Kaitin
New Member
- Joined
- Oct 7, 2007
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I agreed to help exercise and have fun with a nonverbal girl who is severely mentally retarded. She is obese and inactive and just has a mother (her dad left). Her mother has some problems.
[My roommate is helping me write this, and she says that I may offend people with the words "mentally retarded" and "obese". I don't mean these words in a bad way - they are medical terms. I need readers to understand and writing "a bit overweight" or "a bit different" doesn't explain. I hope it is not offensive.]
The girl Katy doesn't speak, but she can hear. She doesn't know ASL, but she has some signs. Most are made-up hand commands. The mother can hear.
I met with Katy and her mom at a big gym. It was a bad experience. I couldn't remember her made-up signs all the time and Katy couldn't understand me really. Katy wasn't coordinated to kick a soccer ball. She wouldn't walk around the track, just went a ways and then wandered away. I don't think basketball would be ok - and I am terrible with it. She has no attention span and was hyper. Her mom did NOT understand that talking to my back or shouting at me from far away doesn't work. I kept having to run over to her mom, still couldn't understand her (I wasn't wearing HAs because they are giving me problems that are worse with the echoes and loudness of the gym with basketball games always nearby), and then had to run back to Katy.
I want to help Katy. She needs exercise and her mom (who is obese too) can't help her. I know I will learn her signs, but I don't know if I can help her even if I do. Her and her mom are alone, and the mom is very unhappy. Next week, her mom wants Katy and me to be alone. Maybe that is better - no mom shouting etc - but I have no ideas about what to do. I have never had this situation before.
Any ideas?
[My roommate is helping me write this, and she says that I may offend people with the words "mentally retarded" and "obese". I don't mean these words in a bad way - they are medical terms. I need readers to understand and writing "a bit overweight" or "a bit different" doesn't explain. I hope it is not offensive.]
The girl Katy doesn't speak, but she can hear. She doesn't know ASL, but she has some signs. Most are made-up hand commands. The mother can hear.
I met with Katy and her mom at a big gym. It was a bad experience. I couldn't remember her made-up signs all the time and Katy couldn't understand me really. Katy wasn't coordinated to kick a soccer ball. She wouldn't walk around the track, just went a ways and then wandered away. I don't think basketball would be ok - and I am terrible with it. She has no attention span and was hyper. Her mom did NOT understand that talking to my back or shouting at me from far away doesn't work. I kept having to run over to her mom, still couldn't understand her (I wasn't wearing HAs because they are giving me problems that are worse with the echoes and loudness of the gym with basketball games always nearby), and then had to run back to Katy.
I want to help Katy. She needs exercise and her mom (who is obese too) can't help her. I know I will learn her signs, but I don't know if I can help her even if I do. Her and her mom are alone, and the mom is very unhappy. Next week, her mom wants Katy and me to be alone. Maybe that is better - no mom shouting etc - but I have no ideas about what to do. I have never had this situation before.
Any ideas?