My Work with Developmentally Disabled Preschoolers
One of the most satisfying jobs I’ve had in my life is working with developmentally disabled preschoolers. These are kids that range from the ages of 3–5.
This is my current line of work.
The kids I work with have disabilities that range from Autism and Downs Syndrome, to those that are behind in their speech, lacking in motor skills, and those who are medically fragile.
The medically fragile kids often have brain injuries due to childhood trauma, pregnancy and birth issues, to Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and much more.As a paraeducator for our local school district for the past 10+ years, one of the students I’ve had the pleasure of working with was a 3-year-old blind boy. I was with him until he graduated preschool and went to kindergarten. His mom and I became friends and even socialized together. This was a child that was not expected to live due to all the other physical anomalies that he is dealing with. Currently he is in 7th grade. He and his family were the best and we formed a great bond.
Another student I had was a boy with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. He was very sweet and constantly wanted to climb. I couldn’t take my eyes off him for a second. As his para, I was often his jungle gym as he climbed all over me. He was exhausting but a pleasure as well. His favorite thing was a thin long slice of paper or tissue. He loved the flapping movement. Anything that made a funny sound would make him giggle. He was being raised by grandma and grandpa. Dad was MIA and mom was in prison. These are the kids that are the most challenging mentally to work with because their disorders are the result of family circumstances.
My latest childhood wonder (and I mean wonder) was a boy that had no use of his hands and wasn’t able to walk. This child scooted on his bottom to get around. He did everything the other kids did. Watching him climb up the stairs on the play equipment using only his bottom and legs was fascinating. He painted, played in the water table and sand table with his foot. He loved playdoh. We…
0 Comments