Happy New Year! Over the past 12 months, Craig Gibson and I have had several discussions about education – especially as it pertains to individuals with special needs – and how educators are prepared and trained to be successful in a diverse classroom setting. With Craig’s background (personal: growing up with a learning disability and now raising a child with a disability and professional: working as seasoned educator and evaluator) and mine (professional: working as a teacher/reading specialist and personal: raising a child with an Autism Spectrum Disorder), we’ve found we’re both passionate about how important it is to set the stage appropriately, as early as possible, for children with learning differences. As we’ve discussed these beliefs and ideas, the idea for this “Feature Article” – a story about a new preschool teacher and a student with autism – was born…a piece we would work on together, to share some ideas, thoughts and beliefs about how even a teacher lacking the proper tools could learn, grow and make a positive difference in a child’s life. Craig and I decided it would be fun to kick off 2012 with our first feature article! Let us know what you think…

This is Adina Rich’s second guest blog for AutismSpot. Adina is a mother of three and is the Chief Education Officer at Rich Educational Consulting. You can read her first guest post HERE. We welcome your comments below. Also, we welcome your comments and thoughts on Facebook and Twitter.
HOW TO ENSUSRE THE NEEDS OF YOUR CHILD BE MET IN THE SCHOOL SETTING
By Adina Rich
“…People say believe half of what you see,
Son, and none of what you hear.
I can't help bein' confused
If it's true please tell me dear?... Cuz I heard it through the grapevine.”
These are the lines of a popular song from the 60’s sung by the late Marvin Gaye, but could just as easily have been written today about programming for kids with ASD. School districts often have difficulty recognizing what an individual child with ASD needs based upon their observations and parent feedback - not on what they’ve “heard” works with kids with ASD.

As a former teacher, I know first-hand that teaching is exhausting. Before Ethan was born, I taught public school for seven years and often stayed late, took work home with me and still felt like there weren’t enough hours in the day. (And, this was before I was a mother!) So, when Ethan started in PPCD (Public Preschool for Children with Disabilities) almost 5 years ago, I made it a point to help his teachers with as many tasks as they could/would delegate on a weekly basis. With each passing year, my volunteerism at Ethan’s school has fluctuated based on our family (and my work) schedule/responsibilities and on the teachers’ needs for assistance.

Last week marked a milestone for our family. Sam is ten years old and in the fourth grade in public school. The last time Sam went to public school was when he participated in the PPCD Program (Preschool Program for Children with Disabilities). That was many years ago. Since that time we have been fortunate to find loving, nurturing private schools that could meet Sam's unique learning needs. We made the decision that it would be in Sam's best social interest to stay back in the fourth grade as he enters public school rather than move forward into fifth grade.

Just a handful of days stand between the carefree days of summer vacation and the ringing sound of the rigorously scheduled school bells for many of us. As a mom who pays very close attention to every ingredient that our daughter gets exposed to, I am a bit anxious about the big change. When most of us think about preparing our teachers for our special dieters, we expect that we will be sending a list of our children’s food allergies and sensitivities, but what about the school environment beyond the food. Packing my child’s meals is a give-in for me.

Like most parents of young children I know, I’ve been scrambling to buy school supplies and revert back to strict bedtime routines to prepare Ethan to start school in just over a week. Additionally, since Ethan lives with an Autism Spectrum Disorder – Asperger’s Syndrome – I’ve also been busy working to prepare information to be shared with his new classroom teacher next week at “Meet the Teacher” night.
Every year I tend to do the same thing(s) and I’ve had rave reviews from teachers, administrators and support staff, so I wanted to share some ideas.

Katherine Galligan, co-founder of The Summer Bridge, and mother of two boys (Michael – 6, and Sean – 4), took some time to share some details with me about the exciting new program she and C’Airey Ashurst started this summer. When Katherine’s son, Michael, was diagnosed with autism and Katherine was thrust into seemingly endless hours of therapy, she met C’Airey, a Speech and Language Pathologist. Recently, they have worked together to create The Summer Bridge. Katherine says, C’Airey’s “role in planning and execution has been invaluable; undoubtedly attributable to her extensive experience and sincere dedication to helping children with learning differences.” Along with Katherine and C’Airey, there are two licensed teachers; one ABA therapist; a college student (pursuing a degree in psychology); and a woman who works as a SpEd aide in Michael’s school, working with the students at The Summer Bridge.

Classroom Recommendations for Children on the Autism Spectrum
Part of my job as the lead evaluator for a non-profit organization is to come up with practical recommendations that teachers can use to successfully include children with developmental and physical disabilities within their daily routines and activities. After all, that's what the Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) is all about. As educators, it is our responsibility to develop and implement functional and measureable goals for children with disabilities, so that they can find success alongside their typically developing peers. However, if children are going to meet those goals (outlined in their IEP), we must first make some basic recommendations in the child's evaluation report to help us get there.
Many children on the spectrum may need to improve in the following areas (though it is imperative to note that each child on the spectrum presents differently):

It can be tricky to explain to children why exactly our kids with Autism are different and what Autism means, especially in the classroom. In combination with sit-down talks, books and social stories are an excellent tool for parents, teachers, family members, friends and therapists to reach out to children on their level and teach them what may otherwise be a sensitive topic.