff I work with, but my favorite part of the job is changing families' lives and witnessing the growth of our little ones here at Watson's Way ABA!

Jada Cox

Unprofessional and horrible with communication.
My son has been getting services from Watsons since 2022 and I haven’t noticed any change or difference in him. This has been nothing but a waste of time and energy, I wish I would’ve looked elsewhere a long time ago.

Sara Pena

The staff is wonderful and they offer Bilingual therapy, this agency is committed to help the children they provide therapy to. The dedication and passion that my son's staff works with him is truly admirable.

Deanna Winfrey

(Response to your response)

I was going to leave this alone and walk away but
That was a far reach when you say my honest review is “hatred” it’s just honesty unlike your very dishonest responses to me trying to make yourself look like an angel on google.

I checked my phone logs and the last communication you had with me was September 1st 2023 at 3:33 p.m. and you called me back because I had someone approach me about some concerns they had about your center. From my understanding you did take care of that situation and I thank you for that, but I initiated the text and got a thank you from you and that was the end of it . Then you called me at 8:30 pm on Thursday August 15th 2024 about my review. My main concern in my review was your lack of communication. All I wanted was communication about what was going on with my child’s RBT situation at the center. His safety is our number one priority.

My son’s BCBA and RBT were AMAZING! I couldn’t ask for better for him. But the owners had zero communication with me the entire year and a half we attended this therapy center. They took my son’s usually RBT off his case out of nowhere and caused huge regression in my son’s progress. They couldn’t care less and our BCBA had to fight hard to get our other RBT back.

The center never bothered to notify me when it came time for her to leave. Thank God we had good communication with his therapist but some communication from the center would’ve been nice. I had to last minute decide to remove my child from this center due to the lack of communication they have with me about who his RBT would be (none at all). We can’t put our son with any Random RBT because he can be aggressive and safety training is required for my son. They also didn’t care about this when we had a different RBT for a month.

I would not recommend this company due to lack of communication. The only people I ever spoke to at the center were our RBT and BCBA. Again, I’m so grateful for both of them and their communication with me because If it weren’t for them telling me his RBT’s last week was this week I’d show up on Monday morning to a new RBT after we’ve made it VERY clear that my son will have major regression if that were to happen again...

They also don’t fix the AC in a timely manner when it seems to go out on a regular basis. Also before they had the new lobby we’d pick up in the suite across from it and you could clearly see the place is falling apart. As a parent looking in it is VERY clear the owner’s do not have these kids best interest as a priority.

A Jay

Watsons way has been the angels sent from above that I needed at thee exact time I needed them. I have 2 severly autistic twin grand child and felt completely lost . I met Elaina and I believe God put her in my path for a reason because her kidness, generosity and lets face it (angel wings) have blessed my grand children and myself with hope that I was desperately losing. I LOVE YOU ALL THERE . and so do my grand babies O.F and D.F XOXOOXOOXOOXOXO