A sad story about autism

I am not sure why anyone would event think about sending a letter such as this on without maybe doing some research. I know for sure that most places try to make their environment an inclusive one. Schools and other programs want children with special needs to feel like they belong. So after reading this article I wanted to provide an article for people to be able to read and hopefully understand autistic children.

Here is the article with the letter to the parent of the autistic child
http://now.msn.com/letter-targeting-autistic-boy-causes-outrage#scpshrjwfbs

Here is some information on autism
http://autismsciencefoundation.org/what-is-autism

A teacher worth sharing!

What a great way to capture your students attention. These kids look forward to class everyday!!!!!

Almost done with the Internship...

As the last few days of my ASPIRE internship come to an end I find myself remembering all of the things I have gathered from being here. This was my first time trying an internship. It was quite the challenge. When you take an internship you can not expect it to be perfect all the time. I have gained many useful tips that I plan to take with me. In my time here I have also gained some valuable friends.

Last week was Camp Hope the largest project that I had been assigned. It was so fun to see all of the campers in action. While observing and also being a group leader there are some things I realized. My partner and I both had planned accordingly or so we thought. Just like any camp there were some mishaps along the way. Sometimes you can double and triple check your to-do list and still miss something. In this instance it was speakers for the laptop.

We both planned this project with the campers in mind. Since it is an all inclusive camp you have to be sure that the activities are available to everyone, not just the campers who do not have a disability. While thinking of these activities we decided to try a Disney theme. At the time this seemed like a good plan. However we had some participants who were older and uninterested in some of the activities.

Group activities seemed to go well. So did the ones that involved food, but who doesn't like food! Another problem that arose was not knowing the campers and the leaders very well. It was suggested that next year they hold a meet and greet before the camp starts. I think that is a wonderful idea. Some campers also said they would like to have a talent show. This is a great way to find common interests. It would also encourage them to work together.

When at the water park it seemed as if some of the volunteers did not want to be there. Sadly this will happen no matter where you go. Some people do not want to go they just do because someone else is making them. My worry was that the campers would go up into the kiddie section without a leader and then we could not see them. Next year if at all possible I would place more of the older adults with the young children to avoid running away and accidents.

There were also many POSITIVE results I felt. One activity was making newspaper cowboy hats. All of the campers seemed to love making their own and having it to take home. We also got lucky and the Sunrise Zoo let us take the campers there to see the animals. There are so many nice companies that donate their time to be sure that Camp Hope happens.

This year we were also able to have a koala come from hospice. This was a nice way to let the kids take pictures and just loosen up on the first day of camp. The only thing is if you plan to do something like this be sure to include a photography waiver.This way the parents will not be upset if a picture is taken of their child and or adult.

Campers were also asked to bring their own bagged lunch. When at the Cattle Congress during the week we did provide snacks and drinks when needed. McDonald's donated the orange soda and we had another thermos filled with cold water for the hot days. Another activity that seemed to go over well is the experiment with vinegar and baking soda. Campers mixed the two and then added food coloring to watch a volcano like bubbling start to happen.

I have walked away with many helpful tips and experience with children with and without disabilities and look forward to applying these skills in the future.

Aspire- Life of an intern

Well it is week six of being an intern. There are so many things I have learned. Being organized is one of them. Also being able to always take input when it is being given. When assigned a project there may be a certain way things are handled. I have had the privilege of working with children that have disabilities not only in classes, but on a one on one basis.

In the past two weeks we have also had some troubled youth come to the ranch. It was so nice to see them making connections with not only the horses, but the staff as well. A young man moved me with his story on Thursday. Last week the kids were able to paint a story on the horses. They were allowed to paint whatever they wished.

 He painted the horse two colors yellow and blue. There were two stick figures. One was all yellow and the other was half yellow half blue. He proceeded to explain to us that the blue meant sadness and the yellow meant happy. Apparently there was a person in his life who made him feel like he  could be happy again. So he painted himself at the very end with another yellow person. In the end they were both happy. It was so moving to hear his story and others as we continued our day.

On Friday we were able to take them riding. They were on a rotation. The first group would ride and the second would sit with myself and a few other volunteers and interns. We played horse bingo and also threw a ball that had random questions on it. It was meant to help them open up. I enjoyed this portion of classes as well because it gave them a chance to open up about things that may be bothering them.

Overall I have taken in a lot and hope to continue to do so. Classes will also be held this morning, but not with troubled youth. These classes are held for the children with disabilities in hopes that their joints may grow stronger and their fine motor skills.

Adventures in the Consignment Store!

Well I was at work yesterday and when we were about to close there were these twin brothers. I really enjoyed talking to them. It started with them asking me if  I knew what they were into. As I rang up the books with a theme that seemed to be jokes I said "yes." One of the brothers then proceeded to tell me a few jokes while I rang up the other brother. It was quite amusing. In fact as I rang them up I pictured Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum. They just had some of the expressions and loved to joke as did the cartoon characters.



Another fun thing was discussing eighties video games. The brothers continued to tell me about how the first ever video game high score was in Ottumwa, Iowa only thirty minutes from my hometown. They even had an old Donkey Kong ringtone. It was the highlight of my night to say the least. They were also excited about going to get Popeye's chicken. I would have to agree. It is quite delish. I hope to see them again. :P

Second Week at ASPIRE!

Well Monday was a fun day. I was able to take the mini horses to a church. There were about seven children all waiting to pet the horse. We took Cody with us and most of the time he just stood there. This was a smaller group so we were able to talk them about the horse. They asked questions about the mane and tail and his hooves. Each child got to use three different brushes and Cindy and I showed them the proper way to brush them. I also lead the child and Cody in a circle while they held the lead. I learned something new. Apparently when walking a pony or a horse you should not wrap the lead in circles. They prefer you to wrap them in a eight shaped pattern. This way if the horse decides to take off the lead will be easily let go and you will not get caught up and dragged by the horse. Tuesday I worked on the below poster board and put together the Horsemanship 101 binder with tabs.

Today, (Wednesday) has been a busy day as well. I started off finishing the Waterloo Days poster board for the parade. Also a few things for Camp Hope. We still need a d.j. I called today and left a message. I am also hoping to hear from the Northeast Iowa Saddle Club Association. I am hoping they could come speak for our Showing horses lesson during Horsemanship 101. The weather has also been affecting our lessons. Riding days have been cancelled constantly it seems thanks to rain. I will be helping with lessons on Thursday. Let's hope for no rain!

Here is a picture of the poster I did and a flyer for the upcoming Cowboy Breakfast!

Mini Angels Program

Today has been a wonderful one at ASPIRE. This morning myself and two other people took the miniature horses Pixie, and Cody to the Grundy Care Center. When we got there the elderly were waiting to pet and enjoy the horses. Who knew little ponies could bring so much joy? I was able to lead Pixie. She loved rubbing her head on my pants. The people reacted really well to the two "mini angels" as ASPIRE calls them. I hope to get to do this again. Maybe I will bring my mini horses from home to the care centers in Fairfield. Here are some pictures of the horses that went with us today! The first one is Cody and the second is Pixie.

                           


I have also been working hard on the Horsemanship 101 classes. We now have a steady schedule and are typing up and adding events to the courses. Sadly showing videos to the children will not work seeing as the equipment they have needs to stay in the best of shape. Time has also been an issue when planning  the schedules. I will keep you posted as we work towards our goal.