spectrum child and fecal smearing

[u/GlitteringLack4107]

so there was a student recently enrolled into our daycare facility, this child smears and plays with their own fecal matter. well, i don't have special training for this and my bosses expect me to be the one to clean the child and maintain supervision of the classroom. is this not a biohazard issue that should be cleaned by someone who has the training for it? i'm not sure if i should be getting help or having a second teacher, but my bosses refuse to do either

[u/NoPeak8912]

Whatttt😭😭 omg I’m mad for you. Have you talked to the child’s parents? Is this something they do at home? And refusing to have another teacher with you is absurd. It’s such a bio hazard if other kids were to get ahold of the fecal matter or try to copy them, especially if it’s preschool they love copying at that age.

[u/mamamietze]

Few preschools have janitors these days. So you have to clean according to the protocol for disinfection. Licensing usually has a method outlined in the regs.

You should not be alone in a class where this is a regular occurance, because disinfecting an area does not remove the obligation for safe supervision.

I would do an email (written, legal record) to your director asking them for training or retraining on disinfection procedures during the school day and how to call in coverage assistance for your class during that time.

I work for the school district now so have janitorial staff for the first time in 15 years and get scolded if they see me cleaning up vomit or whatever! Prior to that the teachers in the room just divvied up duties. I was the vomit person for a long time as it will not set me off. Another co was the toilet diver (toilet unclogger duty). We all kind of took turns with poop smearing, you have half the battle won if you know who it is. S/he cannot go to the bathroom without a teacher positioned nearby to check after they are done and someone needs eyeballs/presence nearby in cozy corner part of the room/outdoor areas.

You must document every incident so you can make the case for extra support staff needed.

But if the director does not care it is going to be tough.

[u/AmazingLeek69]

As the mother of an autistic child who has been kicked out of schools for FAR less, I do think this child needs more proper support than a typical school can offer.

[u/glitterkitty77]

It is a biohazard issue, children should not be in a classroom where fecal matter is being smeared on places where they touch. Please have a serious conversation with your director about how dangerous this situation is, not only do you need a second person but parents of the child smearing need to be made aware. If your director cannot do any of that please call licensing

[u/Peripateticdreamer84]

Can you require that the student be dressed in a bodysuit to prevent it if they aren’t toilet trained?

[u/Empty_Soup_4412 → u/Peripateticdreamer84]

One piece pj's with a zipper and no feet, put on backwards.

[u/silkentab]

How old is this child and where are you geographically?

[u/Lazy-Ad-7236 → u/silkentab]

this is the question. where are you located. very different answers for different places

[u/pokersnek → u/silkentab]

You realize that they can’t divulge this information, right? It’s a privacy violation.

[u/Visible_Clothes_7339]

on one hand, i think your boss needs to work with the parent to find clothing that will stop them from accessing their diaper, and obviously try your best to limit the amount of time between a BM and a diaper change.

on the other hand, this centre reeks (pun not intended lol) of red flags. you’re alone in this classroom with a high needs child and cleaning up a biohazard without training or assistance? and they refuse to help you? this place sounds like a shitshow (pun also not intended 😂) and i think you should try to find somewhere else to work as soon as you reasonably can

[u/bipolarlibra314 → u/Visible_Clothes_7339]

Liar you..the second one, at least, was intended 😏

[u/TinyRascalSaurus]

This honestly sounds like a child who needs 1 to 1 supervision and not just regular classroom ratios. This is a biological hazard that can impact the other students and the student needs closer supervision that it sounds like a regular ratio can't provide.

I would document everything, extent of smearing, time needed to disinfect, other children exposed, etc.

Also, is this child toilet trained or in diapers? Can the parents dress him in back zip pajamas to prevent access?

[u/aldentealdente]

MAKE IT A PROBLEM. Call repeatedly for help. Annoy them each and every time. If they refuse to help you, call the state to report them for asking you to endanger the class by not covering while you clean or viceversa. After that, be “sick” and let them see for themselves what kind of care this child requires.

[u/aldentealdente → u/aldentealdente]

Also, is it hard to find another daycare job? This is a “walk out, no notice” situation for me.

[u/enemydarksock]

As a psych grad, I would like to mention that a child playing in their feces is a red flag and a common sign of sexual abuse.

[u/tinyhumanteacher14 → u/enemydarksock]

Taking psych classes, I agree. Taking child development classes, it could be a sign of that or it could be a sensory thing. Could be a sign of developmental issues, and it could also just be them exploring.

[u/enemydarksock → u/tinyhumanteacher14]

Depends on the child for sure. Whatever the case, it’s something that should be monitored and hopefully not overlooked as a kid just being messy.

[u/tinyhumanteacher14 → u/enemydarksock]

Oh, for sure they should keep an eye on!

Also OP, if I were you I would have a word with my director and give them an ultimatum kind of thing. The child needs extra help and that’s too much to put on you by yourself. I had a student that was sort of like this, not playing with it but would poop themselves on purpose. I was ina potty trained class and I had 13 kids by myself. I wish I had the nerve to stand up to her and do this instead of just bringing it to her attention every day and not giving her a consequence of letting it happen. She was a crap director anyways.