Personal

The Hidden Gifts

Mihaela Echols23 Comments

bg-1-281109

Autism research story. SIU students in Behavioral Analysis and Therapy and Communications Disorders work with children with autism problems in their laboratories. Only the names of the SIU students appear in the caption info. L to r: Kelli Tande, graduate student in Behavioral Analysis and Therapy, works with a four-year-old who doesn't speak. Using rewards that the child can choose (videos, snacks, etc.) they work on a repetitive pattern to develop the speech process.

    Have you ever wondered if what it would be like to impact someone’s life in a miraculous way for a living? 

    To know because of your work someone’s life is being impacted for the better?

    Every day when I walk into the Miles Autism Resource Center for the past year I have become more stronger and more aware as a person. When I am working with the children I know they are also teaching me. 

    Each child has a gift that they are unaware of and our job is to show them just that. Some do not talk and leave speaking in full sentences. Some do not know to that a car rolls down a ramp, a ball bounces, and trampolines are to jump on. We show them how. The ones who can’t read, learn to read, write and spell. These children leave completely transformed all because some said “I will impact a child.”

   As rosey as that all sounds there is a battle inside each child called Autism. Our job is to know how we can crack the code and know how to reach them. There is a life long commitment beyond just parenting for the parents and we are there to help. We will not give up. Some of them refuse to learn something new but we stick with them the whole way. If it takes thirty minutes for a child to sign cracker for a cracker then we are doing it right. Why? Because  they now know we are not giving up on them by just giving them the cracker. Another battle won, communication. As silly as that sounds it’s real. Showing them the gifts they have by fighting every battle is worth it. The littles battles are the gateways of helping these children become transformed. 

Knowing I am impacting a child for a living has impacted me.

https://hylachamberlain.wordpress.com/2015/03/13/what-drives-you/

23 thoughts on “The Hidden Gifts”

  2. How beautiful! I was a teacher and I know how connected you become to your students. It’s always a joy to know that you can make a difference. Thank you for being a light to the children and helping them to live a better life. God bless you!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  3. This is so beautiful. The fact that you can recognize the privilege and reward of working with children that can’t always “give back” the way that other children (or people in general) can/do really speaks of the goodness in your heart. You ARE making an impact even in times that you may not be able to see it!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  8. I have a cousin who has Autism. Doctors said he would never talk. But, with much prayer and the loving support of his parents, he has grown tremendously proving the doctors wrong!! He is now in his second year at Cincinnati State.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  12. Great job teaching the kiddos who many don’t have the patience to. As well as not giving up on them. So many would just give them the cracker and say they can’t learn it.

    Like

    Reply

  20. What important work you do. May God continue to provide patience and love to flow out through you and the others who are working there so that these children may continue to be impacted positively.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

Leave a reply to mommywifelifestyle Cancel reply