Autism Acceptance Month is every April. This is a great time to teach students in your school about the characteristics of autism and what autism is. However, the emphasis should be something totally different! In this blog post, we will discuss how to teach students about autism during Autism Acceptance Month, but we will also discuss the focus for this month:
We are all unique, and that is okay. Be kind to all people
Ideas to teach staff and students about autism:
Order Staff Shirts to Celebrate Autism:
Each year we order shirts celebrating autism. Our staff wears them throughout April. We like to order from this site: Workplace Pro. They make everything easy and even have a “shared order page.” This means no need to collect money – staff pay for their shirt online.
Display Books about Autism
Our librarian puts together a collection of books about autism and leaves it on a shelf. They are all in one place and easily accessible for teachers to grab. We encourage teachers to read one of these books to their students during a class meeting. Students can also easily access these books for check-out.
Create a Slideshow
My team creates a slideshow or movie showing pictures of our students with autism. We present this at a staff meeting. The purpose of this is to highlight the fantastic successes our students have had throughout the year. Staff members always enjoy this! Furthermore, they see our students in a positive light, which unfortunately is not always seen.
Deliver a Mini-Lesson to Students
Our autism team chooses 2-3 classes to visit. We read a book about autism and answer any questions they may have.
Display a Bulletin Board
Add a bulletin board to a very prominent hallway. Check out this freebie! The focus of this bulletin board is that we are all unique. Students help create this bulletin board by writing what they like best about their peers. Differentiated options are included, as well!
Complete a Writing Prompt
Check out this freebie to use during your class visits. Teachers can also complete with students. It is a writing prompt that discusses asks students how they can be kind to all people. There are different writing prompts based on the grade level of the students, as well as a coloring page!
I’d love to hear how you celebrated Autism Acceptance Month. Tag me @TotallyAutism on Instagram!