Student Sharing with Class

​Dear Ed,
 
We have a grade 3 student who wants to disclose his autism diagnosis to his class. How can we best support him?
 
Sincerely,
 
Student Advocate
 
 
Dear Student Advocate,
 
First off, what a wonderful question! It appears that you and your team have created a climate in which this feels like both a safe and important thing for this student to do. This is not always the case, so take some pride in that. At any age, revealing parts of ourselves, especially those that make us different, can be both a difficult and an important task. It can be difficult because it is not clear how others will react or think about us afterward. Will they still accept us? Will they still see us as someone with good days, bad days, and hopes and dreams? This can also be an important task as it allows people to see another part of the whole us, in many cases one that has a great impact on how we see and experience the world. Sharing this with others can help others to understand us better. It can also instill pride in another of one of the bits and pieces that make up ourselves.
 
So, what are some considerations for helping to support a student share with their class? I would say three important questions to start with include:
1) What does the student want to share?
2) How might the class hear and learn best?
3) How can the learning and understanding extend past this revelation?
 
For the first question, it could be helpful to sit down with the student and ask what they’d like the class to know. There is no one way to approach this; knowing what the student would like to share will help you to best direct support. Also, this helps to keep the student in the driver’s seat as you continue to support their growth and development in self-advocacy and self-determination skills. For instance, does the student want the class to know how they see the world on a daily basis? Do they want the class to know that while they may be different in some ways, they are similar in many ways? Do they maybe want to share things that they are really good at? Maybe it’s something else, or maybe even a combination of things. Just like you would do in creating a lesson, it could be really helpful to work with the student to set a learning goal or two. This might include the class gaining a basic understanding of a) autism, b) the student’s individual strengths and hobbies, c) some supports that they find helpful. Co-creating learning goals can be a really good way to ensure a positive and thoughtful start to this endeavor.
 
In terms of the second question, teachers may want to consider a) what their students already know on the topic (collectively and individually), and b) how they might learn best. These days, as opposed to 5, 10, or more years ago, students are much more familiar with exceptionality labels and basic definitions. Additionally, children often have less pre-conceived notions on the topic than adults. Taking a minute to consider what they might already know about autism could help in planning. As educators you surely know that there are a multitude of ways to present new topics for learning. You’ve likely used collaborative activities, direct instruction, discovery learning, and various other approaches to present a topic. Use the learning goals to lay out a few options for the student consider. It may be the case that they already have an idea of what they’d like to do- which is great. However, it could be helpful to talk through some potential options with the student. For a goal of gaining a basic understanding of autism, you might propose that the student or teacher read a pertinent book to the class, watch a short film, or maybe the student would want to present a slide show or poster board on autism. You could also pose similarly appropriate activities for any other goals like having the student co-present with a parent or sibling, make and present a representative collage, or some other activity. While it doesn’t matter so much how the student gets their message across, the educator should ensure that the student has ownership and feels well-supported. Co-planning goals and activities can go a long way to help with both.
 
For the final question—how can you extend learning—the main emphasis should be on both normalizing and celebrating diversity. Ontario has defined inclusive education as “Education that is based on the principles of acceptance and inclusion of all students. Students see themselves reflected in their curriculum, their physical surroundings, and the broader environment, in which diversity is honoured and all individuals are respected.”1 In extension, think of ways that you can ensure that all individuals are able to see themselves positively represented, honoured, and respected in the classroom and school. It is quite conceivable that this student of yours will start something positive in class. Once someone shares in a safe and accepting environment, others often feel more comfortable to follow. How might you continue the momentum and highlight the use of education supports as well as individuals with exceptionalities? There are many great books, websites, and videos on the topic (see samples below). And, specific to autism, it should be noted that April is autism awareness month, with the official kick off on April 2nd, the United Nations sanctioned World Autism Day. Accessing resources and participating in related activities throughout the month of April could be a great way to extend the learning.
 
Related Resources & Information

• Holland Bloorview’s Dear Everyone Campaign- includes resources, tips, and first-hand account of inclusion and ableism : https://deareverybody.hollandbloorview.ca/
• Canadian Autism Spectrum Disorder Alliance (CASDA)- includes infographics, language guide, among other resources about autism: https://www.casda.ca/about-us/
• Childmind tips on sharing an autism diagnosis- while this is not specific to school, you may find some helpful info: https://childmind.org/article/sharing-an-autism-diagnosis-with-family-and-friends/
• Similarly, while not specific to autism and school, this page from the Indiana Resource Center for Autism has some helpful considerations for sharing information about autism: https://www.iidc.indiana.edu/irca/learn-about-autism/getting-started-introducing-your-child-to-his-or-her-diagnosis-of-autism.html
• Teacher resource, including tips for sharing about autism and potential class activities, from Prince Edward Island: http://www.gov.pe.ca/photos/original/ed_autisminc.pdf
• A selection of autism representation in the media from Reading Rockets: https://www.readingrockets.org/article/pbs-kids-and-autism-awareness
• Article from the Organization for Autism Research on teaching self-advocacy to individuals with autism: https://researchautism.org/help-children-learn-how-to-self-advocate/  
• Holland Bloorview self-advocacy kit for individuals with autism: https://hollandbloorview.ca/sites/default/files/migrate/files/AdvocacyToolKit-July24-LINKED-LOCKED.pdf
• Numerous self-advocacy resources from the START Project of Michigan: https://www.gvsu.edu/autismcenter/start-connecting-self-advocacy-345.htm
• Quick fact-sheet on supporting self-determination in students with autism: https://csesa.fpg.unc.edu/sites/csesa.fpg.unc.edu/files/resources/AAG-Supporting%20Self-Determination_final.pdf
• Dolly Gray Book Award- includes a list of books recognized for their positive portrayal of disability: https://www.dollygrayaward.com/

 
Reference
1Ontario Ministry of Education (2009). Realizing the promise of diversity: Ontario’s
equity and inclusive education strategy. http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/policyfunding/equity.pdf

​Sincerely,
Ed