Your plan should have five components:
- Who presents the information
- What’s your intended outcome
- Who is the audience
- The length and number of lessons and
- What content you’re going to deliver
Here’s an example of a successful autism awareness and acceptance plan for students aged 3 to 12.
Who will present the information?
I will present the information to the class with the resource teacher and my student’s mother.
What is the intended outcome/goal?
Students will gain a better understanding of autism and learn that each person is unique through activities and videos.
Who is the audience?
My class and Ms. Maura’s class joined together. The students are 8 to 9 years old, and most have had a student with autism in their class before. None have ever been offered an autism acceptance program.
How many lessons and how long will each be?
Each lesson will be 10 to 15 minutes long, right before lunch every day for one week. This program will be revisited every two months.
What content and how will it be delivered?
Types of Content
Descriptive information: Highlight strengths and similarities between autistic student(s) and peers.
Examples of Activities:
- Create a find-someone-who card.
- Create a worksheet with different images of characteristics.
- Ask students to find someone in the class who has that characteristic and write their name on the space
Explanatory information: Provide an explanation for behaviours that may be encountered at school, such as sensory sensitivities, repetitive behaviour and social-communication difficulties.
Examples of Activities:
- Read: A Friend for Henry by Jenn Bailey.
- Watch: Amazing Things Happen by Alexander Amelines of the National Autistic Society.
- Explain: Everyone is different and likes different things. Invite the student’s resource teacher and mother to provide additional information on what behaviours the students may see and provide an explanation.
For example: Sometimes you will notice that Philip is not looking at you when you are talking. For some autistic people, eye contact is distracting and pulls their focus away from listening. Philip is listening even though he is not looking at you. Continue having the conversation with Philip. If he is answering you, it means he is listening.
Directive information: Direct information will help peers understand what to do in certain situations. This information varies based on each autistic student.
Examples of Activities:
- When you ask Philip a question, he might not answer you right away. Be patient, give him time to answer. He is thinking about it.
- If his answer doesn’t match your question, ask again in a different way. Maybe the meaning was unclear. Say, “OK, but what I meant was ...” and then rephrase the question.