Service Activity - Taking Care of the Little Octavio

 As one of my long-term Service projects, I plan to be volunteering to take care of the little Octavio through the "Autisme Espoir Vers L'Ecole" (Autism Hope Towards School) association:

Octavio is 7 years old and suffers from Autism, causing him to have high amounts of difficulty in communicating and learning (difficulty in speech, difficulty in exchanging long-lasting looks and paying attention, answers very rarely to questions, detests changements, and manipulates small objects when feeling uncomfortable/scared). Last year, due to this, the little Octavio was expelled out of his school, as he had a lot of trouble learning at the same level as the other children his age. This has made life increasingly difficult for Octavio and his family. 

The "Autisme Espoir Vers L'Ecole" association was created 4 years ago, and has already helped over 50 children to leave their "bubble" through the 3I method. The 3I (Intensive, Individual, and Interactive)  Method, established by the A.E.V.E association, consists in increasing the child's sense of communication through playing a variety of different games. Through a program of 40h per week, with approximately 30 volunteers, the child (over time) learns to develop communication skills and slowly exit his "bubble". 

I have already started my training and have been given all the necessary information to apply the 3I Method in helping Octavio out of his autism and will be, starting from next week, spending an hour and a half every other week, playing and interacting with him whilst trying to obtain as many signs of communication as possible. This volunteer work is a big challenge for me, as I have never encountered or worked with children who suffer from autism, and I am clearly aware that this will be not only a new, but a rigorous and difficult experience for me. Although I believe that this activity will bring me a lot of skills and happiness (especially if we manage to get Octavio out of his bubble). 

If you are interested in discovering more about the association and the 3I Method, feel free to access their official website by clicking the link below : 

http://www.autisme-espoir.org/