I dodged basketballs and soccer balls as I chased Devyn, the autistic child I had been partnered with, around the room while he frantically waved a pool noodle in the air with little regard to the activities going on around him. Devyn, as many autistic children do, understood very few words and spoke even fewer, which I learned the first day we became partners at a multi-sport camp for special needs children. We spent most of the day playing with whatever caught Devyn’s attention, from hula-hoops to scooters, while the rest of the children participated in the organized sports such as soccer and basketball. On the second day of camp, I hoped that the previous day had been a random occurrence and that today we would be able to participate in the days activities with the rest of the children, however I was sorely mistaken. Devyn continued the previous days activities of running away as we tried to sit down and hitting me with a pool noodle. As I ran around the gymnasium chasing him, while trying to ignore the stares of the other volunteers sitting patiently with their partners, I realized I needed a better way to communicate with him.
I noticed when his mother came to pick him that he responded very well to sign language, and thought that perhaps sign language could also help Devyn and I communicate easier. That
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People often take for granted the ability to communicate, which many special needs children have trouble with or lack all together. They face problems with communication in school and in interacting with friends which can greatly harm their education and self confidence. My experience with Devyn taught me patience and the importance of communication in everyday life , but most importantly that special needs children want to be treated like any other child, and learning to communicate with them in ways that they understand is a way to do