Dallas Christian
This summer has been very eventful and meaningful; for the last couple of summers and most of my childhood, I have been able to attend a sleepaway summer camp called Camp Speers. Since attending this camp, I have created many memories, friendships, and new opportunities. For the longest, I have wanted to work as a counselor to give my campers the same experience I had as a child growing up. Moreover, I could take advantage of this opportunity for the first time this summer.
I was privileged to have the opportunity to be a counselor for six autistic kids ranging in age from seven to twelve. While I loved working with these kids, it was honestly very challenging. It was testing on my patience and listening skills. I needed to be very calm in many hectic situations. It allowed me to adapt to new situations that I never had to endure when working with kids not on the spectrum. Each camper came on a different scale, which helped me understand how to approach different scenarios in many ways. I could not interact and be the same with each camper because they were all so different. With one camper, I had to check in on him constantly and ask only yes or no questions because he was not very verbal. If I were to ask him to change for free swim, I would have to constantly check in on him every five minutes to ensure he was doing the task at hand. With him, I had to be very patient and calm. While with another camper, I had to be more strict and straight to the point. He would tend to lash out more and oppose authorities. I would appeal to his soft side and incentivize him to complete specific tasks. If he did not want to get up in the morning to brush his teeth, I would incentivize him by allowing him to have any of my snacks for later in the day. By working with these kids, I learned and loved each of them while learning many life lessons and leadership skills. It also allowed me to adapt and approach challenges I face in life in numerous ways.
This experience has further fueled my passion for working with children and given me a newfound appreciation for every individual’s unique strengths and abilities. I am grateful for the opportunity to positively impact these children’s lives and look forward to applying my lessons to future endeavors.
The Dutch Report 