Getting Excited!

For the Love!

So, I have a kid with Autism in one of my classes.  He's pretty great.  Every day is an adventure, to say the least!  For the purposes of this story, we'll call his name "Trevor."

Last week, we were playing a game in class called Psychiatrist.  In it, the entire class has a problem (the same problem) and two people are the psychiatrists, asking yes/no questions to figure out what's wrong with them.  Problems are things like: you think you're the person on your right, or you think you are Oprah.  Stuff like that.

Well, Trevor was getting really upset with our psychiatrists because it was taking them so long to figure our problem out.  He kept shaking, or balling up his fists, and getting angry because he thought it was taking them way too long!  I tried to calm him down a bit and we had a quiet chat as the game continued.

Here's what our conversation looked like:

Trevor: "Ugh!  Seriously, guys!  What's wrong with you?"

[Trevor buries his head in his hands and starts shaking.]

Me: "Trevor, calm down for just a sec.  This is a tough game and they're trying really hard!"

Trevor: "It is NOT that hard!  I mean... I know what our problem is!"

Me: "Well that's probably because you're in on the secret."

[Trevor thinks for a second then shakes his head.]

Trevor: "No.  I don't think that's it."

Me: "Oh.  Well then it's probably because they're just not as smart as you!"

[Trevor stops shaking long enough to consider that, and then resumes shaking, this time with fists clenched, hands even with his shoulders.]

Trevor: "Obviously!!"

[Ten seconds later.. the frustration is still building.  The psychiatrists are SO CLOSE, and yet SO FAR from figuring it out.  Trevor slams his hands down on the ground and yells.]

Trevor: "FOR THE LOVE OF HILLARY DUFF!!"

Oh.  My.  Loved that moment.  LOVED IT.
New favorite catch phrase.