I work with developmentally disabled adults. I have worked in a couple of different positions within the agency. I first worked as an Activity Therapist Assistant in a workshop setting. I mostly worked within the kitchen area which was great experience for me because I helped prepare meals for almost all of the clients. There are quite a few clients with dysphagia that are on ground or pureed diets and also need Thick-it added to their drinks. As a result, I became very familiar with all of the clients' feeding guidelines and all of the adaptive equipment they use. I also feed at least a couple of clients a day so if I ever decide to do any work with swallowing disorders, I am quite comfortable working with that population. The day program I currently work at is more educational. All of the clients have daily learning goals, and we do more games and activities with them throughout the day.
I have worked in workshops, group homes, and long-term care facilities, and I have worked with clients on all ends of the spectrum. Many of the clients are grouped together based on personal experiences and need so some locations I work in have more behavioral clients, while other locations serve clients that require more medical care. I do a lot of direct care at my job (i.e., feeding, changing, bathing) and the pay is not the greatest, but I really enjoy working with the clients and believe my experiences will serve me well in grad school.
I didn't do any volunteer work after graduating. My job was not always the most flexible, and I often got stuck working extra hours unexpectedly. I also was still taking a few post-bacc classes and preparing for the GRE when I first started at my job. I still pick up a couple of extra shifts a week since we are so short staffed so I try to enjoy any free time I have. If you want to work with adults, I would recommend at least volunteering with this population. I always love when volunteers come in to help. It makes the day so much easier, and most of the clients love interacting with new people too.