Psycho-Babble Psychology Thread 566855

Shown: posts 1 to 16 of 16. This is the beginning of the thread.

 

Daisy others: working with kids with special need

Posted by orchid on October 14, 2005, at 14:09:33

I have a question for Daisy and others who work with kids with special needs.

Can you provide some info on what you do? Is it very expensive to do it? How do you manage the funds?

I am thinking of doing something useful when I break from my career. I am planning to be jobless atleast for a few months. Maybe do something on a very small scale - maybe 5 kids to 10 kids or so with special needs. Like maybe a school. Not sure if I am serious, or I will have enough resources to do it, but just a thought. Are kids happier when they come to these places? Or is it better for them to be in regular schools with other kids?

 

Re: Daisy others: working with kids with special need

Posted by happyflower on October 14, 2005, at 21:57:32

In reply to Daisy others: working with kids with special need, posted by orchid on October 14, 2005, at 14:09:33

Hi Orchid,
I am glad you are thinking about helping others, that is very nice and a way to make yourself feel good too.
I do know working with special needs kids takes a ton of patience. Heck, working with normal kids talkes a ton of patience. Usually these kids need a lot of care, sometimes physical care. 5-10 kids are a lot if they are not special needs. I would think more like 1 or 2 would be appropriate. Just some advice from a parent though, if you don't have experience with kids like this, I wouldn't probably hire you to work with my kids if they were special needs. This is a very specialize area that needs experience to work in. Maybe you could check out a school or a center to gain some experience first. Good luck! I hope you find something to fill your heart! :)

 

Re: Daisy others: working with kids with special need » orchid

Posted by daisym on October 15, 2005, at 20:33:32

In reply to Daisy others: working with kids with special need, posted by orchid on October 14, 2005, at 14:09:33

I think it is great you want to work with kids. Do you mean day-care? Or teaching?

We get our funding from the feds, the state and a lot of begging. Services are free to parents. Most of my staff have master's degrees or are licensed therapists of some sort. We do use volunteers within some of our play groups.

Working with sn kids is hard...and they sometimes die. But when a 2 year finally takes steps towards his mother, it is sooo worth it. I have one little girl who doesn't speak. We helped her learn how to use a touch box. When her dad walked in the room, she touched the box that said, "I love you, dad." He cried. We all cried.

Good luck.

 

Re: Daisy others: working with kids with special need » orchid

Posted by terrics on October 17, 2005, at 10:18:10

In reply to Daisy others: working with kids with special need, posted by orchid on October 14, 2005, at 14:09:33

I am a nurse and have been working with special needs kids for about 15 years. It can be rewarding but as daisy said some kids die. If you can think that you gave a child something special the saddness that you feel when a child dies is a little bit less. I think that the best way to get some experience is to work in a school setting as a teacher's assistant. It is not hard to get this type of job; at least not in NY. Good luck. terrics

 

Re: Daisy others: working with kids with special need » happyflower

Posted by orchid on October 17, 2005, at 15:03:20

In reply to Re: Daisy others: working with kids with special need, posted by happyflower on October 14, 2005, at 21:57:32

Thanks HF.

I like your advice. Maybe I should first do some voluntary work in an organization before I think of something like this.

Maybe then I will come to know if I atleast like to do it. It is something to dream of it, but yet another thing to actually do it. I might end up not liking it also or maybe it will be too draining or emotionally taxing.

Let me see. Thanks for your advice.

 

Re: Daisy others: working with kids with special need » daisym

Posted by orchid on October 17, 2005, at 15:13:05

In reply to Re: Daisy others: working with kids with special need » orchid, posted by daisym on October 15, 2005, at 20:33:32

Hi Daisy,
I always had this idea of working with kids. But I don't know what exactly I want to do. Teach or play with them or run an institution for them - I don't know what I want to do.

Plus I don't like to beg for money from other people. I just don't like it. In my country, I don't think it is easy to get funds either.

Even if it is on an extremely small scale, I want to start something which will sustain itself, or which I can pay for. I don't want to ask others for money or help.

I can see the emotional reward that you get. It must be really worth it.

Actually I am not even thinking of doing it for the emotional reward or fulfillment. I actually love solving problems and giving free advice and thinking about issues and coming up with ideas [ even if they are wrong ] (as you might have noticed from my posts :-)). I just really enjoy doing it. And I enjoy being with kids. So my main aim is to deal with challenging kids and think of a way to solve their issues and help them develop into great personalities.

But you are right about their dying sometimes. I wonder if I have the mental strength to take it.

 

Re: Daisy others: working with kids with special need » terrics

Posted by orchid on October 17, 2005, at 15:17:40

In reply to Re: Daisy others: working with kids with special need » orchid, posted by terrics on October 17, 2005, at 10:18:10

Thanks Terrics.

I will look into that.

 

I think I should shelve the idea

Posted by orchid on October 17, 2005, at 19:27:18

In reply to Re: Daisy others: working with kids with special need » terrics, posted by orchid on October 17, 2005, at 15:17:40

I don't know anything about kids.

And I haven't done any voluntary work before.

What if I mess up a child with my inexperience and my mental health issues?

And what difference am I going to make anyway? There are plenty of more skilled people available.

 

Re: I think I should shelve the idea

Posted by Pfinstegg on October 18, 2005, at 1:25:22

In reply to I think I should shelve the idea, posted by orchid on October 17, 2005, at 19:27:18

Working with children in some way sounds like something you might really like. I think trying out a volunteer job at either a regular pre-school, or one for special needs children, would help you find that out. From what you have written here, you have everything you need- empathy, kindness, caring and interest. And a very good, open-minded brain that learns quickly! The children will let you know what they need from you, and you would have experienced teachers/therapists to learn from.

