Center McMechen Elementary Brings Awareness to Autism Acceptance
Center McMechen Elementary spent the past five school days observing Autism Acceptance Week.
Daily, students in the school’s Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) program, along with their fifth-grade buddies, delivered a small keepsake to every student to take home. The mementoes included an Autism Acceptance bracelet and pencil, a mindfulness sticker and a Pop-it fidget toy.
The Center McMechen Mustangs also participated in a spirit week that was designed to bring awareness to different aspects of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). According to cdc.gov, scientists believe there are multiple causes of ASD that act together to change the most common ways people develop.
Because people with autism often have a variety of sensory sensitivities, the celebration kicked off with Sensory Mindfulness Monday. Everyone was encouraged to wear comfortable clothes.
Neurodiversity Tuesday saw the student body sporting tie-dye to convey the beauty and diverse spectrum of the human mind.
Wednesday’s theme was titled Playing to Our Strengths. People are at their best when they can be themselves. Students were taught to be flexible when others accomplish tasks differently while being mindful of giving others space and time for thinking.
Students donned hats for Thankful Thinking Thursday to display that people with autism have brains that process information differently than others.
Because Mother Nature didn’t cooperate, Friday’s events had to be rescheduled.
Monday morning started with students reading a book by Shaina Rudolph and Danielle Royer titled “All My Stripes: A Story for Children with Autism.” This is the adventure of Zane, a zebra with autism, who worries his differences make him stand out from his peers. With careful guidance from his mother, Zane learns autism is only one of many qualities that make him special. Students then competed in a trivia game, answering questions about the book.
They wrapped up Autism Acceptance Week on Monday afternoon with a school-wide balloon launch. Each student received a yellow balloon while students in the Autism program shot off confetti poppers. Decked out in the white Autism Acceptance t-shirts that were sold or blue or gold, students, faculty and staff celebrated all Mustangs by releasing balloons. Three winners of the trivia game from each grade level got to throw a pie in the face of a faculty or staff member of their choice to conclude the celebration.
The week-long commemoration was put together by the Center McMechen Elementary School’s ABA team. The goal was to bring awareness and acceptance to all students with autism. This was also a way to generate conversations with the students to learn to embrace Neurodiversity.
