Wednesday, January 12, 2011

typical day

my "typical" day started with continuing a report i've been writing for a 4 year old i assessed for autism. he is the youngest student i've assessed so far. it was so much fun though cause he was so sweet and cute, it was funny working with him cause all i could do was laugh when he ignored my requests for a task and kept lining up the toy dinosaurs.
i then walked into the office, expecting to find a parent and our team there for a sst. parent didn't show, even though everyone else did and it was frustrating to waste time like that. but whatever, i should expect that now. but while waiting, i got to catch up with a teacher about a student. after i went back to my office, i got materials ready for testing. i ended up testing two students for hours today! still can't figure out what is "wrong" with one even though i exhausted him with two more tests today. poor thing. but ends up that he is one of the higher students i've tested in a while, despite remarks such as "i'm stupid" and "you're disappointed in me huh?" it was sad. but i told him he wasn't stupid and i had the proof. so i'm excited to tell him he's definitely not dumb.
i observed a little girl in 2nd grade and loved being that class. 2nd graders are hilarious. there was a sub and he was really good with them. one little girl needed a pencil, and the teacher bent down, picked one up, and then gave it to her. but it was another student's. so they were trying to tell the teacher that but he couldn't hear. so the girl was using the pencil, and eventually the teacher found out the boy needed a pencil so he got one for him and switched them. the funny thing was, that as another little boy walked passed the girls desk and dropped another pencil on her desk. she looked at it and said, i don't need that! so the teacher told her to put it away. and the boy who gave her the extra pencil looked at her with a little smile from his backpack while he got another pencil. cute!
after testing for a bit, i grabbed a boy that i've been counseling for grief, since his godsister and his cousin died. i met with him for a bit, but mostly it was to terminate the sessions because i didn't think that he was benefiting from counseling anymore. he just wanted to play. anyways, then i ate quickly, tried to score some protocols and tested again right in time for a sst for a boy in 4th grade who has focus issues. the meeting turned into just a few of us and then just the teacher and me and i felt kinda like i hadn't been that helpful because she wanted to implement a whole schedule where he gets one on one help everyday for a little while. but i really couldn't commit to that even though i tried for another student.
i then compiled consent forms for my boys group counseling and handed them out to teachers. i am over the top with assessments and starting the group and also trying to do the collaborative problem solving program. so i am a bit overwhelmed to say the least.
after i scored more protocol and connected with another teacher about pending paperwork, i got my stuff together to go home. on my way out at 4, i saw a student who has been asking to "come with me" and "when am i gonna pick him up?" and i had gotten a message from his mother saying she would like him to have counseling. i spoke to him wondering what he would like to see me for and i told him what i did with students. he still wanted to see me and told me that he had thoughts of suicide. so i was like, uh ok! (red flag!) i made sure he was ok and that he wouldn't be harming himself over the next few days, then i said that either myself or one of the interns will be meeting with him next week. i think i need more time at my elementary school...