April is the designated month of Autism Awareness. Stafford Elementary’s CBI teacher, Beverly Cox held a special assembly to help students have a better understanding of how autism affects their autistic friends.

Cox explained, “With autism awareness month in the front of my mind, I felt it would help me with my job of educating our kids if their peers knew what we are dealing with and how they can connect with them as well. Wyatt Ballard is well known by all the third graders as he gets to participate in the more social activities throughout the day. Students with autism are precious in their own way. They don’t know how to be mean or vindictive because they learn by example. Wyatt is the type who will steal your heart away with his giggle alone. All his third grade peers have grown to love him like he is one of them. The intention of the assembly was to supply them with some powerful knowledge that will help them connect with him and anyone else with autism that may cross their path in life.”

Wyatt Ballard helped in the assembly as Mrs. Cox would ask him to do different things to show the students how he learned things. Wyatt gladly made his sad face when asked with much enthusiasm.

“Wyatt could not talk when he first started school. He could only say ba-ba-ba. Now he can say Time Out when he is upset, or repeat lines from movies that he likes to watch,” explained Mrs. Cox.

She continued, “My goal with these kids is to teach them independence, and it is important to me that they be given all the chances they can grab to gain their independence and to learn how to access the self advocacy supports they deserve.”

Another goal of having this special assembly was to not only help the students understand how to relate and connect with the world of autism but also to help adults realize that autism is not something to be a fraid of. It is just another facet of the world we live in.

Research is being done to find the cause for this condition but in the meantime, it is critical that educators use every tool that is available to them to teach these students. And Mrs Cox believes there is not a more powerful tool than their peers.

Another fun and educational day at Stafford Elementary.