This time last year I put a blue light for Autism out on my back porch. Someone stole it, and it broke my heart because they had no idea what that light stood for and the significance it played in my life. They did not tear me down, I will be getting a new blue light for Autism Awareness this year!

So I had to create a portfolio of teaching tools for my Autism class. I have to create 5 unique teaching activities that can be used for children who have autism to help accommodate for the typical classroom activities they might not be able to do. For one of my activities (that I worked very hard on, actually) I decided to create a Shoebox sorting task. The directions for the task are as follows:

1. Create sets of picture cards with a separate card labeled with the category. You can choose any category you would like with as many picture cards for that category as you like. Picture cards can have word titles on them as I did, they can simply have pictures (for lower literacy levels), or they can have the words printed on the back. Here I am showing 2 sets out of 10 that I created for this activity.

2. Choose a plain colored shoe box with no words or pictures on it. Here I used a shoebox that I covered with paint to hide the words and pictures, you can do this as well or you can cover the box with paper too.

3. Cut slits in the lid to match the size of the picture cards you made in step one. You can have 2, 3, 4, etc. The more slits you cut, the harder the task. Here I chose a simple 2 slit box. Also you should attach card holders above the slits. These will hold your category cards of your choice before the student begins the activity. I used simple baseball card sleves with some scrapbooking adhesive on the back to attach them.

4. Attach dividers inside the box to match the slits you cut in step 3. In my example I have 2 compartments for the 2 slots I cut on the lid.

5. Place 2 category cards into the card holders on the lid. Here I chose animals and food. You can choose any category you would like. Try to think of those that your student has the most trouble with. Examples include letters, numbers, consonants, vowels, etc.

6. Shuffle the picture cards you wants your student to sort.

7. Explain to the student that you want him to sort these cards into the appropriate slots based on the category cards. You can model the activity as I am in this picture. This picture is of a cat. Which category does the cat fit into? Is a cat an animal or is a cat food? A cat is an animal so we are going to put him into the animal slot.

8. When the student has completed the activity, you as a teacher can open the lid and assess the student’s responses.

Easy Peasy Lemon Squeazy! Enjoy!

So sometime in the last 24 hours, someone stole my Blue Light for Autism that was out on my porch. I live on the first floor of my apartment building and I noticed a while back that someone had stolen the cover for our porch light, but now stealing the actual light bulb? If only they knew what that blue light stood for. I was so angry, hurt, and depressed at the discovery of my blue light being gone I just crawled up into bed and sulked. That light meant more to me than just being a symbol for autism. It was a symbol of hope. Hope that one day people will be educated about autism. That people will know what autism looks like in children and adults, and that these people are not monsters, freaks, or idiots. Hope that autism awareness will spread and people will accept people with this social disorder into our society and realize that thyey have just as much to contribute, if not more, to our society. Hope that people will change. Just hope.

Amanda Broadfoot recently came and spoke to my Autism class about her son, Billy who was diagnosed with Autism at a young age and received early intervention services. Her blog, MyLifeIsASpectrum.com tells her own personal anecdotes about her life with Billy along with her husband and daughter as well.

In this post, Amanda recalls her recent trip to her local Walmart to buy her own Blue Lightbulb for the “Light it up Blue” campaign being held by the Autism Speaks Foundation.

This little light of mine

04/01/2011 04:08 pm

“After I picked Billy up from school today, we went by our local Super-Walmart — so huge that I think it has its own gravity field — to pick up a blue lightbulb. In case you haven’t heard, Autism Speaks is asking everyone to “Light it Up Blue” tonight, in honor of World Autism Day tomorrow. We’re going to put our blue lightbulb in our front porch light.

Anyway, Billy was lounging in the cart, narrating the experience: “Mama is looking at dress-up clothes … there are a lot of unicycles in this house (bicycles were hanging from the ceiling)…Billy want a unicycle…Billy want 10 unicycles … Mama is looking at —”

Suddenly, he stopped and pointed.

BILLY: Mama, what are you looking? (His way of asking what I’m looking at.)

ME: I’m looking for a blue lightbulb. Here we are. Let’s get this one. (And I put it in the cart.)

BILLY: Mama, what are you putting?

ME: I’m putting the blue lightbulb in the cart.

BILLY: Because —- ? (This is how I prompt him when I want him to provide a reason “Why” to something he does!)

ME: (Laughing) BECAUSE … well …

Then I stopped laughing. What do I say? I decided to keep it real, nonchalant, to try and make it positive.