It might be a very exciting thing to do! And you obviously have
excellent corporate skills, and can return to your previous work easily if you decide to do that.

 

Re: I think I should shelve the idea » orchid

Posted by terrics on October 18, 2005, at 6:40:38

In reply to I think I should shelve the idea, posted by orchid on October 17, 2005, at 19:27:18

Orchid, We all start somewhere. As far as I know I personally haven't messed any kids up because I treat them with alot of affection. I am also messed up as I believe most of us at psyhco-b. are. So what. These kids are worth it. If you try and it is the right thing for you, you might feel wonderful for adding to there lives. terrics

 

Re: I think I should shelve the idea » Pfinstegg

Posted by orchid on October 18, 2005, at 19:36:59

In reply to Re: I think I should shelve the idea, posted by Pfinstegg on October 18, 2005, at 1:25:22

Thanks Pfinstegg for the encouragement and the compliments :-)

I am quite scared of taking up that commitment now. And I also don't have any clue how to start or what the good places are etc. There is probably too much of politics in some of the organizations in my place also.

And I don't also know if I am really interested. Let me see. I am becoming too hesitant to explore the possibilities.

 

Re: I think I should shelve the idea » terrics

Posted by orchid on October 18, 2005, at 19:38:46

In reply to Re: I think I should shelve the idea » orchid, posted by terrics on October 18, 2005, at 6:40:38

That is a good view point. Maybe all I need to do is to give some affection and don't have to be all professional.

But I have started having too much of hesitations in considering it or even trying it. Don't know where to start.

But I will think about it. Thanks.

 

Re: I think I should shelve the idea » orchid

Posted by Tamar on October 19, 2005, at 17:33:11

In reply to I think I should shelve the idea, posted by orchid on October 17, 2005, at 19:27:18

> I don't know anything about kids.
>
> And I haven't done any voluntary work before.
>
> What if I mess up a child with my inexperience and my mental health issues?
>
> And what difference am I going to make anyway? There are plenty of more skilled people available.

It seems to me that you have a lot to give. You’re a very caring person and you clearly have good problem-solving skills (which is always useful when you’re dealing with special needs kids).

It doesn’t matter that you don’t know much at the moment… if you decide to volunteer somewhere you will be able to pick up the necessary skills.

I think it’s very hard to start your own organization, but there are many that already exist and are doing good work. If you work in that kind of environment for a while you might find you want to specialize in a particular area (working with kids with cerebral palsy, perhaps, or orphans, or kids with mental disabilities… whatever you find you have an aptitude for). And maybe once you have some experience you can think about setting up a new organization, if that’s what you want to do.

If this is an idea that really appeals to you, I don’t think you should be discouraged from trying it. It’s hard work, but it can be extremely rewarding. (My sister-in-law does something similar, so I’ve seen how rewarding she finds it.) I think you’d do a great job. It takes a lot of love but the great thing about love is that it costs nothing and there’s no limit to it…

Tamar

 

What if I mislead? » Tamar

Posted by orchid on October 19, 2005, at 17:43:40

In reply to Re: I think I should shelve the idea » orchid, posted by Tamar on October 19, 2005, at 17:33:11

Thanks Tamar.

I will definitely look into it.

The thing I am most worried about is - what if I mislead a kid? What if I make the kid like me and make the kid to grow up in a wrong way? I am not a happy person, so I am very concerned about imparting wrong influence on a kid. Atleast adults will be able to make out the good or the bad from what I say.

I shouldn't harm in the name of doing good right?

 

Re: What if I mislead? » orchid

Posted by Tamar on October 19, 2005, at 19:35:17

In reply to What if I mislead? » Tamar, posted by orchid on October 19, 2005, at 17:43:40

Hi Orchid,

> The thing I am most worried about is - what if I mislead a kid? What if I make the kid like me and make the kid to grow up in a wrong way? I am not a happy person, so I am very concerned about imparting wrong influence on a kid. Atleast adults will be able to make out the good or the bad from what I say.
>
> I shouldn't harm in the name of doing good right?

Well, I find it hard to imagine that a kid could grow up in the wrong way just from liking you! It’s true you could have a great deal of influence over kids, but I really think that if you get some experience of working with kids you will find the skills you need to help them grow up in the right way!

And I also think you are an inherently good person, so any attention and love you give to a kid would be a good thing, right?

Of course, everyone makes mistakes. Parents make mistakes; teachers make mistakes; care workers make mistakes. But it’s not the end of the world… and children do need to learn that the world isn’t perfect. I guess it’s a question of degree.

I wonder if your concerns about this are coloured by your own childhood, in which your father made mistakes that were not simply mistakes but actually constituted abuse. If you’re worried about the long term effects of mistakes, I would say that most mistakes that people make are not deeply traumatic for children, unless they’re repeated over and over (or unless they actually constitute abuse).

I really think that you have a lot to offer and that if you decide to work with kids you’ll bring a lot of happiness to their lives.

Tamar

 

Re: What if I mislead? » Tamar

Posted by orchid on October 20, 2005, at 15:03:58

In reply to Re: What if I mislead? » orchid, posted by Tamar on October 19, 2005, at 19:35:17

Thanks Tamar for the encouragement.

I think what you said is true. Part of my fear is also clouded little bit by my own childhood. But I think I won't have any influence on a kid as my father did on me - because I won't be spending as much time with them. So it might not be all that bad.

Actually I have usually been very good with kids so maybe it will be ok. I will try it if I get a chance definitely.

Thanks again!!


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