33yrs

female

Speaks English, Spanish

I have had a decent amount of experiences caring for people with special needs. Growing up, I was a member of Partner's club at my school. Partner's club was a club which involved a group of regular education children doing activities and going on outings with the special needs children. I enjoyed that so much that during my senior year of high school I took a Partner's physical education class in which we worked with the special needs class and helped them with their physical education. I worked as a lifeguard and swim instructor as well when I was in high school. I taught private lessons to a young girl who was autistic and by the end of the session, although it was somewhat of a challenge she had learned to swim on her own. I am a very outgoing person and I have a lot of compassion for working with others, especially those with special needs. I believe that it is important to care for people on not only a physical level such as taking them to and from school or activities but on a spiritual and emotional level as well. I believe it is important to help people with special needs see that they are no different than those around them, to find their strengths and encourage them to focus on those strengths. As a person who has worked with people of all ages, both special needs and what some would consider "normal", nothing can beat the feeling I get when I see a smile on someone's face. I've also had many friends that have siblings with Autism and I've spent a great deal of time with them. I'm currently working as a 1:1 LPN with a middle school student providing assistance with both medical care and academics. I really believe that both showing people that I care through actions, affirmations and consistency is vital for forming trusting relationships and helping people to be the best versions of themselves.