Look Out World

The adventure continues with our autistic student. If you thought everything I have mentioned before was out there, you have not heard anything yet. Hold on to you hats!

On Wednesday, our student was off kilter most of the day. My students and I had heard the screaming throughout the entire day. When he got to my class, he began to disrupt my class, imitate me, make body noises (you can guess), yell, and scream. I stared him down...it is a great way to make him stop. I them told him that he would not be disrupting my class today. He stood up and began to scream. I told him to go out into the hall (with his assistant, of course) and sit there until he could behave. He screamed the entire way out the door, and the screaming continued out in the hall. I called the office and had them page our resource officer to come get him.

That was going to take some time. Turns out the officer was dealing with another student. In the meantime, the screaming stopped for a few minutes. What I later learned was that he was having a conversation in the hall WITH HIMSELF and HIS FOUR VOICES. You heard me...four voices. They were all very distinct and each had a different personality. My assistant scripted the entire conversation (which is amazing) so we could have it on record. During this conversation he was arguing with himself. One voice was calling him stupid and a jerk. Another voice was telling him to do something. The child's voice was crying out not to do it. It was very frightening.

My assistant asked him if he was hearing voices. His response was "Yes, they tell me to do things."  He then went back to his conversation. Can you say schizophrenic?

Once the conversation was over, he resumed his screaming. What happened next shocked me. One of the teachers across the hall made her way out to the hall. She began to scold my student for his screaming, telling him that he was disturbing her students. I had never heard her get mad at anyone. I was amazed. As she scolded him, he began to cry and scream some more. I happened to walk out there at just that moment. I told him to stop it. He instantly quit the crying and screaming and began to laugh. Can you say bi-polar?

It was a terrifying afternoon.

Fast forward to this morning. The screaming and defiance hit an all time high! It began before 8AM. The assistant principal came and took him to his office. During my planning period @ 8AM, we went to the office to check up on our student. What I heard sent chills down my spine. He was jumping up and down, screaming like we had never heard before, pulling at his hair, pulling at his clothes. He was absolutely going ballistic. Within 30 seconds of that tantrum, the principal came in and instructed the assistant principal to send our student home.

As if that weren't bad enough, when the dad arrived at the school he REFUSED to sign his son out of school for the day. Two principals had to come to the front and talk with him. They finally convinced him to sign out his son and take him home for the day.

Whew!

Tomorrow is our IEP meeting with this student's parents, two principals, the director of special education, our school psychologist (yes, we have a full-time psychologist on site), the special education case manager, an outside-independent psychologist, the diagnosticians, our resource officer, etc. It is going to be a full house. We are going to try and convince the parents that placement in the regular classroom is not in the best interest for their child. If they refuse to have him placed in a more appropriate setting, we (his teachers) will elect to vote "NO" on his IEP. Yes, we have that right as education professionals to vote no if we feel that the student's needs are not being me. We are going to stand up for what is right in this situation.

We have been warned that the mother will threaten to sue us if she does not get her way. I say BRING IT ON! I am ready to rumble.

I posted on my Facebook account today that "I find it hilarious that so many people tell me they are 'praying for us' when I see them in the hallway." That is absolutely true. Every teacher and staff member in the school knows about our situation on our hallway. They are all naturally concerned for everyone on our hall. I so appreciate their prayers and words of encouragement. I can never repay them for their love and support.

So tomorrow is the pivotal moment for the year.

Will we get our student into a more appropriate setting?
Will we get to regain our sanity?
Will we have to file a lawsuit if the parents refuse to help their child?
Will I be able to bite my tongue when needed?
Will we survive this year?

All will be answered by 9AM tomorrow!