25 June 2008

Dododoyo – Entering into a new world

It has been a very challenging week for me, is not the end yet… more to come… 1 and a half weeks to go and I’ll be on holiday. A long awaiting holiday! It has been a year since I went for holiday.

As I’m writing this blog, I’m keeping a look out for Dododoyo. To make sure that he doesn’t run around or do harm to self and others. You may wonder who is Dododoyo. Dododoyo is one of the participants in the camp right now. If you had read this book titled “the child call it”. Dododoyo is very similar to the child in the book.

I’m now having a life example of “the child call it”. This is the first time that I encounter with low functioning Autistic Child. He is non-verbal and the only audible word coming out from him is dododoyo. So my colleague and I started to call him Dododoyo.

Lucky I have a classmate, Matthew who teaches autistic children. He gave me a lot of insight information and directions to go about understanding autistic children. Ever behavior is a message. My ultimate goal was to decode his behavior such that I can understand him better. Banging his head into wall, running around, slap his ear, mumbling words that none of us could understand, throwing tantrums, etc.

I must say it is not easy to handle autistic child. Can’t imagine a camp whereby the trainers have to wash pants stained with urine, sleep with participant, and teach him how to brush his teeth. PATIENCE is the “medication” for all of us and him. This is the first time, my colleagues and I running a 24/7 camp with Dododoyo. So tired, so draining, every single moment, we are always on our toes looking out for him.

My salutation to all the personnel in special needs education !!!

For me
1 autistic child = very tired
1 school of autistic children = incredible madness

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Jia you! (: