Adapted Physical Education.

In my previous semester here at Berea College I took a P.E. class that was titled Adapted P.E. In this class we were paired up with a "buddy" from Berea Community School and we worked with them for 4 sessions in the pool and 4 sessions in the gymnasium. My buddy had a rare affliction known as Jouberts Syndrome, which is a very rare genetic disorder in which there are congenital problems such as:
Absence/underdevelopment of part of the brain that controls balance and coordination,
A malformed brain stem, which may cause an abnormal breathing patterns,
Abnormal eye and tongue movements,
Decreased Muscle Tone,
and Seizures.
My buddy also was unable to communicate with words and knew very few sings to communicate with his hands, but he didn't have a problem with comprehending what I said to him. He also had 11 fingers and I believe 13 toes, and even though he was 13 he looked like he was around the age and size of a 6 year old.
However, none of these things really let you know very much about him at all, and the joy that I received from working with him. He did many things in the gym that he wouldn't have done before hand, and on our first pool day he flat out refused to get into the pool deep enough to allow water to go above his waist, and on our last day in the pool he stood with it up to his neck and was putting his head in the water.

This opportunity I had to work with kids with special needs was amazing, and truly helped me appreciate the work that many teachers do on a daily basis. I feel like this is one of the best experience that I have had while I have been in school, and I hope that the experiences gained because of this class will prepare me to be a great teacher for the students that I might teach in school who are very diverse in their learning needs and abilities.