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Resources & Materials for Teachers
Books/articles for all ages:
A Practical Guide to Autism: What Every Parent, Family Member, and Teachers Needs to know. By Fred R. Volkmar & Lisa A. Wiesner (2009)
This is a hefty book with tons of information. Specifically geared towards teachers, there is a chapter on interventions, a chapter on young children, school-aged children, and adolescent/adults with autism. Also included are chapters on medical issues and possible behavior issues and modifications. Finally, a nice resource list is included to point parents and teachers to other resources of support.
The Survival Guide for Kids with Autism Spectrum Disorders by Elizabeth Verdick & Elizabeth Reeve (2012)
This book is for students to read with a parent or teacher. It can be appropriate for a range of
students from upper elementary through adolescents. Depending on the grade level of the child and their independent reading level, adults may need to assist students more or less. This book is to help students with the disorder or friends, classmates, relatives of students with an autism spectrum disorder better understand the disorder.
Early Childhood:
Books/articles:
The Out-Of-Sync Child Has Fun: Activities for Kids with Sensory Processing Disorder by Carol Stock Kranowitz (2014)
This book is full of activities for students with sensory processing disorders which could include some students with autism. It is geared more towards younger activities with many activities ages 3 and up, many for 3-8 year olds, but also includes some activities for students as old as middle school or adolescent. Activities are organized by specific categories such as tactile (touch), vestibular (balance & movement), proprioceptive (body position), visual, auditory, olfactory (smelling), gustatory (tasting), oral-motor, fine motor, and large motor, as well as crossing the midline activities.
My Brother is Autistic by Jennifer Moore-Mallinos (2008)
This book would be a great read aloud for an early childhood classroom. This is an awesome book that is told from the point of view of a boy whose brother Billy has autism. It relates how students with autism and their siblings experience each day. This book encourages students to learn patience, understanding and tolerance. Also, it teaches the importance of learning about disabilities such as autism so that students can better understand.
Websites/Videos:
Autism Speaks Click here to visit the website.
This website is a great place for parents, teachers, and community members to go and learn more about autism. It also contains research information pertaining to autism and allows for ways to donate to the cause. The website contains a list of applications specifically for individuals with autism. To link directly to the application list click here.
Brain Pro Autism Click here for more information.
This is a link to information about an online software program called Brain Pro Autism. BrainPro Autism is a series of over 50 exercises shown to strengthen your child’s cognitive skills, such as attention, processing rate, sequencing and memory, while also building language and auditory processing abilities. These skills can help learners with autism to be more successful within the classroom environment.
Autism Speaks School Community Tool Kit Click here to open the tool kit.
The purpose of this kit is to provide helpful information about students with autism and tools and strategies to achieve positive interactions and increase learning for all members of the school community. With help from respected experts in the field of autism and special education, and experienced parents, caregivers and teachers, we’ve included an introduction to autism and specific strategies for supporting students.
This video allows you to see what sensory
sensitivity could feel like to you. Many individuals
with autism feel like you do while watching
this video. Except to them it isn't just a short
video clip, it is every day life.
Middle Childhood:
Books/Articles:
A Different Drummer: Youth With Asperger’s syndrome by Zachary Chastain and Phyllis Livingston (2008)
This book would be best used with middle school students. It could be used as a read aloud or used for independent reading. This book tells the story of Duncan a student with Asperger’s syndrome. Others sometimes think he acts like a robot with stiff movements and a flat voice. Sometimes Duncan does or says something wrong that gets him into trouble but he doesn’t understand why. Often he doesn’t understand jokes. This book can teach students about how young people with Asperger’s syndrome may interact differently with the world than others their age.
Respecting Autism the Rebecca School/DIR casebook for parents and professionals by Stanley I. Greenspan and Gil Tippy (2011)
This book tells about Developmental, Individual Difference, Relationship-based model or DIR. It tells of The Rebecca School, which assists students K-12 who are on the spectrum of autism. It includes case students which illustrate and highlight strategies to encourage and assist students with autism to become the best that they can be. While all students who fall on the autism spectrum are different, this book encourages the use of developmentally appropriate, thoughtful, integrated education.
Websites/Videos:
Autism Speaks Online Learning Tools & Software
http://www.autismspeaks.org/family-services/resource-library/online-learning-tools-software
This link provides a list of online learning tools specifically to help students with autism. Many of these tools can be used for many grade levels. These tools are often interactive and can be engaging while also being beneficial to students.
Education City
This website allows students to access engaging online teaching material that aligns with common core state standards. It can be accessed 24/7 anywhere with internet access. EducationCity provides engaging student activities and teaching resources correlated to state and Common Core standards for pre-K through 6th grade language arts, math, science, and ESL. Teachers can use this web-based classroom solution to provide their students with individual, group, or whole-class instruction through a wide assortment of tools created to support their unique classroom needs. Through this website teachers can ensure that students master state or common core standards. Teachers can also introduce and reinforce concepts with students as well as build student confidence within the classroom.
For more information & a video about the program click here.
