Eneko: Mi Amigo Especial

Today I went to ASB, the American School of Bilbao, with my host sisters where they have class every Saturday from 9:30 AM until 2 PM. It is a school solely for the learning and bettering of one's English-speaking abilities so it's basically 4.5 hours of English class. The majority of the teachers are from England however while I was in the teachers lounge (yes, I have the privileges to go in there to get coffee, tea, etc.) I encountered a teacher from Wisconsin.. very small world. I spent the day working with a class of little kids around the age of 5. Our class is called EL3 and I get my schedule next week which means I am officially a volunteer to help EL3 out on Saturdays! At the beginning of the day I worked with the class as a whole but after about an hour of playing and doing crafts with the children, they told me I had a different job. They decided I would be a great fit to assist one child in particular- Eneko. Eneko has Asperger Syndrome which is a form of Autism. Before meeting him, I had to read informational packets on this disorder, learn effective ways to interact with him and have him respond to me, and learn ways in which I cannot interact with him. Eneko doesn't understand the feelings of other people and has motor difficulties but apart from that, he is a very affectionate and intelligent boy. I have to be constantly by his side watching him, telling him what he can and can't do, and aiding him with things. At the beginning of the day he never really talked to me but by the end of the day he was listening to me, holding my hand, sitting on my lap, and responding to me when I said something. Although he is a challenge to work with and by the end of the day I am absolutely drained, I am so excited to go back every Saturday and work with him!