The World Needs All Kinds of Minds

In honor of Autism Awareness month, I am sharing this You Tube video depicting famous people whom many believe had autism based on historical records about their life.  The range of their contributions clearly illustrate these quotes by Temple Grandin:
    

"The world needs all kinds of minds." 

"I am different, not less."

"We need to be developing kids' strengths."

  To view earlier posts about Temple Grandin and autism, 
follow the autism label link, on right, then scroll down.

"Light It Up Blue" Thanks to a gift from one of our preschoolers, the display case in our school lobby will feature blue lights during the month of April.  Blue lights are a reminder to us all to spread kindness, awareness, and understanding about autism. 

Global Learning

Preparations are underway for the Second Grade International Fair! 

Second graders have been busy researching countries and learning dance routines from around the world.  Their families are invited to see them perform this Thursday, April 12th, at 1:15pm in the Sweetsir Cafeteria. After the show, families can visit classrooms to see students' projects featuring one of the ancestor's countries.

                                               

 

Making 'Wet Noodles'

This new piece of equipment just arrived for the Sweetsir 'Motor Room'.  I watched Temple Grandin's movie with my sister, who works as a COTA for another school, and she told me about this Southpaw Steam Roller.  It is based on Grandin's 'squeeze machine' invention. Children enjoy the sensation of deep pressure as they crawl between soft, padded rollers.  Just as a hug helps comfort the typical child, this machine provides a similar sensation for children on the autism spectrum.  The machine can also be used with other students to build shoulder and arm muscles which are essential for  handwriting.

Thank you to my kindergarten friend and his pal, 'Freckles', who helped with this photo shoot!  After going through the machine he described feeling like "a wet noodle."  

Shine A Light

A little boy gave me a blue light bulb in honor of 'Light It Up Blue', a yearly campaign to raise awareness about autism.  On April 2nd, many national landmarks and buildings across the globe display blue lights.  President Obama has made a proclamation declaring April 2nd of each year "World Autism Awareness Day." He urged all Americans "to learn more about autism and what they can do to support individuals on the autism spectrum and their families."       

"To the CDC he is 1 in 88: to his family he is 1 in a million."               

  -Quote from a mom whose child has autism          

The Center for Disease Control has released startling new figures suggesting the rate of autism has risen to 1 in every 88 children.  Although there are many theories, the cause of autism remains unclear.  Some think the increase may be due to more  health care professionals recognizing and diagnosing it.  One thing experts do agree upon is that sharing information about autism promotes acceptance and understanding.  It is important to realize, although there are common traits, every child with autism is unique.  As with any child, no two are alike.  They each have their own unique strengths and abilities.  Throughout the month of April, the blue bulb will be in our school lobby display case as a reminder to show support and acceptance to children and families affected by autism.  I hope everyone who reads this will take a moment to learn and share something new about autism.  For more resources visit: HHS: Autism

Temple Grandin: The world needs different kinds of minds. 

This video is of a TED Talk with Temple Grandin, a highly successful author and researcher.  She travels around the globe sharing her personal experience with autism

I also recommend the movie about Temple Grandin's life starring Claire Danes.  It beautifully illustrates how the autistic mind tends to "think in pictures" and focus in on fine details.  Temple Grandin used that ability as an asset to make significant contributions to the field of animals.  She makes a great case for why "the world needs people on the autism spectrum: visual thinkers, pattern thinkers, verbal thinkers and all kinds of smart geeky kids."

Signing, Singing and Dancing at Recess

We recently purchased new supplies to 

add pizazz to indoor recess!  

Although we try to go outside for recess whenever possible, there are days when rain or freezing temperatures force us indoors.  Along with playing board games and coloring, k-2 students will now have an opportunity to sing and dance along with music/movement Cd's and videos. 

Since our school library books about American Sign Language are very popular, we decided to order a set of 'Signing Times' videos.  These videos feature singer Rachel Coleman who created the series after her daughter, Leah, was born deaf and she had a desire to build a community of children who could communicate with her child.  Each video features Rachel giving explicit instruction for signing several common words and incorporates them into a song.  Clips of children using the signs gives viewers a chance to follow along and practice.  Research indicates sign language is beneficial for children with all types of disabilities, including language delays and autism.  Our hope is that students will enjoy learning sign language and develop a greater appreciation for people with diverse needs.    

      

More snippets of 'Signing Times' videos can be found on You Tube.