Early Perceptions•I was excited to begin my service learning. I did not know what types of disabilities the students would have and if my activities would be fun for them. I have always wanted to do volunteer work with children who have disabilities.•When I discovered that Easter Seals had an opening, I was ready to join in and help out.
Introduction to the Setting
• Easter Seals is located in Daytona Beach, Florida
• Easter Seals is a non-profit organization to serve people with disabilities of all ages
• 85 years of success in Volusia and Flagler counties
Joey’s Gift
• Created by Bob and Wendy Minotti in honor of their son, Joey, whom had Autism and Down Syndrome
• Program helps families receive a healthy break on Friday evenings and all day Saturdays
Participant Demographics
• Children ages 2 to 11 years • Disabilities include Autism,
ADD, ADHD, Emotional Disabilities, and Cerebral Palsy
• Engagement Activities include arts and crafts, outdoor time, playing games, m aking friends, and lunch and snack time
SEPTA: Special Education PTA of Seminole County
• Meetings held for parents located at Altamonte Springs Elementary
• Respite Care services are provided for parents of Seminole County Schools
Participant Demographics
• Ten children were involved in the program
• Disabilities included Autism, ADHD, and ADD
• Ages were 1 year to 11 years
• Most children were not members of Altamonte Springs Elementary
Engagement Activities
• Many of our engagement activities included games and arts and crafts.
• We helped design shape books, play doe, played red light green light, hot potato, and human bowling
Engagement Activities
Engagement Activities
Personal Demographics
• I am an Elementary Education and a Reading Education major.
• I participate in volunteer programs outside of class.
• One program is the Adult Literacy League. I have a student that I have been tutoring in reading and writing.
Adult Literacy League
Sometimes you get rewards for working hard…
Reflection of Experience• Working at all the sites provided a meaningful experience for me as I learned the significance of participating in the community, learning how to communicate with your students and understanding their background. •The project has been rewarding personally in that I have worked with a broad range of students both child and adult learners. I have also gained hands-on experience to discover ways to communicate with children who have disabilities and their families in order to provide an environment that would benefit all learners.