The reason I got interested in caring for special needs children was as a result of needing to find a job after staying at home for 11 years raising my children. I had a couple of very bad experiences with the way a 1st and a 2nd grade teacher treated my daughter and the whole classroom of children. So, I applied for a substitute teaching job asking to be placed only in special education classes. I hoped that the teachers for those precious children would be much more genuinely concerned for their welfare than the mainstream teachers. My first job was with severely mentally handicapped boys and one girl who were all autistic. I learned how to guide, encourage, instruct and keep safe autistic children. I had this job for 2.5 years. Then I was trained to care for severely physically handicapped for one month. Both of these jobs were at the Washington Center in Greenville, S.C. I am now trained with Disabilities and Special Needs Board. For the past year I have really enjoyed getting to know a 40-year-old man with cerebral palsy, autism, mental retardation and regular seizures. These extraordinary people truly need people around them who want to be near and who sincerely care for their every need. I really enjoy the many rewards from care-giving and loving them. My nursing training at Greenville Tech. has certainly helped.