Today, my autistic student had the biggest tantrum I've ever heard or seen. And I've seen some good ones. After being placed in time out for refusing to follow my directions and continuing to yell, he was very angry at me. When I let him up, instead of going back to him center, he fell on the floor, starting screaming at the top of his lungs, in a high pitched squeal, and kicking anything he could reach. Then, he kicked his shin right into a bench in the library area, and screamed even more. My entire class stood in shock, covering their ears, staring. "Stop watching. Cover your ears if you need to, but go back to your centers and ignore him, please." I told them. They tried very hard to follow that direction. Eventually, after having a good scream, and pointing at me and yelling in what appeared to be gibberish, he found a spot to hide for a few minutes, yelled at anyone who came near, then calmed down enough to go back and stand, arms folded across his chest and still "cry-breathing" (as I like to refer to deep, short breaths you get after a good cry) at his center, watching the other students play.
"Mad face," he said later, as he pointed at my teacher look. "Yes," I said. "No more yelling."
I love my job. :-)
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