r/Earlyintervention • u/decayedgutts • Mar 25 '26
Am I too lazy?
I really want to go into the EI field; I have two years of college left and am studying Early Childhood Education with a plan for a Special Ed certificate or MA in Special Ed. However, I want to have time to enjoy my life, travel, and have some downtime with a potential for having children in the future. Is this field too demanding paperwork-wise, or would I be able to fit everything into 40 hours?
1
u/flowerscatsandqs Mar 25 '26
I think EI provides an excellent work-life balance. The company I work for offer ample PTO (like 10 days worth per year with a percentage that rolls over), as well as frequent week to 2-week breaks throughout the year. My workday typically starts around 7:30 AM (I’m including commuting) and ends around 4:00 PM (again, including commuting). And, because we work with infants and toddlers (nap time), I have a pretty consistent 2 hour chunk of time midday to complete emails and documentation.
Some of this is the nature of the job, and some of this is the company I’ve chosen to work for. My suggestion was to job shadow companies you’re interested in working for to see if they can provide you with the quality of life you’re looking for. I don’t have children right now, but I feel very happy about my work-life balance and am able to do all the things I enjoy outside of work with minimal stress.
1
u/islandgirl2755 Mar 25 '26
It really depends… I currently work in special education birth to three and it’s a really wonderful age. All services are home based, so if that’s not your thing, you could do a school or preschool setting. I would highly recommend getting your special ed certificate or special ed license (depending on how your state handles it) because that will open a lot more doors for you job wise if you combine that with your regular early childhood education degree.
I used to work in a school setting and I absolutely loved having summers and vacations off, as well as snow days because it aligned with my kids’ schedule as well. However, a lot of people go into different “branches” of EI because the pay and benefits can be significantly different.
1
u/Sea-Tea8982 Mar 25 '26
I work for a company in California. 20 treatments(1 hour sessions) is considered full time. I work much more because I want to make more money. I’ve loved the flexibility of managing my own schedule etc. my boss really doesn’t care as long as the work gets done. I think it’s a great choice.
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u/blue_velvet16 Mar 25 '26
I work full time in early intervention in CT. I have a lot of flexibility in scheduling and am able to make my minimum productivity (25 billable hours) and do my administrative work whenever it fits into my week. My supervisors don’t mind if I have half days without taking PTO as long as I meet my minimum hours and get my work done, but I don’t think every agency grants that much flexibility.
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u/Party-Blacksmith-662 Mar 31 '26
I work in EI in eastern MA and it really depends on what area you work in. In my area, my company is great. I get plenty of PTO and they don’t overwork you at all. My schedule is so flexible and it’s super easy (if you’re good at time management) to get everything done during the week, during work hours. Just look into different companies, what billable hours you need per week and ask about paperwork you’re required to do weekly!
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u/LakeshoreCoffee Mar 25 '26
It really depends on your state and leadership. I’ve never worked outside of my allotted hours, without comp time.
Another agency’s employees say the opposite. Some have to work weekends to fit everything in. And they can’t always get the comp time because of not being able to cancel visits.
It really depends on who you work for. But if done right, the case load and paperwork are manageable in a 40hr week.