Watch one boy age 7 months old, with special needs. He has a condition called Polymicrogyria, which is similar to Cerebral Palsy, as well as microcephaly, a cortical vision impairment, is at risk for aspiration, has epilepsy, is non-verbal, is non-mobile, is G-tube fed, and is currently on a Ketogenic diet. Job responsibilities include keeping a daily log (which includes food, water, naps, meds, & general mood), communicating clearly, openly, & honestly with parents, teachers, therapists, grandparents, etc., administering medication, lifting & transferring him, helping him to poop daily, following a specific recipe for his ketogenic diet, transporting him to & from school, therapy, & play dates, training teachers & new therapists on how to best work with him (lifting, transfers, feeding, & calming him), observing & documenting new behaviors to determine whether they are seizures, supervising the safety of the child, partnering with the parents & therapists to continue stretches & other activities at home, creating age appropriate activities, changing diapers, feeding child per parent instructions via G-tube & mouth, putting child to sleep, kitchen & play area clean-up, child’s laundry, taking child on day excursions, and occasional overnight care.

Watch two girls ages 6 months and 2 years. Job responsibilities includes preparing & serving meals, making bottles, administering medication, supervising the safety of the kids, changing diapers, toilet training, putting kids to sleep, kitchen & play area clean-up, helping kids clean up after themselves, resolving conflicts, teaching kids about sharing, respect, & manners, creating age appropriate activities, taking children on day excursions, going swimming with the kids, and transporting children to and from preschool.

Watch one girl age 18 months and later one boy 3 days old, both with special needs. In the summer of 2012, the parents found out that both children have epilepsy. In addition, the older child has speech delay and the younger child had acid reflux so bad, that he would not eat solid food until he was about 11 months old. Job responsibilities includes administering medication, observing & documenting new behaviors to determine whether or not they are seizures, partnering with the parents in the girl’s speech therapy, preparing & serving meals, making bottles, supervising the safety of the kids, changing diapers, toilet training, putting kids to sleep, kitchen & play area clean-up, helping kids clean up after themselves, resolving conflicts, teaching kids about sharing, respect, & manners, creating age appropriate activities, taking children on day excursions, and occasional overnight care.

Seattle: Watched one boy age 22 months & one girl age 6.

Des Moines: Watched 2 girls ages 3 & 6.

Kirkland: Watched 1 boy age 18 months old.

Job responsibilities included preparing & serving meals, supervising safety of children, kitchen & play area clean-up, putting kids to sleep, changing diapers, resolving conflicts, teaching about sharing, respect, & manners, creating age appropriate activities, taking children on day excursions (to park, to zoo, to library, walks, etc.), and transporting children to and from school.

Watched two girls, ages 16 months old and 3 years old. Job responsibilities included: transporting children to preschool and home again, changing diapers, putting children to sleep, preparing and serving meals, creating age appropriate activities for child, supervising safety of child, kitchen clean-up, resolving conflicts, helping kids clean up after themselves, teaching about sharing and respect, and taking children on day excursions to the library or park.

Watched 1 girl age 5 months old. Job responsibilities included: speaking solely to child in French, implementing elimination communication, preparing and serving meals, kitchen clean-up, putting child to sleep, supervising safety of child, creating age appropriate activities for child, and taking child on walks.

Watch one boy age 2 and one girl age 5. Job responsibilities includes preparing & serving meals, supervising the safety of the kids, changing diapers, putting kids to sleep, kitchen & play area clean-up, helping kids clean up after themselves, resolving conflicts, teaching kids about sharing & respect, creating age appropriate activities, and taking children on day excursions.

Watched two boys, ages 2 and 5. Job responsibilities included toilet training, preparing and serving meals, supervising the safety of the kids, changing diapers, putting kids to sleep, kitchen & play area clean-up, helping kids clean up after themselves, resolving conflicts, teaching kids about sharing and respect, planning & implementing age appropriate activities, and providing transportation to and from activities.

Worked with children ages 3 to 18 years old. Job responsibilities included teaching small group lessons, supervising children and other adults, resolving conflicts, being a mediator between children to help them resolve conflicts, keeping children safe, co-teaching a preschool program, giving music lessons, assisting with homework, and reading to and with children.

Tutored a 3rd grader who has Asperger’s syndrome in his home.

Worked with children ages 4 to 10 years old. Job tasks included creating, organizing, and implementing age appropriate activities, keeping kids safe, resolving conflicts, preparing and serving snacks, and supervising children.

Watched two boys, ages 8 & 12. The 8 year old has Asperger’s syndrome and has tactile sensitivity. Job tasks included: prepare and serve meals, supervise safety, put children to bed, kitchen clean-up, teach about sharing and respect, create age appropriate activities, plan day excursions, help kids clean up after themselves, and resolve conflicts.

Watched 1 boy age 4 months old. Job responsibilities included toilet training, preparing and serving meals, supervising his safety, changing diapers, putting child to sleep, kitchen & play area clean-up, helping him clean up after himself, teaching about sharing and respect, bathing him, creating fun age appropriate activities, and planning day excursions.

Worked as the assistant to the Administrative Assistant in the Admissions Office. Job responsibilities included maintaining an inquiry database, serving as primary contact for all inquiries and applicants, coordinating and arranging all campus visits and tours for prospective students, training work-study staff on admissions procedures in the absence of admissions counselors, and using Microsoft Word to create labels and merge addresses for mailings.

Custodial work, house sitting, concessions and information center attendant.

Worked as an AmeriCorps member through Washington Reading Corps for an elementary school. Job responsibilities included tutoring students in grades K – 6 in reading. Also worked with students with special needs. One student might have been considered a selective mute, had it not been for his Hispanic background. Another student had behavioral challenges which mandated that he be separated from other students during non-academic periods. Received an educational award to be used on college tuition at the end of my term.

Watched a 2 1/2 year old boy, a 5 year old boy, and a 8 year old girl. Job tasks included preparing & serving meals, supervising safety of kids, putting kids to sleep, kitchen & play area clean-up, helping kids clean up after themselves, resolving conflicts, teaching kids about sharing and respect, giving baths, and planning day excursions.

Worked in a home daycare, with 4 to 12 kids, whose ages ranged from 2 months to 12 years of age. Job responsibilities included toilet training, preparing and serving meals, supervising the safety of kids, helping plan day excursions to parks, zoos, aquarium, etc., helping organize day excursions (meals, times, safety of kids), helping kids with homework (math, reading, writing, spelling, etc.), reading to and with kids, changing diapers, helping put kids to sleep, creating and implementing age appropriate games, songs, and activities, and educating kids (social skills, meal preparation, setting a table, clearing a table, cleaning up after themselves, washing hands, brushing teeth, trying new foods, ABCs, counting, creating stories).

Watched two boys, ages 9 months old and 4 years old. Job tasks included toilet training, preparing & serving meals, supervising safety of kids, changing diapers, putting kids to sleep, kitchen clean-up, helping kids clean up after themselves, resolving conflicts, teaching kids about sharing & respect, taking kids to the park, and occasional overnight care, once for an entire weekend.