Autism is a disorder that does not discriminate between race, religion, or socioeconomic status. Almost everybody knows a friend, co-worker, neighbor, or acquaintance who has a child with autism. This statement applies not only to our country, but throughout the world.
According to the CDC, more children will be diagnosed with autism this year than cancer, diabetes, or AIDS combined.
It is often times difficult to understand autism unless you have a face to place with the disorder. There are many famous people who have been diagnosed on the autism spectrum. Others are speculated to have autistic-like characteristics. Some of these people include:
- Albert Einstein
- Temple Grandin
- Bill Gates
- Sir Isaac Newton
- Thomas Jefferson
- John Elder Robison
Naturally, some of these claims are purely speculative and not without controversy. But Temple Grandin and John Elder Robison are both New York Times best selling authors and world renowned speakers on the subject of autism. Their books, which you can find in our list of resources below, are wonderful and vivid accounts of what living with autism is like in daily life. HBO recently made a film based on the life of Temple Grandin, giving a wonderful perspective of what it is like to live with autism on a daily basis.
Autism's profile is elevated in the public consciousness when children of famous actors, actresses and athletes are diagnosed with autism. Parents like Jenny McCarthy, Toni Braxton, Dan Marino, Doug Flutie and Ernie Els share their journeys with the world, and as a result, put a face to Autism. They have become advocates for autism awareness and have set up foundations to improve the lives of children with autism in our country.
Recognizing that statistic, the MNPS autism team is working with several community organizations to help bring awareness. The following are some resources to visit to gain more information about autism and strategies.
| Websites: |
| Speaking of Speech |
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This website has lots of free visuals under “materials exchange” heading on the home page for a variety of age levels. |
| UNC Teacch Autism Program |
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This website offers great information on work systems, structured teaching, and links to the Tasks Galore books. This information is beneficial in helping to increase structure across all classroom settings. |
| Mrs. Riley |
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This is a pay by the month website that offers access to thousands of pictures so you can create visuals for your home and classroom. |
| Different Roads to Learning |
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This website is an online catalog where you can order toys and learning materials that are appropriate for children with autism. This website also has a lot of books on Applied Behavior Analysis. |
| Practical Autism Resources |
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This website has a lot of printables for teachers for several different classroom activities, data forms, and other resources. |
| Indiana Resource Center for Autism |
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This website has great information on the importance of work systems for children with autism. |
| Autism4Teachers |
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This website is a great resource for all classroom teachers that include lesson plans, examples, social stories, and several different printables for all levels of functioning. |
| Polyxo |
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This website offers printable data sheets and graphs to track behavior data as well as discrete trial programs. |
| Autism Society of Middle Tennessee |
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This website is a great resource for parents and teachers to help guide you through additional community resources that are offered in Middle Tennessee. The autism team has partnered with this organization to help with their fall conference. |
| Boardmaker Share |
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This is a great website with printables for therapy tools, curriculum, life skills, communication, and cognitive activities for students from pre-k thru adulthood. |
There are several books that provide a wealth of information on autism. These books range from personal accounts to social skills. The following is a list of books that come highly recommended by the autism team.
| Personal Accounts: |
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| Emergence: Labeled Autistic |
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By Temple Grandin and Margaret M. Scariano |
| Thinking In Pictures: My Life with Autism |
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By Temple Grandin |
| Your Life is Not a Label: A Guide to Living Fully with Autism and Asperger's Syndrome |
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By Jerry Newport |
| Ten Things Every Child with Autism Wishes You Knew |
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By Ellen Notbohm |
| Look Me in the Eye |
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By John Elder Robison |
| Born On a Blue Day: Inside the Extraordinary Mind of an Autistic Savant |
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By Daniel Tammet |
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| Social Skills: |
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| Asperger's Syndrome: A Guide for Parents and Professionals. |
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By Tony Atwood, Ph.D. |
| The Social Skills Picture Book: Teaching play, emotion, and communication to children with autism |
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By Jed Baker, Ph.D. |
| The Social Skills Picture Book for High School and Beyond |
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By Jed Baker, Ph.D. |
| A 5 Is Against the Law! Social Boundaries: Straight Up! An honest guide for teens and young adults |
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By Kari Dunn Buron |
| A "5" Could Make Me Lose Control! An activity-based method for evaluating and supporting highly anxious students |
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By Kari Dunn Buron |
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| Behavior and Communication: |
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| Visual Strategies for Improving Communication: Practical Supports for School & Home |
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By Linda Hogdon |
| Activity schedules for children with autism: Teaching independent behavior |
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By Lynn E. McClannahan, Ph.D. and Patricia Krantz, Ph.D. |
| Teaching conversation to children with autism: Scripts and script fading |
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By Lynn E. McClannahan, Ph.D. and Patricia Krantz, Ph.D. |
| Behavioral intervention for young children with autism |
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By Catherine Maurice, Gina Green, and Stephen C. Luce |
| Asperger Syndrome And Difficult Moments: Practical Solutions For Tantrums, Rage And Meltdowns |
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By Brenda Smith Myles and Jack Southwick |
In our classrooms, Autism affects most of us daily. The above resources will give you a wealth of information about autism and strategies to use at home and in the classroom. Autism is an invisible disorder, so it is difficult at times to remember that a child's behavior is part of his or her condition. The best way to help a child with autism is to educate ourselves on the disorder and be sensitive to their needs. It is up to us (principals, teachers, families, and other stakeholders) to change the way we teach and include our students with autism.
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