"That's going to be a chapter in my book!"

Hey there!
If you're reading this you are a Special Educator or someone who supports/loves one. As most teachers do, I recall the funny, and not-so-funny, things that happen in the course of a full career working with exceptional young people. When I relate these stories (names changed, of course) people tell me I should write a book. I've thought about that and recently decided that a blog would be easier. I can jump around as I recall funny anecdotes and am not bound by chronological order. Some of the working titles that I'll be starting with include: "I Don't Wanna Be Number 5!," "Bobby's Backpack," "No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problem!," "The Pole Dancer," "I Had Popcorn For Dinner," and "Hot Cheetoh Blowout" (parts 1 & 2). Believe me, there are many more as, on a nearly daily basis, I tell my staff, "That's going to be a chapter in my book!" 
I will always be grateful to Ms. Marilyn, my mentor, for encouraging me to be a special education teacher, giving me the appreciation of humor in odd situations and teaching me how to problem solve on the fly.  Here's the first of many musings:

Bobby's Backpacki
My very first experience with students with Autism was as a para-professional working with Ms. Marilyn. A youngster with the features of a cherub would proudly declare daily, without fail, "We throw Bobby's backpack out the window!"  When questioned, he would giggle hysterically but never answer so I had NO idea why he said this. I got used to just nodding and accepting the statement as something he needed to say, especially since I was accustomed to hearing him recite EVERY make, model, color and license plate of EVERY staff members' car in the parking lot and the name of the staff member who drove the vehicle.  I figured this was another aspect of his exceptionalism until one day when I walked him out to the bus.  The bus driver asked me if we could help her problem solve: every day the cherub would get hold of Bobby's backpack. Bobby, of course, was very sweet and quiet. Never said a word. Cherub would manage to get the backpack away from Bobby and throw it out of the window of the bus while it was moving, even though there were adults on board charged with watching the kids. He had a very sly way of waiting until, inevitably, the adults were distracted by students in their care.  Unfortunately, changing Bobby's routine by putting him on the bus without his backpack was cause for heartbreaking tears. Worse were the tears resulting from watching it fly out of the window.  No amount of reasoning or consequence was effective in changing the adorable cherub's behavior. He would flash a beautiful, innocent smile and you could tell that he was already somewhere else.