April is National Autism awareness month so I thought it would be a good time to share a mini-lesson on the subject. The Autism Mini-Lesson gives an overview of Autism, dispelling the myths from the facts and culminating with an awareness project. This would be a great addition to your disabilities unit or use as a stand alone for your child development or parenting classes.

Set

• Place students in small groups and ask what they know about Autism or Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) by using the interactive activity called Cover the Table (directions below). This is a great way to see what students know about the topic before you actually teach it. It’s also a great way to get students to communicate with each other! Share as a class and then ask students what they think it means to have autism.
• To give a little background information on autism, show students the Sesame Street episode where they meet Julia, a character with autism, which promotes understanding and acceptance of differences. As students view the episode, have them complete the prompts on the corresponding guide sheet.
• Discuss the questions and answers after viewing. It’s up to you whether you collect and grade the episode questions or not.

Materials

• iPads or Laptops
• Projector & Screen
• Art Supplies (optional)

Activities

• The Sesame Street episode is a great springboard into autism but there are a lot of myths that exist about the disability. To help students figure out the real facts, have them complete the MYTH or FACT assignment using the provided web-site resource from the Cleveland Clinic titled, “What is Autism Spectrum Disorder?“
• Now that students have an overview and the facts associated with autism, it’s time for the project. Students will create a pamphlet to help expecting parents understand autism, its potential impact on their child, and where they can find support and resources. The pamphlets can be digitally generated or hand generated as long as all of the components are present and legible. Go over the guide sheet ahead of time so students know the requirements and expectations.

Attachments

• Cover the Table Directions
• Sesame Street: Meet Julia Prompts
• Myth or Fact Autism (ASD) Statements
• Autism (ASD) Pamphlet Project & Rubric
• NOTE:  Please make a copy if you wish to edit by going to file and click make a copy.