Back to work...

My old client FINALLY got re-approved, after 2 1/2 months of waiting.  I'm certainly thankful to have steady income again, but part of me is not excited to return to a job that has a lot of cons.  I had a different post ready to publish, but it was too negative for my liking.  I don't want to wallow in the downsides of my job, because I enjoy the job itself.  The interaction with my clients and their families, is what makes me keep doing what I'm doing.  

Most of my clients are on the autism spectrum, and have low verbal ability.  I have been bitten many times, had clumps of my hair ripped out, had clothes torn, watched a kid eat one of my toys, been spit on, peed on, and dealt with a kid purposefully pooping on the living room floor during a tantrum.  And still there are hugs and squeezes, a kiss on the cheek from a child, a parent saying "Thank you for what you do"...the love that I feel from my clients and their families is overwhelming.  The first time you witness a kid make a full sentence you can understand...just wow...you feel like you've helped make a difference.  And not just a "I make a difference in the world" feeling, but a very specific "I'm making a difference for this kid and his family" kind of feeling.  That is worth all the other junk I have to deal with.  Part time hours, no benefits, lots of driving, working in the evening, tons of paperwork....when I sit down to look at a behavior graph and see a downward trend, it helps me keep going.  I'm smiling as I write this.  

I didn't intend to get into working with kids with autism.  I had graduated with my B.S. in psychology, and wasn't sure what to do with it.  Getting my first full time job at a school for autism seemed like a good step, even though I had little experience with education or special needs kids.  There was certainly a learning curve...for the first month or two, I felt like I needed to quit almost every day.  The job was difficult...stressful and exhausting, with a hint of danger (wearing arm guards and jean jackets to protect from bites and scratches).  I even got hit in the back of the head with a chair when a student threw one.  But I stuck it out...and I've learned and grown through this work.  I am able to stay calm during a crisis and I have more patience than I thought was possible.  I've learned to not hold a grudge (you can't stay mad at a kid who bites you, and then kisses you 5 minutes later), and I've learned that kids will feed off your energy and model everything you do.  This kind of work forces much more self awareness...you have to know when you are starting to get burnt out or need to step away because you're losing your temper.  Growth is never a bad thing, and applies to many other areas of life.

6 years later, I'm still working in the autism field...I know I won't be doing this forever, but what a ride it's been!

I'm crafting more clay items, and I'm still plugging away at my first blanket.  Hopefully I'll have some more craft stuff to post soon!