A lesson plan, titled “Neurodiversity: Negotiating the World … Differently,” was created for PBS POV to help students in grades 9–12 better understand the experiences of individuals with autism and to introduce them to the concept of neurodiversity. The single-period lesson provides reflection and discussion prompts, and incorporates clips from the 2013 film Neurotypical, which explores behavioral and perceptual differences associated with autism. One of the lesson’s objectives is to help students recognize and accept that all people view and engage with the world differently.
Plus: An excellent children’s book on neuroplasticity is Your Fantastic Elastic Brainby JoAnn Deak (Little Pickle Press, 2010).
It takes a village to teach students with autism, but usually we only think of adults as making up that support community. Research continues to show that not only do students with autism respond better to interventions that are modeled by same-age neurotypical peers, but it also has positive benefits for those peers by increasing their empathy, advocacy, and leadership skills. Additionally, a community of students supporting their classmates with autism increases inclusivity and normalizes diversity, which can greatly impact the community’s emotional well-being.
April is Autism Awareness Month, and Apple is marking the occasion by posting a digital art gallery of works created by artists on the autism spectrum. The project, which is curated by the nonprofit Art of Autism, is being unveiled over the course of the month. “Created on iPadGallery” features the work of 15 artists from the autistic community who hail from across the US and Canada. The participants have differing abilities and are different ages. In addition to sharing the work of these artists, teachers and parents can tap these free programs to support educating children with autism and other special needs:
Home Curriculum for Early Autism Education
Media to Help Children with Autism and Visual Impairment or Hearing Loss
Described and Captioned Media Program (DCMP) has many resources to help teachers and their students recognize the rich history and contributions of people who are deaf or hearing impaired, as well as those who are autistic. One of DCMP’s offerings is No Ordinary Hero: The SuperDeafy Movie. Another is the award-winning documentary Autism Goes to College from the Academy of Digital Arts & Sciences.