Kayla Davis

I am currently a nanny for a six year old nonverbal girl with Down Syndrome and Autism. Each workday is spent feeding her, playing with her, and teaching her how to perform everyday tasks such as eating with a spoon, putting away her toys, and holding her own water cup. I also spend my days trying to teach her how to communicate, sometimes that is with words/sounds, other times it is with sign language or leading me to where/what she wants. She loves listening to music, so I have been helping her try to sing along. For example, when singing “Old McDonald”, every time the song says “E-I-E-I-O”, I pause for the “O” and wait for her to say it before moving on. I help her with her motor skills by using puzzles, stacking rings, or making little optical courses with things she has to step on or over.

During the week, I would work, busing tables. While busing tables, I would push a heavy cart around, clean off tables, separate trash from dishes, organize the dishes, then empty the cart in the kitchen, and repeat all day long while also helping any customers who stopped me to ask questions, ask for boxes, etc.

In my previous jobs, I worked at two restaurants owned by the same people. On Sundays, I would work at one restaurant in takeout. While working in takeout, I would go out to cars in all kinds of weather, take orders in person and over the phone, turn in orders, package the food, operate the cash register, and bring their food to them. I would also help at the end of the night by cleaning the entire restaurant.