April marks international Autism Awareness and Acceptance Month, but because of our two weeks break for Easter we ran out of time to celebrate it. So, this year we took Friday 19th May to learn all about the life-long condition.
To start the day, the whole school took part in an Odd Sock Parade to remind us that we are all different, and in being unique we are incredibly special. We talked about how all people should be celebrated, accepted and respected. The children really entered into the spirit of it and we saw some fantastic moves, especially from the Seniors!
The children then had the opportunity to learn about what Autism is and how it can affect some people. The Senior Room did some common myth busting and learned about famous people who are Autistic. They were amazed to find out that footballer Lionel Messi has the condition! The Junior Room thought about how we are all different, and talked about Autism with the help of the TV series, Pablo and Friends. Then all the children took some time to think about how they are unique and celebrated their special talents and qualities.
Lots of Autistic people experience the world differently because of they way their brain receives information from the senses, which can mean some people experience sensory overload. The Seniors simulated an overwhelming sensory experience whilst the Juniors talked about times they have felt overwhelmed by noise, touch or smells. The children tried out ‘Take Five’ breathing which really helped them to calm down, and then we all came together to try out a range of sensory calming activities. On offer were water beads, moon sand, mindfulness colouring, quiet reading, fidget toys and noise makers. The favourites were definitely the water beads and moon sand!
After break, we talked about Autistic Culture and some students shared their special interests. Some interests included fighter jets, F1, cycling and computer games! Then we all went outside to complete a whole-school free-art project! To help the children express themselves, they were given free reign to decorate our yard using paint, chalks, water and paper and crayons. Everyone really enjoyed the experience and it was lovely to see team work and solo expression happening. To finish off the session, we all joined hands to create the infinity symbol which is widely used by the Autistic community.
In the afternoon, we thought about how some Autistic people find communication and social cues confusing and what we can do to help them, such as explaining unsaid rules of games, allowing more time for people to absorb information and not using sarcasm. The children then explored non-verbal communication and had a go at using PECs to give instructions. This was very challenging but everyone gave it a good go!
All of the children had a fantastic day and learnt so much about what it means to be Autistic. They had the opportunity to hear from authentic Autistic voices through videos, comics and stories and we now have some amazing new books for our classroom libraries by Autistic authors or parents of Autistic children.
Amazingly, we also raised a whopping €127 for AsIAm, an Irish charity that supports young Autistic people and their families! Thank you so much to all those who donated!
