Got an AS kid in my class today...

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I teach at a middle school, and since my diagnosis I've had parents request that their kids be in my classroom, which is a great feeling. At the same time, because of my own experience in school, I kind of want to shake the parents and say "What are you doing??? Pull them out!"

I think it is wonderful you can be there. I wish you could teach where my son is starting middle school this fall. Middle school is tough. Period. I can only imagine it is nearly like h*ll to a kid on the spectrum. I am not looking forward to it, but I can tell you I'd be much more at ease if I knew one of his teachers could understand him the way only another spectrumite can.

You know, I don't think it is nearly fast enough, but times are changing. When my daughter was first diagnosed, the mention of the word "autism" made caregivers, summer camps, and schools slightly...well...terrified. This year when I enrolled my daughter into a "mainstream" summer camp and I told the director that she was autistic, it elicited about as much of a response as saying she has a food allergy. Instead of alarm, it was more like "Not a problem. Are there certain things we should avoid? What should we do if she is getting overloaded?"

I say this to state that I am hopeful that kids today will have it better than even you did (you appear significantly younger than me in your picture).

It can only benefit him to have you as a role model. Lucky kid!

Thanks!

Speaking of summer camp, I found out recently that a Presbyterian group about an hour away from where I live has actually started a week of summer camp for Asperger's youth! I thought about volunteering for it next summer to check it out, because it's the first thing of its kind that I've heard of in my area.

That would be cool. Most of the ASD people I meet are my own age. I'd really like to meet some kids. I like kids, for the most part--it depends on the kid, but most of them seem not to have grown bored with the world, and I like that about them. I know about a school for ASD kids in my area, but they don't have any sort of volunteer/visitor program.

That's great!

I'm an Aspie, and I teach math at a small alternative (public) K-8 school. I've helped a number of kids get diagnosed, over the years. My students do a lot of work in cooperative groups. Other teachers will let students on the Spectrum just choose to work alone all the time. They're trying to be nice. But that's like having a coach who lets you sit out drills of the stuff you're not good at. How are you ever going to improve?

I'm like, "Nope. Your group needs you! Here's your group role, here's a script of what to say. You know I won't let anybody disrespect you. Ask me for help if you're not sure how to handle something. If you need a time out, you can go sit at that table by yourself (we also have a separate, quiet space kids can go to if they need it) until you're ready to come back. But you need to try, every day. I know it's hard for you. It's hard for me, too! But it's important. This is your chance to learn how to deal with other people and work in groups, so you can get and keep any job you want when you grow up."

As a college professor, the same thing happens with me. Although I don't specifically talk about my Autism in classes, a lot of the faculty, staff, and students are aware of it.