Teaching Assistant

Ever since I was six years old I have wanted to work with children. I looked up to my teachers and their staff and wanted to do what they did - help children to learn and be confident. Over the years of my education, I always understood the different levels of learning for children and knew that not one child should be treated differently from another based on their skills. I admired the assistants that dedicated their time to what are seen as the less able children, but in my eyes they were the children that wanted to try and could be brilliant with just a little support.
Children with learning difficulties, or, ASD have always been my main interest. To help encourage these children, to feel that their education and their lives are as important as others, is my aim.
My older sister who is now 23 years of age, was diagnosed with Asperger syndrome a few years ago.   I know the struggles that every aspect of her life has given her and how our family learned techniques and ways of helping her, before a diagnosis became a possibility. I wish for her that a diagnosis was given earlier, so that the schools she attended and the people around her understood and gave her the help she needed. If there would have been just one person willing to give her the time and patience throughout her education and early years, the things she could have achieved would have been remarkable. Having Aspergers, or, any form of autism / learning difficulty doesn't affect the individuals intelligence. They are usually very smart, but their styles of learning and intelligence need to be supported differently. My brother, who is 18, is currently undergoing the same difficulties as my sister and is still awaiting the diagnosis. His lack of confidence and feeling of being "thick" is distressing to see and I know this is a common emotion of children with ASD / learning difficulties. I love my family very much and living with them for 20 years has taught me how very different two people with ASD...