Autism Resources

I've become increasingly interested in Autism this year...  I have a student with Autism in my class.  I really wasn't sure what to expect at first, but if I've learned one thing this year it's that there are so many sides to ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorders).  The student in my class has come a loooong way even in just the past year or two.  He doesn't fit what I had painted in my mind as what a student with ASD would be like.  He's a very loveable and social child, who I've found very easy to relate to.  I know it hasn't always been this way for him, but he's been blessed with great family and teachers to help him get to this point.  Not everyday is a walk in the park, but we've had a really great school year together!

I wanted to share a few resources I've found...  I know that in my school is seeing a greater number of students on the spectrum and that the goal is to have these kids in the regular ed classrooms as much as possible.  

Source: visual.ly via Kim on Pinterest

This is a neat pin I found on Pinterest. It's a great summary and overview for teachers.

Here are some other cool websites I've stumbled across:

http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/index.html

http://www.autismspeaks.org/

http://kidshealth.org/kid/health_problems/brain/autism.html   - This one is good to help you explain Autism to your students.

I hope to share more findings and resources as I stumble upon them.  Have a great Saturday!  :)

Total Teach: Day One

My student teacher started her "total teach" today so I'm trying to stay out of the classroom as much as possible...  The conference room would be the ideal spot for me to hang out, but we're still doing assessments in 4th grade and that's one of our separate setting locations.  Soooooo, I got to hang out in the office today!  It actually worked out well because one of the secretaries was gone today so I tried to help out a little bit.  

I decided today was my day to work on some of my own projects, so I got on Pinterest and started going through my pins for things I wanted to work on.  I made several posters and submitted 5 projects to the copy center to be made up for me there.  (I didn't have my camera with me so I'll try to take pics when I remember!)  I feel like I was pretty productive today, but I have a feeling it's going to be kind of a long 2 1/2 weeks!  

I walked into the classroom during reading work stations to grab a few things and one of my students looked at me and said, "Where have you been for so long?!?"  I left sick mid-morning Friday and apparently none of my kids noticed my absence until the end of the school day!  Well, this little guy was pretty much the only one that's noticed I've been gone so I told him I guess he's the only one that seems to care about me right now!  LOL  

On a slightly related note, today, April 2nd is World Autism Awareness Day...  I won't go into spouting off all the stats on Autism, but I will say that this is something that has become more near and dear to my heart this year.  The student that I just mentioned (the one who asked where I've been) has Autism and is seriously one of the most awesome kids I know.  He's my first student with an Autism diagnosis and he's made amazing progress in the last couple years.  When I hear about where he was at in preschool and kindergarten and see where he is now as a third grader it makes me realize how having hard-working, caring adults makes all the difference in a child's life.  This is a student who now has genuine friends, has made leaps of academic progress, and is just a super kid!  I look at some of the younger kids in my school with Autism and see that there is so much potential there!  

http://www.autismspeaks.org/

Light It Up Blue - Shine a Light on Autism