Eternal Humility

We Have A Dream Challenge

For the past sixteen years I’ve had the pleasure and extreme privilege of working in Special Education in my city of Worcester,MA.

I’ve worked with every population imaginable when it comes to educating students from regular ed, to elementary middle school autistic kids, inclusion and resource.

For the past eight years my job responsibilities have changed dramatically to something that has made an impact on me to last the rest of my life.

I was introduced to working with non-verbal autistic high school students around 2015. It was a difficult work adjustment for me personally and emotionally in the beginning, because a lot of my co-workers were getting physically assaulted by one student and I ended up working with him. This student was the first to challenge me in every way possible with spitting in my face, biting, kicking, licking counter tops and bolting to name a few extreme behaviors that a school system isn’t really equipped to handle without proper training first.

I had to learn as I went. Learning some basic rules of autistic behavioral management planted the seed that has made me a stronger woman to work with this non-verbal population.

My job is the perfect description of showing daily kindness to students who most of the world are scared of because they can’t speak, or they don’t take the time to understand their beautiful, funny, personalities that shine through the most difficult days of flopping, hitting, and throwing objects in a classroom.

Back to the boy who is one of three of my greatest success stories. This is one of my favorite photos, judging by this picture you’d never guess the months of hits I endured, non-compliance of basic school work demands, him eating plants because he didn’t feel like doing the work that day, of why this picture will forever warm my heart.

We eventually found our connection which was rooted in American Sign Language and him discovering we were both black reduced his behaviors so much so by the end of the year, all the co-workers who couldn’t handle working with him were completely shocked of the change in him, and kept inquiring what I did to make him for that to happen.

My answer is always the same, it’s establishing common ground with a student and once they know you always have their best interest at heart it makes a world of difference for them and you as the educator.

Here’s the thing about non-verbal autistic students. They know their different because they can’t verbalize their thoughts or emotions like their peers. They want to be treated just as equal with jokes and laughs just like their classmates who can advocate for themselves.

They desire the same things as any student, independence to the best of their ability, even if it's something simple as taking off their jackets, feeding themselves, answering questions with a “Yes No” button switch.

My current student I’ve been assigned to work with for the past five years. Similar to my other student she was a terror to a lot of my co workers because she was out of control, hitting everyone and every thing in physical property damage.

I was nervous in the beginning working with her as well because she hits hard. This is how she has learned to communicate her wants, desires, and frustrations because she is non-verbal.

Being able to work through the exhausting days of getting hit in the chest, her flopping constantly and having no desire to get up off the floor, no matter how much prompting you do allowed me to build a strong foundation of high work expectations once she understood her old habits of hitting, bolting, etc weren’t going to push me away like it did everyone else who worked with her in the past.

Her behaviors will always be there because that’s just how it is with autistic non-verbal students, but it isn't something you take personal.

One of the highlights I received after my student graduated from high school was how massive the changes in her behaviors were extremely limited. All of that is due to my tenacity of never giving up on her, treating her as an equal and we both have come out better because of it.

There is no greater kindness to show than to these amazing students who show me what it means to be truly grateful for all the little things we take for granted sometimes.

Their upbeat natural personalities in the midst of their medical conditions really makes you question why we stress so much when they rarely do.

I’m looking forward to learning more from my student as she teaches me patience and humility.