Autism Awareness in the Classroom

Help Students Understand Children on the Autism Spectrum

Apr 3, 2009

Students will benefit by learning about autism, one of the most prevalent neurological disorders today. Autism awareness will promote understanding and compassion.

According to statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there are currently somewhere between five and six diagnosed cases of autism per 1000 children between the ages four to seventeen [1]. Therefore, the likelihood that a teacher will have a student with autism in his or her mainstream classroom is increasing.

April is Autism Awareness Month, and there’s no better time to promote an understanding of Pervasive Development Disorder (PDD). Helping the autistic child to feel comfortable in the classroom and succeed socially/academically in an inclusion setting will include educating the rest of the students about autism and what to expect, along with injecting a little bit of compassion and appreciation for PDD.

Provide Lists of Famous People with Autism/Asperger Syndrome

Throughout history, many significant, intelligent, and successful individuals are known to have mild forms of (or high-functioning) autism, PDD, or Asperger syndrome. Give students a list of many distinguished people who are on the autism spectrum. Additionally, famous people from history are now suspected to have had various forms of autism. This formidable list includes the likes of Albert Einstein, Isaac Newton, Herman Melville, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and Thomas Jefferson.

Read and Discuss All Cats Have Asperger Syndrome

A wonderful book for children of all ages, All Cats Have Asperger Syndrome by Kathy Hoopman, [Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2006] describes this complex and confusing disorder by gently comparing the temperament of a person with AS to typical cat behaviors, which are in many respects strikingly similar. The story is beautifully and compassionately written and contains prose that is simple enough for even young children to understand.

All Cats Have Asperger Syndrome is a picture book with touching photography that appeals brilliantly to kids who love animals (and most do), helping them to relate and perhaps better comprehend how autism affects a classmate or other acquaintances with the disorder.

Get Bouncing for Autism

The Autism Society of America has teamed up with Pump It Up to offer an exciting fundraiser for autism. Bounce for Autism provides a community or concerned group the opportunity to raise money and awareness for this potentially devastating syndrome. The process begins with gathering donations and participating in a two hour bounce house activity at any local Pump It Up Party Zone location. If there are no locations nearby, a Virtual Bounce for Autism is also possible.

Raising awareness of autism in the classroom can be as simple as reading a book, conducting a short autism lesson, or organizing a school or community fundraising event. Whatever the choice, children of all ages will benefit from learning about autism. Increasing compassion and understanding of the disorder may lower the incidences of school bullying and social isolation that many children with PDD unfortunately experience.

Hitti, Miranda. “CDC Releases New Statistics on Autism”, WebMD Health News Update. May 4, 2006.

The copyright of the article Autism Awareness in the Classroom in Autistic Students is owned by Karen Plumley. Permission to republish Autism Awareness in the Classroom in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.