Autism Personal Statement

Camper Counselor at Autism Ontario from July 2015 to August 2015, (40 hrs per week 7 weeks, total 280 hrs)

I worked as a camp counsellor for people on the Autism spectrum. I was responsible for engaging campers in daily activities and ensuring that they are happy and safe during the camp day.

Throughout this job, I was often faced with campers who had different sets of abilities and challenges. Each week I was introduced and responsible for a new camper, forcing me to stay on my toes and be adaptable to new situations. Every day I was expected to engage my camper in a variety of activities such as going to the beach, jumping on trampolines, going to the park, swimming, themed camp days, sports, and making friends. I developed the ability

I was able to get a firsthand experience of what it’s like to be a teacher. In addition to experience with students, I also learned how to make up worksheets, mark students work and review curriculum. I learned how to engage students in lesson plans, and how to appeal to each student's learning style and abilities. Leadership and initiative were really important to have in this position to be able to take full advantage of the opportunities given. These opportunities allowed me to be in the position of a teacher, teaching the class or giving individual attention to students. Through this, I gained the ability to inspire students to be confident in their own learning

Being able to have the wide variety of experiences that I have is an extreme advantage that has helped me to understand the learning process of a child from many different perspectives. Working as a co-op student in a second-grade classroom, allowed me to comprehend the in class duties of a teacher. I learned how to manage an entire class while still catering to every student’s individual needs. Seeing the happy expressions on the student’s faces when I helped them to solve their learning struggles helped me not only realize that this is what I want to do, but also that I am good at it. Being employed as a camp counselor at Autism Ontario taught me many different skills required for becoming a teacher. Most importantly I learned how to care for children safely. When working with children on the Autism spectrum it is especially important to be mindful of safety considering they may not understand the dangers that they face. Successfully keeping all my campers safe and happy has given me full confidence that I could do the same for a classroom of children. Additionally, Autism Ontario has taught me the power of redirecting negative behaviours. This skill is essential considering it is much more beneficial to the student to refocus their behaviours into positives instead of punishing them and in turn affecting their education0. In an