Profile of
Miriam S.
Full-Time,
1
Year
of Experience
I have recently had multiple children put into my care with different disorders. I never expected to acquire so much experience with special needs kids, but now that I have I have learned that I love it! I cared for a blind teenage girl for three days and nights helping her with everything including walking, showering, bathroom runs, eating, singing and dancing. I also have cared for an infant boy who has what I think is called Nystagmus. Occasionally everything goes out of focus to him and he has to shake he head violently to put things back into focus. His eyes are also constantly moving back and forth very quickly (shaking almost). He has the prettiest eyes. I like to think that they are dancing. =) I have a cousin who is autistic. While I have not cared for him during long amounts of time, I have been around him a lot and have learned about the way the thinks and views things. When I was little he used to try and pull my hair out, because he pulls his own out. I never understood that until I was older haha. He is so precious. I have cared for other children who were allergic to peanuts. Surprisingly, I found a lot of things have peanut oil or some form of peanut in them. I had to read the ingredients carefully. I never cared for these two children, but I met them and had an interview with their grandmother... they had extreme allergies to pretty much any type of leaf or grass. During the interview I was taught about their different kinds of medicines and the cream that has to be applied to their bodies. Although I did not take that job, I was prepared to provide the proper care for them, and still would be if needed. I also have cared for a young teenage girl who had ADHD and Dyslexia. She was trying to graduate from middle school but had to retake the TAKS test. I got to learn how hard math was for her and why it was hard for her. Geometry is a killer with Dyslexia and ADHD. She is such a trooper, she has dyslexia and still she reads five or six books every summer! She was very inspiring. I love caring for special needs children. It is hard to explain, but I have this fascination with how they operate and think. They words, their movements, their habits, their interests...are often very different, and it intrigues me to learn about them and get to know them. For example, when I was caring for the blind girl I know, we were at a camp and their was balloons everywhere. One barely touched her leg, and immediately she knew what it was without anyone even mentioning their being balloons to her. We also did this dance with moving called "lean of me".... and I was privileged to teach her the hand motion and then do the dance with her later that day. These things just filled me up with so much joy and love for her. I don't know why, but I don't like the term "special needs" very much. These kids who have disorders or who are a little bit different than other people...they are so special. But often they don't need all that much than the rest of us do. The rest of us need guidance, patience, love, discipline, nourishment, attention, a friend... so really the needs are the same (apart from medicines maybe)... they are MORE special than the rest of us, but not more needy. =) All my experience has thus far been volunteer, so I have not had any paid experience.
Related Hobbies and Interests
Coloring, parks, singing and dancing, and listening to people.
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