Helping children understand autism is an important task for teachers who work in an inclusion classroom setting. Autistic children often act differently than other children and thus can be the brunt of cruel jokes and not have many friends. The Friendship Puzzle [Larsian Publishing, 2009] by Julie Coe is a great book that can help teachers bring awareness into their classroom and help children understand autism a little more.
Understanding Autism
The Friendship Puzzle by Julie Coe is a children's book written from the perspective of a young girl. This girl loves meeting new people and making friends. She tries to befriend a boy in her class and is perplexed when he acts weird and does things that seem like he does not want to be friends, like running away with the soccer ball. The girl's mom has taught her that every friendship is like a puzzle and she tries to figure out how to put the pieces together so she can be friends with this new boy.
As the girl in this book finds out, it is often difficult to understand the actions of those who have autism. They act different, talk different and do not seem to know how to fit in a lot of the time. This book describes just a few of these difficulties as it attempts to help children understand autism.
While teachers and parents learn about autism and methods for helping the child learn and function in society, children are often forgotten. They may not understand the medical aspects of autism but they can be helped to understand some of the differences in an autistic child and how to be a good friend. The girl in this story learns how to befriend this new boy despite his differences.
Using The Friendship Puzzle
Teachers, parents, daycare workers and others who have an autistic child in their care would benefit greatly from The Friendship Puzzle. Reading this book with children will help provide a simple understanding of autism and provide an excellent starting point to discussing autism with children.
When using The Friendship Puzzle, it is important to discuss with the children what makes someone with autism different and what children can do to be friends with someone who is autistic. Other topics of discussion related to the story, as well as some excellent activities for inclusion classrooms, are included in the back of the book, making it a must have resource for every teacher.
Find out more information about The Friendship Puzzle.
Additional resources on autism and inclusion classrooms.
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