As my fourth blog for ImPossible, I wanted to do this a little differently. My last two posts have mostly been to communicate information while sharing my opinions and asking questions, but for this one I wanted to reflect on a recent opportunity.

Last Summer, I had the opportunity to volunteer for a summer camp specifically for children identified with Autism. Now, I am going to be completely transparent with you all–I was a little nervous. I had mixed feelings: I was excited, hopeful and anxious. I was excited and hopeful for the opportunity and days ahead, but I was nervous because I didn’t know what to expect, and I continued to doubt my abilities. 

I am proud to report that I only have optimistic feelings about the opportunity now, and I find myself laughing at the fact that I was even nervous for a second, and here’s why: all of the children who attended the camp were angels and absolutely amazing in every way!

Over the four days of camp, I was able to meet many children, and each one was different from the other. There were some who loved to play and socialize, some who preferred their own company, and a few that would do anything for attention. At the end of each day, I would cherish some memorable moments–and of course enjoy a good laugh. 

This experience has helped me in so many ways, and it has made me a better person. The children have helped me look at the small nuances in life rather than always trying to analyze the big picture. 

One boy I met was, to be honest, mind-blowingly smart. He was able to process things very quickly, and could speak in complete sentences for hours at hand. I am pleased to say that he taught me a few things as well–mostly about the vast expanse of Space. 

There were also two girls who loved to sing, and they would just hum parts of a song that was in their head. Although they would just murmur the words, I could tell that they were able to process the lyrics and get the tune out without much effort. Also, I noticed that one of the girls enjoyed listening to the noises around her. Similarly, she would also make her own sounds by tapping her hands across the tiled floors. 

In addition, there were children who loved books! There was one child in particular who would always carry a Curious George book with him. Whenever he came across a specific area with a sound, like hmph or sigh, he would want others to make the sounds to interact with the book–I completely related to that. As a little kid, I loved it when my parents would read books to me while adding effects to make it all the more enticing. 

Of course, there were so many children with different personality traits and habits that made camp much more fun, for us counselors and volunteers as well. Now, I will say that I made some conclusions during the first session of camp. Of course, not all of it will be completely relevant, but I decided that I would like to share them with you, whether you are a guardian, sibling, friend, or just someone who would like to learn more!

1. Sound plays a big part for many children
   1. Like I mentioned before, there were many children who liked to listen to their surroundings and had a specific connection with their sense of sound. One of the activities that we conducted during camp was during the movement section of the day. The coordinators would set up some music, like the Cha Cha Slide, for the kids to dance to. I could see that they loved to listen to the music. 
2. Interacting is very important
   1. Whether it is to read books with them, help them with art activities, or simply spend time with them, it is important to be there for them. Since all children are different it is important to take that under consideration. For instance, there was one child who just wanted to do things by himself, and he didn’t want anyone to help him. So, instead of forcing him to hang out with me, I just waited until he was ready to open up. 
3. No Surprises
   1. During camp, the coordinators had set up schedules for each day of camp so that everyone would know what to do at a specific time. In addition to schedules, they also provided timers that would alert the children when it is time for another activity. As explained during my training, sometimes, children with Autism don’t like surprises, as they enjoy knowing what to expect, especially when it comes to a new place, like summer camp. 

These are just a few of the main conclusions I made, but I know that as I get to know more children, I will be able to answer all of the burning questions. 

​Until then, keep reading and exploring the many possibilities in life…..

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What does it mean to be gifted? Does it mean that one is smarter than others, or has special strong suits that make them different from the rest? Is being gifted a learning challenge, or can learning challenges surface when one is gifted? Questions like these continue to put me in a light trance. Right when I think I have a question answered, another arises, and, well, the cycle never stops. I have been in a gifted education program for all of middle school, but I couldn’t help but ruminate over a few things. So I have decided to find answers to these questions, to learn more about myself and others around me.

Did you know that gifted education is only provided in about 32 states in America? Within those states, only 4 provide fully funded programs, while the other states provide partial funding. A lot of times, students who are gifted are taught by teachers who are not certified, which does not give them the same opportunities as gifted students in states with gifted education. Which means that their brains are not being nourished and the kids are not being pushed to their full potential.
 
With information like this, it is hard to stay focused on the definition of being gifted: people who have an above-average intelligence and/or talent, such as music, art, or math. Basically, students who are gifted are not necessarily smarter than those not gifted, rather these students could also have a talent that sets them apart from the rest. This brings me back to my own experience with taking the “CBG test,” as my peers would call it. The test consisted of a workbook that did not have numbers or paragraphs to summarize, instead, it was filled with spaces to draw, and random lines to continue drawings, and much more. I do not remember a lot of the requirements to be gifted, but that test was definitely unlike any other test I have ever taken. Usually, it is the teacher or an administrator who recommends one to be tested for gifted education, but what if the teacher is unable to recognize one’s abilities outside of the classroom? Do these students even get the chance to try the test, and if not, how is that fair? The questions keep coming, so look out for my next blog post, as I try to answer these questions.
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Until then, keep reading and exploring the many possibilities in life…..

Wow. It seems almost surreal to know that I am writing the first blog for the I’mPossible website. The past few months have gone by so quickly, and I am excited to finally start writing blogs to express my innermost thoughts about topics I care about. 
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I’m Aditi, the founder and director of I’mPossible, and welcome to this blog. I have been writing for years, and I think that is where my love for creative expression began. I want this space to be open to anyone, so if you are interested in writing a blog or joining the I’mPossible team, please reach out to me via email at [email protected] ​