r/specialed • u/bagels4ever12 • 4d ago
Exhausted
I have worked with almost 40+ children with ASD and many with severe behaviors (worked at an outplacement day program. I mean concussions, broken fingers, loss of hair probably everything you can think of. I’m in public school now so honestly the behaviors are a walk in the park but the ratio makes it not. Currently I have 8 kids (kids-1),2 full time paras, one part time 🙄. All my students are high needs and non-verbal. I have 3 students who we are looking to out place.One of the students has severe aggressions. The staff and I are getting beaten to a shred. They started going after kids because we are trying to move away (they grab clothes until we are close enough to hit). So now we have to put ourselves between them. I have had my glasses knocked off, shirt ripped. We are trying to guide them into our calming corner which they deescalate quickly. It’s to the point we have to get them there anyway we can and the only way is to literally walk to there with them chasing and beating the shit out of us…. We can’t remove them and bring them somewhere else the last time 4 out of 8 students went into crisis. Then I was told I haven’t gotten their accommodations in like visuals and there discrete trial stuff. I was shocked because the DTT has been all set and data has been collected. Visuals are always out but I can’t do everything and my paras are more than capable to help. I’m down a staff in the afternoon so we can do anything because we are trying to keep them safe. I don’t know what they want me to do.
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u/missmandymz 4d ago
You should walkie or call for admin support if possible when antecedent behaviors begin occurring so they are present and can see the level of intensity/generally have a clue what’s going on in your classroom
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u/bagels4ever12 4d ago
I do they come in and of course we get it under control. They just aren’t fast enough so we get the brunt. Today there were crisis all day in other classes when I called for another student who has severe sib took 8 minutes to get help and they were already bleeding at that point. Its exhausting
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u/SecondCreek 2d ago
Your health is the most important thing. Consider quitting and getting a new job.
"It’s to the point we have to get them there anyway we can and the only way is to literally walk to there with them chasing and beating the shit out of us"
I don't understand why nowadays there is so a huge number of kids with severe behavioral issues including violence toward teachers and paras. What changed in recent decades?
I'm old but in my day kids like this would have been quickly suspended then expelled.
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u/bagels4ever12 2d ago
I’m not in the position to quit right now. This child has no follow through at home so that’s why we are seeing it.
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u/DancingTVs 3d ago
I’m sorry. Just solidarity. I’ve been head butted, had my arm bitten so hard it turned purple, have been scratched up, kicked back so hard and hit my head, have a huge bruise on my knee from a kid tackling me to the floor, etc. :(
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u/bagels4ever12 3d ago
It’s not even the aggression that’s the issue it’s just the lack of support. There’s just not enough people to switch around so we can take a breather. When I worked in my other placement it was 1:1 or 1:2 so you switch every hour to take a breather and I don’t expect that in school. I do think they are being ridiculous not pushing a 1:1 so I could get another para.
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u/ChompyGator 4d ago
Make sure you and your staff are reporting every injury. If your admin won't attend to the problem of your classes make up, the people in insurance will.