Been Awhile

So I haven't posted lately. That's because I've been focusing on empowering the souls and shaping the minds of St. Louis's High School students. That and reading, and going to lunch, and researching $250 camcorders.

Mostly though I've been working with the autistic students, where I don't have access to a desk or a computer. My job has been to work one on one with a couple of different students who require their own teachers aide, Mr. Awesome.

One student has loud short outburst every minute or so, grabs peoples arms, jumps out of his chair and is constantly knocking on the nearest hard surface. My job is to ask him to be quiet and try to keep him in his chair. When he is really wound up, part of his therapy is playing catch. Tossing a koosh ball back and forth with a non verbal 17 year old is a great way to spend a half an hour.

The other student who I work one on one with requires a lot more attention from me. Whenever you look away he quietly gets out of his seat and runs away. In the first two days of school this year, before the teachers realized he was a runner, he was able to get away from the teachers and outside of the autism wing 5 times. In middle school he once made it out his school and was found inside the St. Louis Science Center which was nearby. When I'm working with Charles my day is a lot like playing a game of slow motion tackle football with a 210 pound toddler. In other words, its fun.