Friends like you, Friends like me Autism Awareness Program
The Friends like you, friends like me program can be used in early childhood or middle childhood. This organization is sponsored by Kohls. The purpose of the Friends Like You, Friends like me program is to encourage recognition of children’s similarities, reinforce desire to be accepted and have friends, and build awareness and demystify autism (by use of general, age-appropriate explanation of autism). The program also hopes to encourage inclusion, respect, and friendship between children of all abilities in all facets of their lives, and support acceptance, increase empathy, and reduce intimidation and bullying.
“Friends Like you, Friends like me” Program Guide for use with children
“Friends like you, friends like me” Booklet
Adolescent:
Books/Articles:
Autism and Asperger Syndrome by Ana Maria Rodriguez (2008)
This book tells about autism and Asperger syndrome so that educators and parents may learn more about it. It tells about the wide variety of communication problems, social difficulties, and repetitive or obsessive behaviors which may be displayed by a student who falls on the spectrum. This book tells about the whole spectrum and how those with severe autism can be unable to talk or interact with others. On the other hand it also discusses the student with mild Asperger Syndrome who might have unusual habits and problems holding a conversation. Finally, this book tells about possible causes of autism and Asperger Syndrome, new treatments and diagnostic tools.
Autism by Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen (2005)
From the series Understanding Diseases and Disorders, this book does just that. This book is meant to tell readers about autism. It discusses symptoms, diagnosis, treatments, and research regarding autism. This book could be used in the classroom or as a suggested reading item in order to help students better understand what autism spectrum disorders are and how they affect people who fall on the spectrum.
Websites/Videos:
Postsecondary Educational Opportunities Guide
http://www.autismspeaks.org/family-services/tool-kits/postsecondary
The Postsecondary Educational Opportunities Guide is designed to help you and your family explore the different opportunities and learning environments after leaving high school. With only about one third of youth with autism attending college in young adulthood, Autism Speaks wants to offer the best possible resources on this topic to help you explore all of the various options available to you. This resource will help guide you through your high school years and the years following graduation.
What is Autism Spectrum Disorder?
This video explains what autism spectrum disorders are & how they can be different across the spectrum. It tells about the characteristics that individuals at different ends of the spectrum may display. It also reiterates the fact that all individuals with autism are different and unique, therefore the characteristics and behaviors they display may not be like another individual.
Organizations:
Autism Speaks http://www.autismspeaks.org/
Autism Speaks is an organization which was founded by Bob and Suzanne Wright, grandparents of a child with autism. The organization was founded in February of 2005. A longtime friend of the family Bernie Marcus donated $25 million to help financially launch the organization. Autism Speaks has grown into the world’s leading autism science and advocacy organization. It has dedicated to funding research into the causes, prevention, treatments and a cure for autism. Autism Speaks also increases awareness of autism spectrum disorders and advocates for the needs of individuals with autism and their families.
National Autism Association http://nationalautismassociation.org/
The National Autism Association is a parent-run 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. Founded in 2003, NAA is a parent-run advocacy organization and the leading voice on urgent issues related to severe autism, regressive autism, autism safety, autism abuse, and crisis prevention.
Memberships range from 25,000 email subscribers to 1.6 million online members via Facebook and related social networking groups.
The mission of the National Autism Association is to respond to the most urgent needs of the autism community, providing real help and hope so that all affected can reach their full potential.
Since 2003, the National Autism Association has created and implemented direct-assistance programs for the growing number of families affected by autism. Along with these services, NAA provides autism research funding, ongoing advocacy, support and education.
Some programs in which National Autism Association runs are: Helping Hand Program, Big Red Safety Box/Found, Give a Voice, Progress Research, and National Autism Conference. To learn more about any of these programs, simply click on their name and you will be linked to the page discussing the program.
Autism Society http://www.autism-society.org/
The Autism Society was founded by Bernard Rimland, Ph.D. in 1965. Throughout the last 40 years, the Society has grown from a small group of parents into the leading source of information, research, reference and support on the autism spectrum. The Autism Society began a nationwide awareness campaign in the early ‘70s which was adopted by Congress in 1984 and strengthened by the realease of the autism awareness ribbon in 1999. Today, more than 120,000 members and supporters are connected through the nationwide network of parents and professionals. The Autism Society is dedicated to increasing public awareness about autism and the day-to-day issues faced by individuals with autism, their families and the professionals with whom they interact. The Autism Society and its affiliates share a common mission of providing information and education, supporting research, and advocating for programs and services for the autism community.
Autism Inspiration
http://www.autisminspiration.com/?gclid=CJacxvXTib8CFZFDMgodmBsAwA
This organization was created by Jennifer Fletcher who grew up with a sister who had autism. She is now a special education teacher in a classroom for children with Autism and related behaviors. Ms. Fletcher has spent many years researching and trying out new ideas with students. She also serves as an Autism Consultant for her school district. Her and her husband work to maintain this website to provide practical, hands on ideas to help your children reach their potential in life which building a community of parents and teachers who can work to help and inspire each other. They provide as much ready-made material as they can so it is easy to print resources and use them right away. Also included in this website is a forum where parents and teachers can talk to one another, get ideas, share stories, and realize they are not alone.
Last updated July 20, 2014