Week Five Theme (sorry it's a little late!)

(names have been changed) 

When I moved to the Bangor area from home over a year ago, my sister set me up with a job at a place called Catch A Falling Star. I knew that this place was a childcare center for children who had behavioral problems. This place was in a group setting, but each child worked one-on-one with a specific worker.
I had no idea then how much I'd love it.
I thought it was just a gig. Something better then a retail job. But I honestly had no experience working with kids, nonetheless ones who had behavioral problems. My sister told me that most of them had Autism Spectrum Disorders. I was extremely nervous about this job.
Little did I know that it'd change my career path forevermore.
I can vividly remember my first day. A coworker first introduced me to a little boy named Andrew. Andrew said hello to me by touching my neck and mumbling. He had huge, blue-green eyes that were filled with emotions that I could tell were there, even if he couldn't share them.
I don't know if I'll ever forget that first meeting.
Before working here, I really didn't know much about Autism. I assumed that it was a mental health disorder, like mental retardation or down syndrome. I was wildly incorrect. I learned quickly that most people who have Autism are just as intelligent as a "normal" person, if not more intelligent.
Now it's been over a year since I've been employed there, and I learn more and more every single day.
A normal day at Catch a Falling Star is probably an abnormal day for someone who isn't used to it.
From 8 in the morning to noon, I work with William. William is two years old, and he's quite literally all over the place. He's developmentally delayed and may never speak clearly like you or I can. He doesn't understand much (on top of already being very young). He can say 'yes' and 'no' but most everything else is sounds and pointing.
It's stressful, to say the least. When he's not running around knocking things over and touching things that he shouldn't, he is stealing toys from other kids and laughing. Some days it's extremely hard to not get overwhelmed.
Sam, a little boy with a mood disorder, has a rough day almost every day. This day was worse then usual. William just watched with is big blue eyes as Sam rolled around on the floor, screaming and biting himself. When the smallest things went wrong, Sam responded violently. Sometimes he would kick or bite the woman who worked one-on-one with him, but usually he would bite himself on the arm or the hand. His mood was like a light switch. One minute, he'd be happy, and the next minute, he'd be acting like this.
William and I played with some age-appropriate puzzles in the next room and gave Sam his space.
 This happened every morning.
Throughout the four hours that I'm with William, he usually participates in group activities with the other kids. They will watch educational videos, do arts and crafts and work on their alphabet and numbers. In the morning, Catch a Falling star is a developmental preschool for children like William who have fallen behind in some way.
In the afternoon, I work with a boy named Nathan. Nathan is seven and has Asperger's Syndrome, anxiety and ADHD. He has low self-esteem and a horrible temper. He's also one of the smartest children I've ever met. He's like a sponge. He retains an unbelievable amount of knowledge for someone who is 7.
The afternoon program is for older kids after school.
Andrew, the little boy that I first met working there, still attends in the afternoon. Of all the children, he has one of the worst cases of Autism. He is almost 12 and can speak in full sentences now, but with help. Even though his communication is so delayed, he's still very smart and full of personality. Just last week, the keys to the medicine cabinet went missing. A couple days later, Andrew's mother brought them in. She said that they look exactly like the keys to his 4-wheeler at home, so he must've taken them from here thinking that they went to his 4-wheeler. There is one room that he's not allowed into at home, and one day he found a tiny screwdriver. His mom came up the stairs to find him with all but one screw off of the door.
These children are full of energy and spunk, and are much different then the 2-4 year olds that attend the morning program. These kids are more oppositional, more rebellious, and there is never a dull moment.
When I walked into work for the afternoon yesterday, Andrew was in the thinking time chair (or time out) for throwing wood chips out in the play space.
In the small playground outside, the kids were running around playing firemen. They were saving each other from the pretend fire that had apparently engulfed the tree house.
For me, there is nothing better then just observing those kids play. So much creativity and laughter. They could argue for ten minutes and five minutes later, they'd be best friends again.
At this childcare center, there are about 20 children who attend, and they're all boys. Which is interesting, because most of them have Autism, and boys are diagnosed with Autism about 25 times more then girls are. And there are so many different forms of Autism, that a child like Nathan has it, and a child like Andrew has it. Nathan is extremely verbal whereas Andrew can barely form a sentence on his own.
These children are what is keeping me at this job for so long. Where I'm a certified BHP (Behavioral Health Professional), I could get a job where I'm payed up to 19 dollars an hour. I'm getting paid 10 dollars an hour for a high-stress and high-demands job like this. But I can't imagine leaving those kids. Both Nathan and William have made such great strides while working with me that I can't imagine leaving now.
At first, I didn't enjoy this job at all. Now, I can't imagine my life without it.
For the longest time, I had wanted to be a writer. I still want to write, but my main plan is to work with children. Specifically children with special needs. It's the most rewarding thing I think I could ever do. Most of these kids come from poor homes and most of them have histories with profound stories of disappointment. Many were abused, many were neglected, many were left by at least one of their biological parents. A crazy amount of them have parents who come in smelling like marijuana and looking like slobs.
Some days, some of the kids will get upset and say that they hate Catch A Falling Star. But I've learned that kids say things that they don't mean when they're upset. When I see them screeching with laughter out in that playspace, enjoying each other as if they were born with no problems at all, I remember why they're here. I never forget how large of a role I play in their lives, and that gives me all the motivation in the world.