From OTA to BCBA: Christy Mose’s Interdisciplinary Journey
Q&A with Christy Mose, COTA, BCBA
Occupational therapy practitioners often bring a unique lens to the environments where they work—seeing the whole person, the context around them, and the underlying factors influencing participation. For Christy Mose, that perspective became the foundation for an unexpected professional journey.
Christy began her career as a paraprofessional in schools, later becoming a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant (COTA). Along the way, her passion for supporting students with behavioral challenges led her to pursue additional education in applied behavior analysis (ABA), ultimately becoming a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA). Today, she leverages both disciplines to support students in ways that blend behavioral science with occupational therapy’s holistic approach.
In this interview, Christy shares how her experiences in schools shaped her career path and how occupational therapy continues to influence her work.
Q: Tell us a little about yourself and how your journey toward becoming a COTA led you to the work you do now.
Before going back to school, I spent about ten years at home raising my four kids. When my youngest started kindergarten, I wanted something flexible that would still allow me to be home when they were home, so I started subbing as a paraprofessional in my local school district.
My very first student had a diagnosis of emotional disturbance. The plan was for me to work with him for a few weeks until an opening became available at an alternative school. During that time, I was able to support him enough that his behaviors improved and he was able to remain in his general education setting. They kept asking me to stay longer, and eventually I realized they were going to need to hire me.
That experience is really what launched my career in the schools.
An occupational therapist I worked with encouraged me to go back to school to become a COTA. I resisted for a couple of years, but eventually I decided she was right. I loved working in the schools and wanted to be able to do more for the students I was supporting.
I completed my program and became a COTA working in school-based practice—and I absolutely loved it. Being able to support students in the environment where they spend most of their day felt incredibly meaningful.
Q: You mentioned that many of the students with behavioral challenges seemed to find their way to you. What do you think contributed to that?
I think students who struggle with behavior often feel misunderstood or judged. I’ve always tried to be someone who sees the value in every student and who doesn’t hold their difficult moments against them.
Kids know when they’re safe with someone. They know when they can have a hard moment and the adult in the room isn’t going to respond with frustration or disappointment.
I’ve always tried to pay attention to the early signs that a student is becoming overwhelmed. For example, maybe a child starts tugging on their ears or showing subtle signs of frustration. If we can recognize those signals early and intervene, we can often prevent the situation from escalating.
That observational skill—really noticing the whole person—is something I attribute directly to my occupational therapy training.
Q: At what point did you become interested in applied behavior analysis (ABA)?
Honestly, I didn’t even know what ABA was when I first started practicing as a COTA.
I graduated in 2019, and then COVID hit shortly after. Suddenly we were doing occupational therapy on a screen, and I found myself with more time at home. I’ve always known I wanted to continue my education in some way, but I wasn’t sure what direction to go.
I loved working in pediatrics and in schools, but what I found myself most drawn to was behavior—understanding why students behaved the way they did and how we could better support them.
I started searching for programs related to behavior and eventually discovered ABA. Once I started taking courses, it really clicked for me. Many of the concepts aligned with things I had learned through my experience in occupational therapy, but ABA helped me understand the scientific framework behind why certain strategies work.
So I slowly worked through the coursework over several years, eventually completing a bachelor’s in autism studies and ABA and then a master’s degree in applied behavior analysis.
Q: How do your background in occupational therapy and ABA training complement each other?
They overlap more than people sometimes realize.
In ABA, everything we do is considered behavior. The key question is always why a behavior is
occurring—what function it serves for the individual.
My occupational therapy background gives me another lens to look through when asking that question. For example, if a student refuses to enter a particular room, is it because they want to avoid a task? Or is the environment overwhelming from a sensory perspective?
Because of my OT training, I can also recognize when sensory processing, executive functioning, or environmental factors may be contributing. I know how to modify a space or provide sensory supports that help regulate a student’s nervous system.
That combination allows me to analyze behavior while also addressing the underlying sensory or environmental needs.
Q: There can sometimes be tension between perceptions of Occupational Therapy and Applied Behavior Analysis. How has that influenced your work?
It absolutely influences how I practice.
I don’t think I fit the typical ABA mold, and that’s largely because of my occupational therapy background. Most of the behavior change techniques I use day-to-day actually come from my OT training.
OT brings a very holistic and human-centered perspective. We’re thinking about the environment, comfort, sensory input, and the student’s overall experience. It’s a more organic way of practicing.
ABA gave me the science behind behavior change, which has been incredibly valuable. But I still approach my work with that occupational therapy mindset of meeting the student where they are and supporting them in ways that feel natural and respectful.
Q: You’ve essentially created a unique professional role for yourself in schools. How did that come about?
When I first started pursuing my ABA certification, the requirements for supervision hours were very specific. A large portion of those hours needed to involve planning, analysis, and program development rather than direct student interaction.
As a COTA, most of my day was spent providing direct therapy, so I had to get creative.
I started taking on more of the behavioral cases in my building and began writing behavior plans and doing more behind-the-scenes work in addition to my occupational therapy-related responsibilities. For a while I was essentially working a job and a half—providing therapy during the day and completing behavior programming in the evenings.
Eventually I moved into a behavior coach role in another district, and once I completed my degree and certification, I transitioned into a full-time behavior analyst role in my original district.
So I didn’t necessarily create a brand-new position—but I did leverage my OT experience to move into a different but related line of work.
Q: What message would you want other occupational therapy practitioners—especially COTAs—to take away from your story?
I think the biggest takeaway is that the culture and mindset of occupational therapy can be valuable far beyond traditional roles in occupational therapy.
Our training teaches us to look at the whole person, to consider the environment, and to approach challenges with creativity and compassion.
That perspective is incredibly powerful, and it can be applied in many different settings and disciplines.
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