This past year I had the opportunity be an intern for Grupo Salto. Grupo Salto is a support group for Latino families of children with Autism and other disabilities. At the monthly meetings, held every third Saturday of the month, Grupo Salto provides educational trainings for families of children with disabilities.
During my internship, I had the pleasure of working with Grupo Salto’s Tu y Yo group. The Tu y Yo group is a group of adults with autism, whose mission is to educate the public about autism. I also coordinated and facilitated a parent training session about transition planning for young adults with disabilities. Finally, I had the honor of getting to know Grupo Salto’s phenomenal staff and volunteers. Here are some of the most memorable moments of my internship.
Memorable Moments
Getting to know Tu y Yo members. I learned about their interests and plans for the future. For example, one of the members was working on her bachelor’s degree in psychology and another young adult was seeking full-time employment with one of the major U.S. airlines. He shared his traveling experience and gave me some great traveling tips!
Helping out during Grupo Salto’s Annual Banquet. I helped with the silent auction and raffle, but my favorite was the dancing! At the banquet I also got to see many of the items sold by the Tu y Yo members. Such items included, coffee mugs, t-shirts, and aprons. All items were personally inscribed by Tu y Yo members.
Getting to know parents during the monthly meetings was an unforgettable experience. Hearing about their experiences with the special education process has influenced my research interests. Unfortunately, parents shared very negative experiences with the special education process, specifically the transition planning process. Hence, my research interests in supporting family involvement with transition planning.
Working with Grupo Salto’s staff. Specifically, witnessing their ongoing passion to support Latino families of children with disabilities. The staff and volunteers have motivated me to continue supporting Grupo Salto and other non-profit organizations that support families of children with disabilities.
Gift wrapping presents with Tu y Yo members. I enjoyed hearing about their plans for winter break. Some of them had plans to work during break, while others planned to relax by playing video games, reading or watching their favorite shows. Others had plans to visit family members out of town.
I’m very grateful for this opportunity and highly recommend volunteering for Grupo Salto or any non-profit organization serving families of children with disabilities.
