High-school student, Isabella Camilleri, wanted to spend her week of work-experience with children, not adults. Below Isabella tells us about her time at the Aspire office, and a few of the lessons she learnt from both the Aspire therapists, and kids!
Last week I completed work experience at the Aspire office and it turned out to be much more than just a nice break from school. I chose to complete my work experience at Aspire because I was inspired by my brother’s therapists and wanted to learn more about the work they complete and the resources they use in their sessions. During my work experience, I sat in with some of these therapists and their clients during sessions and also made resources for the office staff to use.
During the sessions, I observed how the therapists use reinforcement and educational activities to fulfill the requirements of the client’s individual programs. The programs for each child are catered to their specific needs, which conform to the idea that even though most children have been diagnosed with Autism, each child is unique in their own way in terms of their reinforcement and language and learning patterns.
The resources I made included PECS and WECS books, which stand for Picture/Word Exchange Communication System respectively. These resources are used for communication by children who use minimal or no language, so that they can develop their communication skills further.
Overall, I had an enjoyable experience working in the office, especially when making resources for the clients of the office. I would like to thank all of the Aspire staff for accommodating me this week.
