Glitter Wart

written: October 24

Photo 572/1001



A pretty stick on eye jewel that Kalli S. (student) gave me today. We ended up calling them glitter warts. ::laughs::

Insane rough day today at work. BUT, I am making progress, so that’s a good thing.

Jackson BOLTED today and hid. Paula and I made 3 laps of the entire school trying to find him. I text his dad and my supervisor to let them know. On my 4th round through the 5th grade classrooms, I found him. He was crying and just asked me to call his dad. I told him I had already text dad and that dad was on his way. I sat down close by (and within camera view – as it was just me and Jackson in the 5th grade common area) and I asked him what happened. Normally, when he has hit this point, he’s 100% nonverbal. But this time around, he told me he hated two of the students in that were in the gym with him. That’s the first time he’s ever talked to me when he’s in crisis mode. I asked if there was anything I could do, and I saw him shut down. So I shut up. I text Paula to let her know I found him, so she didn’t have to continue looking. And I text Jackson’s dad to let him know that I found Jackson. And then I told the rest of my staff over the walkie that I was with Jackson, and to just call over the walkie when Jackson’s dad arrived.

Paula came down and sat with us, trying to talk to Jackson. But once she realized it was just agitating him further, she backed off. She told me to text her if I needed anything. We don’t currently have enough walkies for her to have one, so we just text. And then, Jackson and I just sat there for a good 15 minutes. I tried at various times to engage him in some conversation about random things, but he didn’t engage, so we mostly just sat in silence.

And then Riggs had a major melt-down in the gym and Waylon (developmentally delayed) just punched him in the forehead. Like REALLY?

After talking with Jackson’s father about what happened and getting Jackson’s side of the story, and getting the staffs’ side of the story AND coaching Jackson on where to go when he’s upset…Esmeralda (my supervisor) arrived. So I had to hash all of that out again with her. I was so exhausted at this point. I mean, she even commented on how exhausted I looked when she came in. Yep, adrenaline dump will do that do ya. And the fact that I’m dealing with this multiple times a week? Yeah, I’m burnt the fuck out.

And while I was in the office with Esmeralda, Jess had to talk to Waylon’s parents about what he did. And poor Claire (another aide)…she got her trial by fire. She had to talk to Rigg’s dad about what happened. And Rigg’s dad is a handful. So yeah, I get to talk to both of those parents tomorrow because they want to talk to someone higher up than my aides. Esmeralda wanted me to call Rigg’s dad before I left work today. But yeah…I just did NOT have the emotional and energy reserves to do that. So I emailed him that I will be in to work early tomorrow and would call him then. That’s about all I can do right now.