Today, I met with Mother's Choice...an organization that I've mentioned before on my blog. Mother's Choice is a community organization that helps find homes (adoption, foster care) for children. They have a speech, physical, and occupational therapist on staff. I met with the speech therapist today, and am going to start volunteering there twice per week. I'll be helping in Baby Care with feeding. Some children have feeding disorders and others are typically developing. I had such a great time today cuddling the newborns and feeding the typically developing kids. I'll also be helping in Wee Care, where the children have special needs. Most have Downs Syndrome, but there are some Autistic and CP children as well.
I'm excited about this opportunity! I think it'll help me feel like I'm doing "something", and more than anything, will keep my skills fresh. It was wonderful being around the babies and toddlers today. I have really missed seeing kids make progress. There will be some challenges, I'm sure! Cantonese is the native language, so when I said a word like "open", "more", or "ball", I was often met with blank stares. Words that used to be second nature in my vocabulary were unknown to the speech therapist: Boardmaker, MBSS, Auditory Output Device, honey and nectar-thick. She was very knowledgeable though, and I'm sure she'll be able to teach me things that I didn't know. Hopefully we'll be able to collaborate on some of the cases and work together. I'll keep you updated on how it goes!
xx,
Lauren
3 comments:
Isn't it so awesome the way God hooks people up across the continents? I am SO excited for you to volunteer with MC! What an incredible way to share your talents and build experience at the same time. I have no doubt you will be an amazing blessing to all you work with! Cannot wait to hear about it!
xoxo,
lindsey
That is so great- I couldn't be happier that you got hooked up with that organization and that is going to give you an opportunity to flex your speech therapy muscles. And hanging out with babies and toddlers- totally awesome. You already know I walk through the produce section...now the meat section will never be the same. Love you. Miss you. Oh- BTW I totally got recognized by "strangers" in my pew in church this week. A man turned to me after the service and said, "Are you friends with Lauren & Micheal Phipps?" We saw you on the blog- how was your visit? Funny- right? Turned out they were friends of your folks- love it! More later :)
See, you'll be fluent in Cantonese before you come home! :-) Anne
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