"We HAVE to get out of here!!"

Today was my second day on the new job. The little girl I work with is such a cutie. She is more profoundly autistic than Richard. The training I received last week hasn't been all that helpful to me in the classroom. The techniques I learned would be more useful to an in home tutor. What I wished they had taught me was how to handle a meltdown in the classroom. How to restrain a student who is in danger of hurting him/herself or others without causing injury to the child or myself. Her attention span lasts only a few seconds at a time. Today, she kept saying, "We HAVE to get out of here!" over and over again. Sometime I feel the same way!LOL Perhaps it was a way of stimming. I feel like I'm under a microscope with her. I know in my head that if it doesn't work out, I shouldn't take it personally. Being on the parent end of this for 11 years now, I understand how sometimes it (the aide) just isn't working out. Nothing personal. It's just the way it is. Richard has had to go through several aides at several different schools before we found that was a good fit. Right now, Richard is at a workshop at school. He's learning to talk "forsoothy" so that he can audition for Middle Class in the Elizabethan Dinner this year. I hope he makes it. He was very disappointed not to make the school play. Especially since the play is about special needs adults trying to fit in society. When he didn't get a part in the play, he said to me, "I guess I'm just so high functioning now, that they don't think I can act special needs very good." I am relieved that he still wants to continue to audition and be a part of school activities. In 2 weeks he starts voice training at the school. It will last 7 weeks and cost $84. Richard's hope is that it will help him to sing in the lower register. Oh my goodness! It's Sept. 29th! I need to get busy on my Sept. Bowler Bulletin and send it out to you folks! Busy, busy, busy.

Aaannnd, I'm OFF!!!

After two days of getting to be a regular stay at home Mom, I'm back into the swing of things. Right now, I'm enjoying my sourdough english muffin and water. Then I'm out the door on my way to my first day of ABA training. I finally found out yesterday that I will be working morning kindergarten. That's perfect! Otherwise, I would have to work something out for the after school carpool for the high schoolers. I have never been SO busy in my entire life. I told Maria yesterday to just wait until she has kids in 3 different schools! That was the killer for me!

Things are looking up!

OK, so I didn't get the job that I interviewed for face down on the floor at Upland Elementary. It was a let down for me, but I had already made up my mind that I would continue to apply for better paying jobs with the school district until I got SOMETHING. The second week of school, I was in the teacher's lounge and one of the instructional aides told me that there was an opening for an instructional aide position and a daycare position with the school district. I asked her when the deadline was to apply for the jobs? The deadline for both were THAT day (Friday). So I raced home during my break and applied online for both positions. For the instructional aide position, one of the qualifications were that I either have 48 semester credits (I only have 30), or that I have passed the academic assessment test required of paraprofessionals in accordance with the "No Child Left Behind Act." I didn't have that either. So I called the district office and asked how I get certified? I got a call from Becky, the lady at the district office on Monday wanting to know if I could come in the next morning for testing. I did and I PASSED! Woo-Hoo! I had my interview the next day and felt good about it. I got a call a few days later telling me that they had selected someone else for the 6 hour instructional aide position, but would I accept a 3 1/12 hour position? I accepted. This means more money in our bank account and I won't have to watch after 377 kids on the playground anymore! I go in Wed. and Thur. of next week for Applied Behavior Analysis training and then I'll start work at Sycamore Elementary. I'll be working one on one with a kindergarten girl who is autistic. I'm hoping that Friday and Monday they will just let me observe and let her get to me a little. If they pull her current aide out and suddenly put me in, it will almost certainly turn her little world upside down. Autistics thrive on routine, so I'm hoping that they will ease me in as her new aide. So anyhow, life is funny! I was big time bummed that I didn't get the clerical assistant position at the other school and I ended up getting a job that not only pays more money and gives me more hours, but that will really challenge me. One more time now WOO HOO!!!
Obviously, the daycare position is a non-starter. Thank Goodness!!