“When student Chazia gets overstimulated, she starts throwing things”

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A teacher tells Kek Mama what she is experiencing. This time: Miss Ineke (47) teaches Chazia in group seven.

The class writes an essay. The silence is broken by Steijn, who hums softly. “Shhh Steijn”, I say. It works for a while, then he starts humming again. Suddenly there is a clatter. Chazia throws a shower of crayons around the class. Her classmates run for cover.

Chazia is a cute girl who has a mild form of autism. When she gets overstimulated she starts throwing things. If she fails at something, if she loses her eraser, if she can’t sit in her own place in the circle, if someone makes a loud noise. Or if someone makes soft noises and doesn’t stop. The class is used to it, but thinks she’s weird, and she can feel it.

“If she gets overstimulated, she will throw things”

She’s about to throw her notebook after the pencils when I walk over to her. I take her by the hand and say: “Come on, Chazia, let’s take a rest in the hallway.” To the class I say, “Continue with the essay, guys.”

Overstimulated

In the hallway I ask Chazia what happened. “I couldn’t stand Steijn singing, teacher,” she says. “But I don’t know why I’m going to throw.” I explain to her what the word overstimulated means. That your brain then has to process too many things at once. That one has it faster than the other, and that she has it quickly. And then you start doing things you don’t want to. She starts to cry.

“I wish I hadn’t, miss. All the kids watching”

“I wish I hadn’t, miss. All the kids watch. I wish I didn’t do it anymore.” I am thinking. “Do you feel it coming on beforehand, that you are getting overstimulated?” “Yes,” she says. “Then I get a bad feeling.” “If you feel that bad feeling, can you walk to the hallway? To relax for a while?” She replies: “No, because then I won’t calm down.” I ask: “Do you like it better if I go with you?” “Yes,” she says. “Then we now think of how I can see that you feel the bad feeling coming on”, I say. “So that I can get to you on time”.

I am thinking. Chazia loves flags. We have 28 flags on sticks in the classroom. From all EU countries. “Chazia, if we just put a flag on your table. And then when you feel that bad feeling coming on, you put it upright”, I say. “If I see the flag with you, I will come to you and we will walk out of the classroom together.”

Read also – Overstimulated child? You can do this >

flag

A week later it’s time. In the middle of the language lesson, Claartje starts to scream. “Steijn pulled my hair!” Her neighbor Steijn looks like the murdered innocence. I’m getting angry. “Steyn, is this true?” I ask. “Do not lie!” While Steijn is considering his answer, I see Chazia raise her flag.

I leave Claartje and Steijn to their fate for a while, walk to Chazia, take her hand, and we leave the classroom. In the hallway I see Chazia relaxing. “It didn’t happen, did it, miss”, she laughs. “No doll, it didn’t happen. High five”, I say. She gives me one back.

Beaming, she follows me back into the classroom, where Steijn and Claartje have now become involved in a serious argument. One half of the class is for Steijn, the other for Claartje. While I calm things down, I look at Chazia. She walks very quietly to her table, and puts the flag down again.

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