Things that I am
I do have a passion for those with autism. They are so quirky and interesting. I love learning knew things when they go on an intense rant about something they are crazy about. I did take 2 years of coursework related to autism and have been working with kids with autism for 6 years. My brother is on the spectrum. He was diagnosed as sensory integration dysfunction at an early age, which if he was born a few years later he would have been clearly labeled as autistic. He is also dyslexic and has a speech disorder. Thankfully for him, we have an awesome mom. She always held high expectations for him and pushed him to try his best. He was dismissed from special education services in high school and is now a normal 23 year old guy. Anyways..back on topic. I like to learn and if I don't know something I find the answer. I like to make a difference. Even if it is small, I like to see kids do better and if I was part of that, its even better. I like to look at the positive side of things. My kids hear negative throughout the school day..they aren't looking at the teacher. OR they are distracted OR they lost their homework. I'm the one who tells them they did a good job on remembering a pencil. Because sometimes it is the small things that matter. I have a big heart. I keep saying "my kids". Its because for those 8 hours a day..they are. I am their advocate, their secretary, their teacher, their friend, and their confident. Sometimes one of them may get under my skin...but my own kid does that too so I think its normal.
Things that I am not
I don't have autism and I'm not a parent of a child with autism. There are tons of websites out there that has information or support for those parenting a child with autism. I am not pretending to know everything about autism or what it will look like in you or your students. I don't hold the magic key to fix everything (and even if I did your life would get way too boring). I don't like negative feedback..constructive feedback is okay, though. This is my first blog so I have a feeling I'm going to mess up a bit and I could use tips on how to make things clearer or better.
Topics I want to Talk about
I want to explain what Asperger Syndrome and High Functioning Autism could look like in a teenager. I want to talk about high school and strategies to help them get through it. This includes self-management strategies which is 100% necessary to live successfully as an adult. I may throw in some stories here and there. I also want to give you access to resources that I find. This is a work in progress so please come back if there is nothing new posted. Please leave a comment if you have any suggestions on what you would like to see.
