Autism in Education

I wanted to compile some resources on autism in education, with a focus on neurodiversity and advice from autistics. The following is a work in progress, and suggestions are encouraged!

You can also check out my Autism in Education Google Site, a companion site to my presentation, Celebrating Neurodiversity: Insights from an Autistic Educator and Self-Advocate.

Resources for Educators

• Autism EDU – Educators Resources for Tolerance, Diversity, Autism (Geek Club Books / Zoom Autism Magazine)
• Promote Emotional Regulation in Autistic Children (online course by Dr. Pooky Knightsmith)

Articles for Educators

Articles by Judy Endow, autistic social worker

• Teaching Autistic People (2016)
• Teaching One Autistic Student to Ask For Help (2016)
• Autistic Neurology and Behavior (2016)
• Autism and Changing Classroom Strategies (2015)
• Autism and Eye Contact (2014)
• Starting Third Grade (2014) (poem)
• Preventing Meltdowns: Outsmarting the Explosive Behavior of Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders (2012)

Articles by Michelle Swan, autistic writer and advocate

• Tips for Teachers: Supporting Neurodivergent Students (infographic)
• How to support an Autistic child in the classroom (infographic)
• When Behaviour is Stigmatised (2017)
• Disruptive behaviour (2017)
• Open letter to those who think autistic kids should not be allowed to disturb mainstream education settings (2017)
• Inclusion in education is a human right (2017)
• Behaviour Modification Therapy Does Work (2017)
• The illusion of choice in behaviour modification therapy (2017)
• 5 ways to meet neurodivergent children’s needs without using behaviour modification strategies (2016)
• Being present is not the same as being included: more thoughts on inclusion in the classroom (2015)

Articles by Jodi Murphy, creator of Geek Club Books / Zoom Autism Magazine

• 5 Reasons Why Every Teacher Needs More Autism Training (2017)
• 10 Inclusion Strategies for General Education Teachers (2017)
• 4 Ways to Differentiate in a Special Ed Classroom (2017)
• What Your Autistic Students Want You to Know (2016)

Articles by Meghan Ashburn, of Not an Autism Mom

• Make the School Library More Accessible to Autistic/Disabled Kids (2021)
• Autism-Positive Books for Teachers to Read During April (2021)
• Helping Nonspeaking Children Spell, Type, and Point to Communicate (2021)
• 100-ish Books on Autism and Neurodiversity (2020, but continually updated)
• Four Ways I Help My Autistic Children Communicate Without Speaking (2019)

Additional Articles

• Autism tips for teachers – by an autistic teacher (Fergus Murray, 2019)
• 7 Things Your Students With Autism Wish You Knew About Them (Amy Joy, 2018)
• Should We Insist on Eye Contact with People who have Autism Spectrum Disorders (Rozella Stewart, M.A.)

Relevant Twitter Threads

• On Kari Dunn Buron (creator of the 5-point scale): My thread on Buron’s presentation at the Stronger Together 2020 Virtual Autism Conference, “Self-Regulation: 25 Years of Trying New Pieces of String” (An example tweet from the thread is quoted below)

“We didn’t take the neurology of behavior into account. @5pointscaler talks about forgiving herself for strategies used in the 80s.

Humbling to look back and realize how much we didn’t know. We’re still learning a lot about the brain.

Teachers need to develop their own empathy.”

@Adriana_Edu

Have a suggestion?

More links and resources to come!

Do you have a suggestion to share? Use the Contact page to send them my way. Thanks!

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