My Friend With Disabilities Series

Author: Amanda Doering Tourville

         This book is only one in the series of My friend with Disabilities. The Author Amanda Doering Tourville has really done an amazing job introducing disabilities on a level that students are able to understand. 

          Autism is becoming more common in the classroom. On March 27, 2014, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released new data on the prevalence of autism in the United States. This surveillance study identified 1 in 68 children (1 in 42 boys and 1 in 189 girls) as having autism spectrum disorder (ASD). There are many different levels on the spectrum of autism and students come in counter with it everyday. This book is a great introduction in teaching other students how to interact with students who have autism. The story is about two young boys Nick (who is telling the story) and Zach. Zach has autism and Nick is explaining all the things that they both like and have in common. He portrays acceptance and what a great friend looks like. One thing I love about this book is the "Did you know?" questions that are embedded in the book. These questions prompt great discussion to have with the class. 

          This past month of October was Disability Awareness month. A great activity that I did with my students after reading this book was charades. This book shows that children with autism express their self differently. It also shows that sometimes they don't always know how to express themselves. I put different emotions on a card and the students had to figure out ways to convey that to their partner.When student came across a hard emotion to display they became frustrated. This lead to another discussion about how sometimes people with autism don't always know how to express themselves. To be a good friend we have to have patience and realize that it is not always that easy. 

Reference/ Resources 

Age, By. "Autism Speaks." Autism Prevalence. Autism Speak Inc, 2016. Web. 06 Nov. 2016.

http://www.bridges4kids.org/pdf/Growing_Up_Booklet.pdf