Not for the first time, the shrieks from my soul escape, and I sob
I feel the blow, but I don’t react. It’s not the first time a student has physically attacked me. I’ve been working with autistic preschoolers for a while now.
But I’ve been trained to handle behaviorally difficult children, and observing my teachers and coworkers at work has given me the knowledge, courage, and confidence to deal with anything these kids throw at me.
I look at the child who has just hit me. He’s sitting across from me in his cube chair. He’s frustrated. I take a deep breath and say, “Nice hand, hands aren’t for hitting.” Then I move myself a safe distance away, but still within reach. I wait until he calms down.
It’s snack time. My coworker Nadine approaches me and smiles. I smile back, relieved that she’ll be taking over. I update her on how the morning has been. Nadine’s distributing Oreos for snack time, and I wistfully say, “I’d really love a cookie.”
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