Special Needs Kids

[tallulah]

I just got a job helping a family friend with listening therapy for developmentally delayed 4 year old twins (mentally around 2). I had my first day today and I've never had any experience working with special needs kids. I didn't expect it to be nearly as intense or draining as it was. Anybody have any experience or advice??? I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to continue this if I have a reaction like this every day. I'm completely depleted and trying to decide whether I can go on with this, so any advice would be much appreciated. :collapse:

[Xander67]

well, I can tell you, you will neeed alot of patience. these kids will require special treatmemt I will send you my Energy! I helped with the special olympics, (My Lodge does this every year in Philly)
the Kids are great, and each of them has needs which are unique... and then on top of that, the needs change from day to day .

Good luck!

[Xander67]

I see you are into Robotics...

See if the kids are interested... there are some neat projects.

[LadyTrinity]

Special kids need more time and patience and if u want to work helping them you will need to learn that its about them. You are making a difference in there lives. Dont look at it as a job. It will be rewarding! Your a wonderful person for doing the work you do. :yourock:

[Sowelu]

Special kids need more time and patience and if u want to work helping them you will need to learn that its about them. You are making a difference in there lives. Dont look at it as a job. It will be rewarding! Your a wonderful person for doing the work you do. :yourock:
I agree!
My mother took care of a woman who was the same age as her (around 46-47) but her mentality was that of a 5 year old. My children and I bonded with her...she'd get so excited when we would come over to visit.
I do miss her!!!!!

[frigga]

Careing for others can take a lot out of you. I used to work in nursing homes and it's kind of the same. Try a new way of drawing energy, I like to call it circulating and learned it in hands on healing books. Most people gather energy like you'd fill a cup. You go and fill it up and when it starts running low, you fill it back up again. In circulating, your the water pump, you give the water needed, and automatically restock to full for the next time. It takes practice but it really helps and you never get drained or depleated! May be that will help?

[Lady Jade]

It takes a lot out of you to care for disabled people, whether it be mental or physical disability. I did that sort of work very early on, I was 18, I could not continue to do it. I worked for a private group home for severely mentally handicapped adult men.

Their needs are so different from one person to the next and it does drain you. Some people can take that, I could not. The job itself is rewarding, but you may not be able to give it 100% for very long. Someone here said not to view it as a job, and that outlook will help you maintain the necessary frame of mind for success in this type of work.

I will keep you in my thoughts, maybe after a couple of weeks, things will seem not so draning on your energy. Good Luck!

[Xander67]

One thing that I can deffinately say helps...... and this helps both the caregiver as well as the patient.

ARTs and Crafts, do help. Robotics are good I think. If this is something you enjoy, then you can share this with them, they will see your enthusiasm and it gives them a chance to use thier hands and thier minds. Just a thought ... It also gives you a chance to do what you enjoy doing while you help kids.

[Gebo]

I have worked with both children and adults with disabilities. I was in the field for around seven years including mentoring work done in high school. Each child requires something different. You must look at it as a puzzle almost. A lot of times there is such a level of frustration from the kids because they try extremely hard at what they do. Often, there is a communication error along the way. Basicly you have to try different things. A few examples: I worked with a child that would not ever brush his teeth, although he talked about being clean constantly and was afraid of germs. The parents and teachers were at wits end about it. You know why he didn't brush his teeth? He didn't like the toothpaste because it burned his mouth. He could not express to us that it hurt-only that he didn't like it. We changed toothpaste and he brushed right along with everyone else. Another child was always loud and even after getting in trouble or being reminded he would be yelling. A wonderful speech therapist came up with the idea of a remote. We taped an index card to a wooden block with three colored circles. It was volume control. The teachers or the other students could use the remote and point it at him to let him know he needed to lower his volume. The teacher had the authority to mute him for a short (key word is short-to allow the student to succeed) time also with the remote. He hated being told to be quiet all the time, but he responded greatly to an index card and wooden block. It was a visual reminder-not someone yelling at him. Also the peers being able to use it was great! Get creative! It can be intimidating and frustrating and I won't lie, some days your heart will break. I truly believe though, that without the work I have done and the people that I met along the way, I would be nowhere near this far in my spiritual path. Seeing life through their eyes really does help. You are not doing your job-you are touching someone's life. It is ok if you don't know the answer or the way to help, it only matters that you don't give up. So many times kids are left to the school system because someone ran out of ideas. I hope this helps and please, if you need any suggestions or just want to vent (without breaking confidentiality obviously)-I am here anytime.
:hugz:

[Pesha]

One summer I worked as a camp nurse for special needs kids. It was both very satisfing and extremly depleting. They have such beautiful souls. They see the world so very differently then we do. I loved every minuet of it. I posted back to you in the Bunker as to how tohelp with the over load hun.

BB
DS.

[Rua]

Im studying to be a special education teacher so i know how hard it can be sometimes. But it is soooo rewarding!! Stick with it! if you want to chat, im here.