Studying to become a nurse or medical assistant, doesn’t just mean taking vital signs and blood samples.  For some of our students, entering the medical field has presented other opportunities that might seem a little different than working in your average doctor office.  For our students, one particular opportunity is working with the Smyth County Special Needs Autism Group.

Each month, student volunteers go to a site to work with special needs and autistic children, helping them develop new skills through developmental learning activities.  By using colors, shapes and special sounds, our students help the children with developmental progress, one small skill at a time.  Each Blue Ridge student is paired with a child, so there is one to one activity and each child is praised and valued for their progress.

During the time the children are involved in the activites,  the parents are attending seminars, gaining encouragement and support from eachother and learning new skills and activities that will better enable them to care for their children in the lifelong journey of caring for a special needs or autistic child. 

Blue Ridge students were praised for their dedication to  volunteer efforts during the monthly meetings to work witht he children and provide constant support with the children and their parents.