mai-cai boy

he's the quick-thinker. he's the energetic one. he's the most unpredictable. he's hard-headed. he's the most exhausting. he's the most excruciating. he's the most dynamic. he's the most adorable.

he's my favourite. (shhhhhh)

i love working with him. i dread working with him. i heave a big sigh when i think of him coming on a Friday afternoon. i get super hungry the moment he leaves my sight.

but i enjoy every single moment with him. good or bad.

last year was really tough, working with him. none of us could really decipher him. he could be fine this moment and go berserk the next. he was really difficult to manage. especially with all this energy pumping inside his little body in a small space with no proper outlet. no wonder he was so frustrated all the time. and boy was he an attention seeker. ABA worked, for a while, and then in another minute some other idea catches his fancy and we start all over again.

i was running out of ideas trying to interest him in table tasks and at the same time getting him to listen to instructions and following rules. trying to do too much at the same time. and it was so difficult to keep up with him.

this year, he's older, more matured, a little bit more subdued (not the exact adjective but my vocab is limited), plus we're in a different environment from last year. he still gives me headaches, alright. but good ones. mostly.

he came back with an even sharper mind. he came back with more energy and flexibility and agility. but he also came back with more maturity and a bit more settled. he doesn't throw as much tantrums when he gets frustrated or when he's denied what he wants. he doesn't go running away from you to get your attention or to get away from doing something. he doesn't scream or lash out when he's very frustrated.

but, he still has his weird logic in what he wants you to do or what he thinks should be done. and he still has little awareness of how dangerous some situations or places are. and he still has difficulty following direct instructions or rules and i have to think on my feet how to trick him into doing what he's required to do. and he has his own way of having fun and seeking your attention trying to make you smile or notice him which is totally in the opposite spectrum of what is expected in a game or sequence.

and i can't imagine living with him 24/7. he sure is three-handfuls. and i really respect the parents for doing so well with him, despite it all. and it's really heart-warming to see the love that they have for their firstborn.

one thing though, that i think is different that contributes to his current state is that i've changed the way i teach him. i'm more accommodating and lenient in terms of following his flow, which makes me feel more in tune with him. hence building a stronger connection and working relationship with him. which leads to better outcomes in his learning and mine. there are still lots of room for improvement, i'll admit. 

having said that, i still put my foot down and be firm in getting him to follow the schedule, class rules, listening to instructions. with lots of creative persuading, of course.

his latest trick is having me sit beside him and doing work alongside him. he'll bring me the table, scissors, basket, colour pencils, pencil, eraser, paper, etc. and tell me to cut or draw or colour or whatever it is that strikes his fancy. and i'll just accept that, coz it makes him do his table tasks. and i think it's his way of maintaining control. as his behaviour and thought process is erratic in certain ways, he gets denied a lot, which also contributes to his pent up energy and frustration which when given a small opening will erupt dramatically. and by accommodating him like that, he feels a sense of control over his environment as well as accomplishment when his wants are listened and met. 

he's just so cute today when he was in the middle of doing his reading worksheet and caught me looking at him instead of cutting paper and he pointed at my hands and told me, in a teacher tone: "cut, cut paper". here i was, frustrated that he could not read any of those words when i know he could, and this which came out of nowhere made me smile. yeah, that's how it is working with him.

and i tell you today i was so so happy he was reading so loudly the sentences in front of the class (actually it was more like shouting) when usually he does it in a small voice or with lots of jumping or hitting the board. i kinda regret not recording it for memory's sake. 

yeah he is a handful. (more than, actually) and i could still remember the extreme frustration and helplessness that he gave me last time. i still do get frustrated and helpless. but i also learned a lot from working with him. and i also laughed and smiled a lot with him. and he just has this ability to cheer you up with the weird things he does or says. and that smile, not perfect i tell you, will just melt your being like the sunshine.

yes, i have a huge soft spot for him. yes, i adore him to pieces. 

oh, my dear mai-cai boy.