First Day At School

3.25 - I’ve finished my first day working with the least functioning autistic children in the school and like the alcohol of my congratulatory pint filtering into my blood the days events are slowly filtering into my memory.

I love my leaf- eating noise making arm-flailing kids. Each one, although clearly insular and unable to communicate in words, are able to shine with their own personality. I thought I would be amongst near absent vegetables, but that more was to do with ignorance, and prejudice than experience. They do have a day dreamy look sometimes, as if occupied by something far more interesting than what I see, and who’s to say their not.

The day went quickly as the activities changed often, the kids low boredom threshold fortunately covering mine. It was physical work too, not just taxing but tactile, another preconception was that autistic people don’t like contact but they will wrestle, hug, squirm and just plain sprawl all over you.

The school is staffed by almost exclusively women and contains an almost exclusive male student body, which is good because sometimes my blokes bass voice seems to get through when persuasion doesn’t.

I will be back tomorrow, and god damn me if I’m not looking forward to it.

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