Monday
Begin escort duties at 8am and arrive at school in time for assembly. I have worked as a classroom assistant in Foyle View School in Derry, Northern Ireland, for 18 years - the school caters for children aged between three and 19 with severe learning difficulties. A lot of the children also have to deal with physical disabilities such as cerebral palsy, autism, epilepsy and visual and hearing problems, to name but a few.
We have swimming this morning and I take three children today. John, who has Downs Syndrome, is apprehensive about the water and never usually ventures past his ankles. But today he goes up to his waist and as we clap and encourage him, he signs to us in Makaton, 'Crisps for me?' Laughing, we agree as he holds on to the pool edge and jumps up and down. Arrive back at noon for lunch. Two of our children need feeding and as they eat very slowly this can take over an hour. My tummy rumbles as I feed Diane and look forward to my own lunch.
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