April is Autism Month

April is Autism month and an appropriate time for Professional Learning Board to introduce our newest course, Introduction to Autism.

Whether you know it or not, you probably know someone with autism. As educators, you have most likely heard of autism, ASD, Aspbergers, the autism spectrum and a whole host of facts and myths about people with autism or an autism related condition. People on the autism spectrum are in our classes, working with us, living in our neighborhoods and part of our families. Regardless of your knowledge of autism, this course will give you useful information about the autism spectrum.

I think you’ll find that understanding autism and how to communicate with people on the spectrum will help you in your teaching and communications with students, and people in general.

Here’s a peek inside the Introduction to Autism course:

Issues with sorting out sensory information can make new or strong sensory experiences overwhelming and frightening. So for many people with autism, loud, sudden or high pitched sounds can be frightening. Bright lights or unusual textures can cause alarm. Also, students can be resistant to new smells or environments.

TRY THIS!
When a person with autism has a puzzling reaction to a new environment calmly describe any surrounding sensory experiences. For example: “You smell the pool in this part of the building. The air is wetter here and there are more echoes.”

This week’s questions for you:

• Do you know anyone with autism?
• Do you have any tips for working with students with autism?