Foroige

As I've mentioned before, part of the Ireland study abroad program through HWS/Union is the element of a service learning experience. This was one of the reasons I was drawn to this particular program in the first place. On campus, I've taken several classes that had a service learning component. This means that, for example, in my education class about children with disabilities, I worked with a program each week for children with learning disabilities. I was then able to use my experiences in my placement to further my understanding of classroom material and vice versa. Here, we are required to complete 25 hours during the semester in addition to writing four journal entries about our involvement.  I go every Tuesday night from 6-8 along with Aileen, Dennis, and Ben. We will be there just a few more weeks through the end of November. While the service learning is not directly in combination with a class we're taking, the psychology class I'm taking here is Applied Behavior Analysis with a focus on autism. I am able to relate a lot of what I'm learning to my volunteer work. Following spring term registration yesterday, I got into 3 of the 4 classes I wanted. The one I didn't get into was a class in the Education Department: Understanding Autism. After emailing the professor and informing her of all the reasons I am a perfect candidate for the class, I was able to get added as an overload. This class will be a perfect continuation of all that I am learning here in Ireland. In addition to that course, I will be taking Cognitive Psychology, The Arts and Human Development, and Rethinking Families. For the first time in my 3 years at HWS, I got all the classes I wanted! Not without severe anxiety prior to, during, and following registration, of course. Then again, if you're heart doesn't beat out of your chest during registration, you're doing it all wrong. Now that that's out of the way, I'm just awaiting the OK of the Individual Majors Committee regarding my revised proposal. Cross your fingers for me. Anyway, I decided to attach my most recent journal entry which outlines the work I have done so far at Foroige.

            I have been working with Foroige for about two months now. I am working with a specific GAP program at the youth organization for 14-18 year olds with autism on Tuesday nights. At the first meeting with our program director she explained that all the teens who come are on the autistic spectrum with varying levels of functionality. I have previously worked with students with autism but I had only worked with preschool and middle school aged students in mixed classrooms. It had been a bit challenging so I was feeling slightly anxious about working with 15 in an age group I was not familiar with. Despite my nerves, I was excited to start and eager to see what the program was like.

The first time we went was pretty chaotic. It felt as though we were thrown into the situation with no training or direction. Now that I have been there for a month, I know that is just how the program operates, and it works that way. There is very little structure to the program but that system of flexibility is necessary and supportive for these teens. In the beginning I felt as though I was wandering around looking for a task or someone to work with. I did not feel like I was making myself useful enough but I was unsure how I could change that. I talked to our program coordinator and she helped direct me with a specific student. That helped, but now I see that simply having a conversation with one of the teens is making myself useful. She also brought to my attention the focus on unstructured learning that the organization encourages. I was unfamiliar with this approach, which I believe is the reason I was uncertain of it at first. I think I have found my place within the program more securely having realized that.

Many of the students we are working with are incredibly independent. Most of them have a particular interest whether it is Legos, video games, music, etc., and that is what they like to focus on during their time at Foroige. As volunteers, our main job is to engage with them as much as we can and encourage social interaction amongst the group. A common characteristic of those with autism is having difficulty understanding social cues and how to act in social situations. This is why our presence as volunteers is especially important. This is also what makes our job challenging. Many of the teens do not want to engage and do not want to be bothered while focused on their music or video game. I understand that it takes time for them to get comfortable with me so I have found that it helps to identify a common interest. Finding something to talk about or an activity to do helps bridge that gap and makes both of us more comfortable. I think that level of comfort is something that I will continuously be building with the teens over the course of the semester. There have been instances where a teen simply says “no” when I ask if I can watch the video game with them. It is hard to not take it personally but I try to think that if I were in “the zone” working hard on something that I enjoyed, I probably would not want someone sitting and watching me either.

I have been really connecting with the one girl in the program for the last few weeks. She is high functioning and really enjoys just sitting and talking. She asks questions and tells me about school, family, etc. I sense that she does not always love being the only girl in the group so having me to connect with seems to be a comfortable fit for her. Each week she seems to attach herself to me a little bit more. This past week when we paired up for a walk around Galway, she asked to be my partner. I’m glad she feels comfortable enough with me to do so. I am excited to see how that connection flourishes over the next few months while also getting to know the other teens.

I am studying education and psychology with a particular focus on child development and learning disabilities. Throughout my studies I have learned a lot about Autism Spectrum Disorder particularly in the psychology course I am currently taking at NUIG. I think this has given me a useful foundation for working with this program and interacting with the teens. However, I think it is important for me to remember that not every person with autism fits this prototypical image. Not everything I have learned in the classroom is going to be applicable but what I learn at Foroige is really valuable knowledge and offers me an additional perspective.

There are about seven volunteers on the nights I go. Three of them are also from the HWS/Union program and the three others are all Irish college students. The teens are very accepting of the volunteers and the fact that we are American does not seem to have any effect on that. The program coordinator and the other volunteers have all been extremely nice and interested in getting to know us and learn about where we are from and what we are doing in Ireland. They offer suggestions and tidbits about Irish culture and we are able to do the same about American culture.

After speaking with Chan Healey, our program coordinator, I have grasped a better understanding of Foroige’s role in the Galway community and its purpose as a youth organization. The space creates a safe environment for youth to engage socially in a number of different activities including art, music, outdoor sports, media, drama, entrepreneurship, etc. The main issues facing Galway and Ireland at this point in time are financial. This has a direct impact on Foroige, which operates on a low budget as a result. That means that their resources and facilities are limited and paid workers are difficult to have in large numbers. Therefore, Foroige relies heavily on volunteer participation. With open, friendly, and reliable volunteers, the organization runs smoothly. Without them, the organization would not be successful, for the volunteers are responsible for running the workshops and everyday clubs. For Chan, she sees volunteers reach success in their position when they find their work enjoyable by engaging with the young people in order to develop good relationships. She sees her role in a similar light. Having grown up doing volunteer work and getting involved in her community, she is constantly motivated by the youth she works with. She is “inspired by the development of young people [she] works with in self esteem, social security, and engagement in [their] projects. She is a dedicated worker at Foroige and is a great example of community involvement I think we are all, as volunteers, hoping to mimic.