March 5th - Middle School Staff

 in·clu·sion

the action or state of including or of being included within a group 

Humans are wired for connection and belonging. Being included in groups helps us feel a sense of belonging and further makes us feel safe. For some of us, making friends and interacting with others is easy, for others it is hard.  For those on the Autism spectrum, it can be exceptionally confusing!  

In light of March being National Disabilities Awareness month followed by National Autism Awareness month in April, we wanted to share a little more information about Autism Spectrum Disorder and how we practice being inclusive.

What is Autism?

• Autism spectrum disorder, or ASD, is a developmental disability that can impact a person’s social skills, communication, and self-regulation. 

• There is often nothing about how people look that sets them apart, but they may communicate, interact, and learn in ways that are different from most people. 

• Autism is characterized by a set of behaviors, and is a “spectrum condition.” This means that it affects people differently. 

• In 2020, the CDC reported that approximately 1 in 54 children in the U.S. is diagnosed with ASD, including 1 in 34 boys and 1 in 144 girls. 

• What causes ASD is mostly unknown and there is no cure. 

Inclusion

Our HBR schools and community do an excellent job of including all students in our classrooms, activities, and community events!  Some ways that we practice inclusion include:

• using “person-first language,” a person with Autism or a person with a disability.
• inviting individuals with disabilities to join activities and conversations. 
• including everyone at lunch, recess, or after school activities.

A person with Autism may communicate and behave differently from others causing us to assume that they don’t want to be around friends. That’s not true! People with ASD crave connection, but they may not know how to seek it out appropriately. They may need us to model the social interactions and keep inviting them to join. They need us to model inclusion.

Autism Awareness

Be on the lookout for more information about Autism during Autism Awareness Month in April.  As a community let’s “Light It Up Blue” by wearing blue on Thursday, April 1st. (April 2, National Autism Awareness Day is a non-student attendance day.) 

HBRMS Special Education Teachers

Tory Brown & Emily Cook