As a former Line Therapist, and now Elementary Special Education Teacher it has constantly been brought to my attention that there is a huge gap in educating people about those with Autism.
Our children have classmates with Autism and many of them have never even heard the term "Autistic." This unknowingness leads to children struggling to understand WHY their classmate has an aide come in to work with them. Classmates become confused or envious of certain accommodations made for Special Education students that truly need those accommodations to be successful. Some classmates will even imitate the behaviors of a classmate with Autism in hopes of receiving special attention or accommodations they do not truly need.
As I observed each of these situations occurring on a daily basis in many classrooms, the solution seemed clear, lets TALK about it!
I created a "Prezi" online talking about Autism for a second grade class. When I gave this little presentation our friend with Autism was visiting with a different classroom. :) It seemed the best option for him to not be present, so everyone felt comfortable enough to ask any questions they had.
The second graders were extremely interested and responsive to talking about Autism. A few students even had siblings with it. We shared what Autism might look like for one person, and might NOT look like for someone else.
After our class talk the students were able to try out our fidgets, seat wigglers, weighted blankets etc. The students enjoyed this part very much, while it simultaneously solved the issue of students wanting to have the same accommodations as their classmate with Autism in their own classroom.
Following our talk the students have acted 150% more understanding, patient and interested to learn more about their classmate. It has been heartwarming to witness these young students put forth extra effort to make life better for someone else.
Here's the link for the Prezi!
