Heidi W. Payne
Read my Autistic Mind’ is a creative inclusion tool for regular education teachers who desire to better engage their students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in their classroom routine with neurotypical peers, breaking down modifications for one activity at a time. Part 1, or the Autism Overview, provides relevant background on ASD criteria to equip teachers with proficient knowledge. This section first dissects the researched intricacies that distinguish an autistic mind from neurotypical ones, written in layman’s terms for school staff and parents to easily process and apply. A willingness to meet a student in the middle begins with empathy or being sensitive to one’s challenges, which can only develop when the responsible adult seeks to understand how a student is wired. Part 1 continues with Quick Tips on Autism Inclusion for Regular Education Teachers to prepare their minds for adapting, to grasp reasons for frequently seen differences that can become strengths, and to avoid some of the typical challenges of combining different learning styles into a large group setting. Part 2 provides the ABC’s of School Activities, or practical problem-solving for areas that need improvement. Activities are divided into settings where they occur, such as the classroom, school grounds, or home cooperation. Each routine activity, such as Circle Time, is presented by an expressive vignette, a therapeutic story, and a general list of identified challenges and coping strategies for each activity. The vignettes are truly unique because they offer brief, first-person accounts of an autistic student’s perceived thoughts and feelings during each specific activity, based on his/her actions and responses. Once a teacher imagines a student’s perspective, the related therapeutic stories come to life as examples for adapting the activity and environment for success. To begin, the teacher focuses on a few key problems for a particular student and applies some of the related coping strategies. Many strategies initially require assistance from a classroom aide or another staff member, but the goal is to phase out adult assistance quickly over time until more independence is reached.
