I know this can be scary, but welcome questions about autism. The videos and links in this post are a great place to start! Send out resources for staff and resources for students. Include janitors, cafeteria staff, paraprofessionals, specialists, administrators, and office staff. Everyone can benefit here, so don’t leave anyone out. There’s no way you can get to every classroom or staff member to share a lesson on autism, so share resources a few times a year to all of your school’s staff. Here are some easy things to do to get started without directly presenting to staff and students: However, sometimes that just isn’t possible. My favorite way to promote inclusion and acceptance is to share a presentation with students and staff. Culture change takes time, so don’t be discouraged.

Like I said before, not everything will go perfect on your journey to inclusion. Be prepared to have a million tabs open on your browser! This month is a great time to get started, so I’ve rounded up some resources and tips to help you on your journey to inclusion and understanding. Sometimes we get so wrapped up in teaching our students social skills, we miss the opportunity to teach social skills to the general education population. One of the things I’ve found most successful and impactful is to educate the student population on autism and how to be a friend to autistic students. It’s our job as educators to help break the cycle of exclusion. Don’t fall silent and believe nothing can be done to change the way your students are treated. Your students have a right to be included – it’s the law. First, let me say that it breaks my heart to hear so many stories of special education classes being excluded. A few months back I did a post on what to do if your class is excluded. However, this month is a perfect time to get started advocating for your students and educating your school’s population about autism. I’m a firm believer that autism acceptance is a year round adventure.

April is Autism Acceptance month, and the world celebrates those with autism on April 2nd.

Rules by cynthia lord read aloud