I hosted a presentation at our school on Thursday night for parents and educators. I invited a panel of young people (ages 13-28) who are on the Autism spectrum to come and talk to the group about how their disability has affected their education and their lives. They were quite a candid group and collectively had been through a great deal of suffering at different points in their lives.
The presentation was very well attended and we ended up with standing room only. Some of the students who go to our school came with their parents to listen to the panel and found that they could relate so completely to their stories of being bullied (at their old school), misunderstood, and feeling isolated from peers. While the panel talked about the things that were difficult in their lives, they also expressed the up side of living with Autism.
1 out of 150 births are diagnosed with Autism. It is now considered an epidemic. We serve students from non-verbal and low functioning to high functioning Asperger's syndrome, so I spend a great deal of my time with kids on the spectrum. I enjoy them so much. The Asperger kids have a unique way of seeing the world and have a great deal to teach us.
Recently there was an episode of Grey's Anatomy that featured a heart surgeon with Asperger's syndrome. Autism awareness is everywhere now and I think it is such a good thing.
One of our local movie theaters was hosting a family movie day for families with children who have autism. They were going to keep the lights up some and turn down the sound to accommodate their sensory needs . The children were not going to be expected to sit still, they could get up and move around when ever they needed to. Parents of children with autism have been strong advocates and we are going to see society accommodate their needs like never before. In turn, I think all children and people with disabilities will benefit.
Autism is redefining our society and it has been a long time coming.
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3 comments:
What a great idea & presentation. I'm sure all who attended benefited greatly. Autism is so misunderstood, probably, as you say, because of the spectrum of victims. I taught more than several kids (11th & 12th grades) diagnosed with autism and Asperger's Syndrome. You're right, too, about it being an epidemic.
What a wonderful thing you did. Before he landed his full-time teaching job, our nephew-in-law accompanied a young man with Asperger's throughout his school day (high school). Karl's stories had our jaws dropping, but the young man graduated, thanks in part to having Karl by his side to head off melt-downs.
What a beautiful idea at the movie theater - I'm sure the parents appreciated a time when they did not have to wonder how their child's behavior would be judged. Happy Thanksgiving.
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