Aren't they what make life worth living? Validation of existence?
One of my preschool students is autistic. He has limited vision and is developmentally handicapped. He is largely nonverbal as well.
Surprisingly, I am usually one of the service providers to whom he has the least objection. When he first started preschool, he bit the PTA. I don't know if he still does, but he used to cry when the OT came. She found out that he likes to swing, so she lets him do that. A lot. This student would often fuss when I took him, but once out of earshot of his classroom teacher, he was usually cooperative. Until this year.
I don't know what happened. His teacher says he has the same reaction to the speech therapist, but that doesn't make it any easier. He is almost too big to handle by myself when he is angry, and he has a lot of destructive habits, like pulling out his hair, scratching his face until it bleeds and banging his head on the floor. His classroom teacher says not to let it bother me, but it does. I know he doesn't understand, but I get upset when he tries to hurt himself out of temper. And I know this is ego, but I don't like the looks I get when I lead him down the hall while he is screaming.
One of the first lessons I relearned when I made the transition from teacher of secondary English to teacher of the visually impaired was that I was still in charge. You wouldn't think I would have to relearn that, but I was unfamiliar with the student population and therefore sort of intimidated by them. Developmentally delayed kids are universally cute, and they know it. They also know how to manipulate.
As a result of this lesson relearned, I took my autistic student on head on. Since his tantrums are hard for me to control with the RA, I asked for his aid to accompany us when we left the room. Then I resort to the old hand-over-hand routine. You don't want to nest the cups? That's fine, but I will take your hand and you will go through the motions. Sorting bells? You can pick them up yourself, or we will pick them up together.
Our struggle has been going on pretty much since the beginning of the school year, so imagine my surprise last week when this student actually touched puzzle pieces. He put three bells in bowls (one for him, one for his teacher, one for him....)and both looked at and touched the nesting cups. His reward is for us to go to the cafeteria and sing songs. His favorite is "The Hokey-Pokey." Anyway, it would have been reward enough that he participated, but at the end of the lesson he held on to me. I'm not used to that; we did the Hokey Pokey one more time. Then, when I told him I had to leave, he gave me a hug! I only see this student twice a week, so that was quite a reward. When I related what had happened to my husband, he too was pleased. "Isn't that what you have worked for?" he said. "A response?"
I hope I will hold on to the lessons I have learned from my special ed students. A little perseverance goes a long way. And one hug makes sticking with it worthwhile.
One of my preschool students is autistic. He has limited vision and is developmentally handicapped. He is largely nonverbal as well.
Surprisingly, I am usually one of the service providers to whom he has the least objection. When he first started preschool, he bit the PTA. I don't know if he still does, but he used to cry when the OT came. She found out that he likes to swing, so she lets him do that. A lot. This student would often fuss when I took him, but once out of earshot of his classroom teacher, he was usually cooperative. Until this year.
I don't know what happened. His teacher says he has the same reaction to the speech therapist, but that doesn't make it any easier. He is almost too big to handle by myself when he is angry, and he has a lot of destructive habits, like pulling out his hair, scratching his face until it bleeds and banging his head on the floor. His classroom teacher says not to let it bother me, but it does. I know he doesn't understand, but I get upset when he tries to hurt himself out of temper. And I know this is ego, but I don't like the looks I get when I lead him down the hall while he is screaming.
One of the first lessons I relearned when I made the transition from teacher of secondary English to teacher of the visually impaired was that I was still in charge. You wouldn't think I would have to relearn that, but I was unfamiliar with the student population and therefore sort of intimidated by them. Developmentally delayed kids are universally cute, and they know it. They also know how to manipulate.
As a result of this lesson relearned, I took my autistic student on head on. Since his tantrums are hard for me to control with the RA, I asked for his aid to accompany us when we left the room. Then I resort to the old hand-over-hand routine. You don't want to nest the cups? That's fine, but I will take your hand and you will go through the motions. Sorting bells? You can pick them up yourself, or we will pick them up together.
Our struggle has been going on pretty much since the beginning of the school year, so imagine my surprise last week when this student actually touched puzzle pieces. He put three bells in bowls (one for him, one for his teacher, one for him....)and both looked at and touched the nesting cups. His reward is for us to go to the cafeteria and sing songs. His favorite is "The Hokey-Pokey." Anyway, it would have been reward enough that he participated, but at the end of the lesson he held on to me. I'm not used to that; we did the Hokey Pokey one more time. Then, when I told him I had to leave, he gave me a hug! I only see this student twice a week, so that was quite a reward. When I related what had happened to my husband, he too was pleased. "Isn't that what you have worked for?" he said. "A response?"
I hope I will hold on to the lessons I have learned from my special ed students. A little perseverance goes a long way. And one hug makes sticking with it worthwhile.
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