I have grown up with special needs family members and classmates. I am familiar with down syndrome and autism. My passion for special needs children came in elementary school. In elementary school, the special needs children, most of which were down syndrome, were able to join regular classrooms for half of the day. I enjoyed this immensely because I found that I had a unique connection with them, in particular an adorable little girl. She had a tougher time emotionally than the others in the class, she would often hide under tables for hours. I developed a special bond with her to where she would come out from under the table for me in minutes. I even spent my 5th grade class trip rooming with her and a teacher's aid who happens to still work at the elementary school. We both worked together to make her trip and school experience a special one. I believe I have an understanding that's different than most which helps me connect better.