**Are you interested in making an impact in an Autistic child's life?** We are a family of 5 in Canada on the East Coast near the Atlantic ocean (Moncton NB 85,000+ population). It is very beautiful here and ideal for someone who likes to explore the countryside. It's Acadian - so a mix of French and English speaking people. Great place to learn more in both languages. We have 2 children ages 7 (english and in french immersion), and age 9. I also have a 20 yr old who is only home in the summer from University and works FT (he is fluent in french and english). We are offering about 20 - 25 hours during school season and about 40 hours for ten weeks over the summer. There will be some extra hours during school season sometimes. Our 9 yr old child has autism on the moderate to severe end. I work from home so there is always someone here to support you. This is an incredible opportunity to be given the skills to work with a special needs child! We hope to find someone that will come into our home and feel part of our family, understand some of the challenges, forgive us our mistakes and love our children as much a we do. We have an annoying (loveable) cat and a service guide dog for our child with autism. He has been a real asset to us. Very kind dog. We will be very honest and transparent with all applicants. It's really important that we know this will be a match for all of us. Ask anything! We have a live-in caregiver now who has been with us for 2 years. She is moving on to get married. We are very sad to see her go (happy for her too). My kids adore her, she was like a big sister to them. We are going to miss her very much, she made such a huge difference in our lives and we will never forget her. The main expectation is that you are willing to learn about autism and take the courses/training that we will provide to you and use it. I have to stress, living with a child with autism makes our household loud and can be frustrating. When she has an illness, it gets worse. If you would be embarrassed at a child who would have a very long and loud meltdown in public, we will NOT be a good match for you. If you have the kindness, a whole lot of patience and the attitude of *it is what it is* when things go wrong, you will be a good match for us. Patience, firm, quiet voice and calmness is the key to looking after our kids. MUST be PHYSICALLY FIT and able to keep up with the kids. They are extremely active, love to swim and bike, and any other activities you want to plan for them. Child with Autism will RUN from you if given a chance. You also need to be able to plan out and do different crafts with them - painting, drawing, music. If you know how to play an instrument they would love that. We have a piano too. They have a schedule of what they do day to day and it will be provided to you and we will show you. After that, you just need to keep that in place. We do require someone who can tutor, oversee homework and able to teach my kids how to read and write in English. Your English skills will need to be strong. My child with autism is still struggling with english speech, so you need have confidence in your English skills that you feel you can teach someone else. We require someone who will help with light housekeeping and ensure the kids are taught to do their chores. they already do, you need to maintain this.Someone who can help with meal prep in morning before school and for suppertime - with our guidance of course. This would be a more challenging Au Pair match than the average family you could go with due to our circumstances. However, if you are looking to make a real difference in a child's life, looking for more formalized experience and training to help a child with special needs, you have the patience and kindness and willingness to learn as much as you can about autism...then this would be an invaluable opportunity for you.