My story of autism...

My story of autism begins roughly about 14 years ago. Prior to then my son was progressing socially and mentally as expected. He wasn't our first child so I had an idea of what we were supposed to be expecting when he was 3 years old. It seems to me like it happened just as quickly as when people turn on or off the light switch. One day he was social and playing with his brothers, no issues. The next day, he was hiding in his bedroom closet covering his little ears because it was too loud. I could go on about our discovery and the process we embarked upon in concluding with his official diagnosis. Instead I'll share some strategies that I feel have helped him be successful in school:

1. We shared with his teachers all of his strengths and areas she might find he needed extra support in.

2. We provided him with a digital watch, starting in kindergarten. We provided him with his schedule and he could see on his watch when it would be time to transition. That way it wouldn't be a surprise. Many children on the spectrum have a hard time transitioning. They don't like change.

3. We provided the teacher with the suggestion for him to clean up his desk on a weekly basis. He has always excelled academically so we prefered he used some study session time cleaning his space and organizing his area.

4. Some children on the spectrum have a very challenging time with handwriting. So we have always provided him with his own laptop and tablet. When we spoke to the teachers and met for his 504 Plan, we made sure we were able to note his use of technology to write.

5. We shared with his teacher his inability to socialize with other children his age, so the teacher kept an eye on him and partnered him up with a patient child.

So there you have it, communication is key; so communicate with your child's teacher. I also shared different articles with his teachers as he grew up. I wanted to make sure we all kept abreast of the latest informaiton about autistic children.