ME: I’m buying a blue lightbulb, because when we shine it from our porch tonight, we will be telling everyone I love someone who is autistic. Like you!

BILLY: (Big smile) Like me!

ME: Yes! You are so smart and so beautiful and I want everyone to know. So I will turn on the blue light to say that I love you.

(He seemed to ponder this for a few minutes.)

BILLY: (finally) Mama … (He seems to be really thinking about his response, thinking so hard it hurts.)

ME: Yes, sweetie?

BILLY: Mama, I love fish.

ME: Well, we’ll see if there’s a lightbulb for that.

Eric the fish, you strike again!”

It’s Autism Awareness Month! In honor of this trying time in our lives, where autism is becoming more and more prevalent in young children, I feel that we as citizens of the world need to come together in recognizing this disability and help raise awareness.

Please visit WorldAutismAwarenessDay.org for a list of World Autism Awareness Day events happening around the world this month. “April 2, 2011 will mark the fourth annual celebration of World Autism Awareness Day. If your autism organization is planning an event and would like to be recognized in this year’s list, please email info@worldautismawarenessday.org. We welcome logos, pictures, posters and media for your planned event!

World Autism Awareness Day shines a bright light on autism as a growing global health crisis. WAAD activities help to increase and develop world knowledge of the autism epidemic and  impart information regarding the importance of early diagnosis and early intervention. Additionally, WAAD celebrates the unique talents and skills of persons with autism and is a day when individuals with autism are warmly welcomed and embraced in community events around the globe.

By bringing together autism organizations all around the world, we will give a voice to the millions of individuals worldwide who are undiagnosed, misunderstood and looking for help. Please join us in our effort to inspire compassion, inclusion and hope.”

In light of the overwhelming response I received from my post about Early warning signs of Autism, I feel that it is necessary to add a comment of own regarding this matter. Being a special education senior with a year and a half until I have a Masters Degree in the area, I am currently taking a class on Autism. The picture posted was a sample of some of the early signs that can represent symptoms of autism, they are not exact portrayals or in any way a substitute for a doctors diagnosis. I would not encourage you, especially if you are reading this right now, to in any way relate any of these attributes to your current state of being.

As the text states (and I will post it exactly as I did in the original blog entry) “According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, doctors should begin screening for autism by 18 months. Now some researchers are suggesting that signs of autism can be seen as early as 12 months. Early warning signs include…” Right so let’s break this down. First off, this is simply according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. It is in no way a universal judgement, and for that matter in no way relevant to adults. Pediatrics refers to the branch of medicine that deals with infants, children, and adolescents. Okay, yes adolescents can be diagnosed with autism as well, but in all seriousness, if you had autism, I am pretty sure you would know before you have reached that developmental stage of your life. Next, the statement “doctors should” refers to an opinion and not a fact. They are simply making a recommendation for doctors (AKA probably not those of you commenting) to begin screening children by the age of 18 months— NOT years… months! At 18 months, typically developing children should be: using between 4-10 words, understand simple directions, point to some body parts, show affection, imitate some actions, and play with toys appropriately. Each of these attributes is of a typically developing child, and as all children may grow at different rates, as the quote suggests, some researchers are even suggesting that signs of autism can be seen as early as 12 months.

Autism, more recently known as Autism Spectrum Disorders or ASD, is described by  WebMD.comas “…affecting as many as 1 in 150 American children. Types of autism include autistic disorder, pervasive developmental disorder, and Asperger’s syndrome. The cause of autism is not known.” They go on to describe autism as being ”…a brain disorder that often makes it hard to communicate with and relate to others. With autism, the different areas of the brain fail to work together. Most people with autism will always have some trouble relating to others. But early diagnosis and treatment have helped more and more people with autism to reach their full potential.” In other words, a neurological social disorder.

So do we see a common theme here? Early screenings. Early warning signs. Early diagnosis. Yes, you as an average young adult or adolescent may exhibit some of these common attributes, as you should; However, these are typical characteristics of a self-aware human being who knows and recognizes that these things are abnormal or otherwise. This in no way means you have autism… or that it is okay for you to mock those who do.  The post was meant to help people become more aware of these early signs in infants and toddlers, and to recommend parents of these young children to have their children screened so that they may get the appropriate services for their children, if necessary.

Thank you to those of you who have shared this post and helped me spread the word of autism awareness. We are all just one small piece of a puzzle that, when put together, make a difference.