Draft #1

Differences Really aren’t that Different

            As far back as I can remember I have been passionate for helping individuals reach their full potential and make a difference in others lives. This has inspired me to become the person I am today and has had a major influence the career choice I have chosen to pursue. I first came to college hoping to one day be a Special Education teacher so that I could touch individuals lives through close personal relationships, but throughout my life I have had close relationships with people that have differences in all different age groups. Thinking about this after my first quarter at Ohio University I decided that I would switch my major to something that didn’t limit me to a specific age group but give me free range to help others in multiple different situations. This is why I chose the career of a Speech Language Pathologist, I still get to help those with differences but I can work with multiple different types of patients whether it be in a school, nursing home, or hospital; I can chose what I find most fitting. I am going to take you on a journey through the close life experiences that have shaped me into the person I am today and how they have influenced the way that I see the world.

            I have been around people who have developmental disabilities my entire life, one of the major exposures I had to this was my older Cousin Nathan. Nathan was supposed to be born a perfectly healthy and functional baby boy, but during the birthing process there were some complications that gave Nate a completely different way of life. Nate lived a life of never getting to take his first step, say his first word or even learn how to feed himself; myself being only a small child getting to meet Nate I only knew that he was not like me. But even as a little girl I noticed that everyone seemed to always have sympathy around him or think that he was less of a person because of his disabilities. After being told why Nate was the way he was I took it upon myself to try and make every time I had with him a memory and a little less painful for him. I came to find that laughter truly was the best medicine and if he were here today I’m sure he could vouch for this as well. So every day I came to visit whether it be singing him silly songs, make faces at his fish in the fish tank or putting on talent shows with my new tricks I learned in gymnastics he always had a smile on his face. My time with Nathan was cut very short I was only 12 years old when he passed away at age 17. Every time I think of him I get sad about the little time I got to know such a strong, courageous and loving person but the memories I made with him put a smile on my face. Every time I think of that gigantic ornery grin, I know that I made his days a little less stressful at times and even though he couldn’t verbally thank me for what I made a priority, I know he cherishes the memories we made together.

Going through this experience was a very difficult but I think rewarding time for me at a young age because it gave me appreciation for what I have and what kind of influence you, yourself can have on one particular individual. This experience also gave me a greater appreciation for my mom, she use to work in group homes with adults that had disabilities and then decided to go another direction and is currently an Early Intervention Specialist. She works with children from birth to three years old that have or seem to be on a spectrum of a disability. I don’t think that she could even come close to counting the hearts she has touched through her work and personal experiences. Seeing her interactions with others and following in her footsteps is one of the greatest honors I could truly be blessed with. You hear people say that they want to be just like their mom or their dad when they get older, but I have wanted to work with people who have disabilities my whole life all because of the impact she has had on me. When I was younger and my mom was working in the group home she used to bring over residents of the home to our house to go out for boat rides, we would all get on the boat and make a day of it. We always had such a great time; one of the residents was special though. His name was Joe and he had a disability called Down Syndrome, he was my mom’s best friend; which of course made him my best friend too. He always had the biggest smile on his face even if he wasn’t feeling that well and he was convinced that was a real genuine cowboy, he even wore a black cowboy hat every time we went out. Being around my mom and Joe was exactly like being around anyone else and their good friend, they talked, they laughed, they told each other stories, and thoroughly enjoyed each other’s company. This is when I realized that my mom was not only helping these individuals but she was also their friend, she wasn’t doing this job because she felt bad for them , she was doing it so that she could help them reach their highest goals and aspirations they had. She truly loves everyone of the people who she reaches out to and they all truly love her, I can’t remember the number of times we have just gone to grocery stores, and whether it be the cashier or a shopper; they know her name and say I can’t thank you enough for what you have done for my brother, sister, son, daughter, the list goes on and on. I have always aspired to be just like her and every day I am taking steps to become closer to that goal.

            When my mom switched from working with adults who have disabilities to children I was finally old enough to get involved. I would say it was about 5^th grade when I started to get into the volunteer work at my mom’s school, E.S. Weiant. My mom and her helpers had this activity everyday called playgroup, where 2 ½ year olds would come in and interact with each other, every chance I could I was there to help and play with all of the children. At age 12, one day I was in the therapy room with one of the kids and I had a pen and paper and I was writing down how many full words and speech sounds the child was making and reported it back to my mom. This is when both I and my mom knew that one day my profession would be something along the lines of helping individuals, no going to lie though I did switch what I wanted to do an awful lot. First I wanted to be an Early Intervention Specialist like my mom, then I wanted to be an Occupational Therapist like my aunt, and once I hit 7^th grade I was for sure going to be a Special Education Teacher and there was nothing that was going to change my mind about that and this idea stuck until I was a Freshman here at Ohio University. The reason Special Education was so stuck in my mind was due to a babysitting service I opened up at my mom’s work for individuals who had children with disabilities on my mom’s case loads. I had three main children who I sat for, two who had Down Syndrome and one who was autistic. For those of you who may not know “Down syndrome is a chromosomal condition that is associated with intellectual disability, a characteristic facial appearance, and weak muscle tone (hypotonia) in infancy”(Genetics Home Reference). Autism is a different type of disorder, there are actually five known type of autism spectrum disorders and usually through evaluations you find that spectrum that meets the symptoms; autism in general is a “brain-based disorders that affect a person’s behavior as well as social and communication skills” (Autism Science Foundation).

The names of the children I watched were Jordan, Justice and Grant. I loved working with them and creating that close bond with them, I would follow things that had been written on their Individual Education Plan and tried to help them work on specific skills they were struggling with. I became especially close to Jordan, she had Down syndrome but sure does know how to light up a room with her smile. I started watching Jordan when she was 2 years old and continued up until she was 7, I have watched Jordan form her first sentences, taught her how to swim and even experienced her first try at cheerleading. She is a real go getter and everything that she has put her mind to she has achieved. She is now 10 and is on the Y.M.C.A. swim team, she also cheerleads for her middle school. It’s funny because you don’t think going into it, that someone so little can have such a huge impact on your life, but in some ways I think she has helped me more than I have helped her. She is the most confident person (sometimes a little too much) and she doesn’t see a limit to anything she puts her mind to. I find her so inspiring, she is so comfortable in her own skin and with who she is that I am jealous! This is a perfect example of my favorite quote that my mother told me when I was younger and it has always stayed with me “People with disabilities are people with possibilities”. Just because someone has a disability does not mean they are limited, a lot of the time they are more care free, charismatic, goal driven, and even a lot of the times happier than us typical people. Watching these kids grow up and transfer into the inspiring and touching people they are today has literally helped me see the good in a lot more things than the bad. No matter what the obstacle or challenge it could always be worse and they showed me that through dedication and support anyone and everyone can make it through anything.