Raikeeeze's Adventures: July 2006

Raikeeeze's Adventures: July 2006

Another day, at Camp War Eagle. I've been working as a nanny this session for some of the permanent staff kids and have had the oppotunity to work with a little girl who has Autism. I never thought I could be one of those people who enjoyed work with disabled children, but come to find out, I am. I enjoy solving problems, and working with a little 5 year old who has the mental functioning of a 1 1/2 year old is definitely a challenge. She can't talk the way I talk, instead, her language is a mixture of sounds and noises (i.e. eh, ah, kis, etc.) But each sound has a meaning, and each meaning is important to her. She loves it when people talk to her in her own language, even though all they can do is repeat what she says.

Despite her disabilities, she is truly a special child. It has been a joy to watch her grow and explore at camp from the feeling of sand inbetween her toes, to the smell of horses, to me helping her complete a front roll in the gymnastics center. I can tell that she is taking in everything and it is all being logged into a special part of her mind. It is a good reminder for me that I need to continue to live each day with that kind of excitement. I need to enjoy life and take everything in because I will never have another day like today.