Autism: A Lesson in Compassion

“Do you want to eat lunch with me?”  Those simple words may not seem like a big deal to most children, but as parents with children on the autism spectrum know, they can mean the world to their children. Chances are your child knows at least one peer from school who is on the spectrum. According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, three to six children out of 1,000 will be diagnosed with some form of ASD. Understanding autism has become increasingly important in our society and across the globe and it presents a significant opportunity to teach our children compassion through awareness.  

As a teacher, some of the most fascinating students I have encountered in the classroom are children who have been identified as having autism. Often, the negative stigma that follows them around comes from a misunderstanding of their behaviors. Thinking about Autism Awareness Month made me think about all of the wonderfully hilarious, thoughtful, unique students I have taught who were on the spectrum.  A bumper sticker I once saw read: “If you’ve met one person with autism, you’ve met ONE person with autism!”  This is so true!  As with all individuals, children with autism have wonderful qualities worth recognizing and highlighting, unfortunately, some of these qualities cause them to be ridiculed in class. My responsibility as a teacher is to facilitate their acceptance in my classroom, and parents can help!

For children identified with autism, lonely solitude is often a reality of life.  The simple explanation for this occurrence is that these individuals do not automatically pick up on even the most common of social cues. Despite finding themselves isolated from others, they do perceive their peers enjoying friendships and understandably desire such relationships for themselves. However, without the ability to know how to go about reaching out appropriately, they need someone else to teach them how to take social initiative, how to relate to peers, and a compassionate classmate is the best person to teach them! According to Kay Freeman of the Autism Society of America, being a buddy to a child with autism is the best way to help these individuals at school and in everyday life.   

Inspire and encourage your child to be that buddy, to reach out to his or her classmates who struggle making friends, and you will help your child become a better person and improve the life of a lonely child in the class. If your child knows some of the most common characteristics of autism and how they may affect children in their class or school who may have been identified with ASD, then he or she can become a compassionate role model for the rest of the class.  

Common characteristics of children with autism:

• Highly intelligent
• Difficulty reading social clues and understanding social norms
• Difficulty reading facial expressions
• Poor eye contact
• Uncomfortable with affection, including any kind of physical touch
• Fixation on a certain subject, topic, or idea  
• Easy irritability with changes in routine and expectations
• Over-stimulated by noises, smells, and light
• Triggers:  A child with autism can become upset over consistent things.  Find out what the triggers are for the child.  
• Everyone is different!  Children with autism may exhibit all or some of these behaviors.  Like all people, it is most important not to assume things about them based on our prejudices. Learn who your classmates are, what makes them tick, and then treat them accordingly. This sensitivity will make your child a leader in class and life.

Compassion in the Classroom

• Be a Friend to Someone Who Needs a Friend. Watch this video on ‘Circle of Friends’ and how being a buddy can really make a difference. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032619#37095494
• See the World Through Their Eyes.  Help your child imagine how challenging a day at school must be for a child with autism.  Appreciating how well their peer with autism does do in school, despite differences, will help your child appreciate the student.  
• Don’t Take Their Behavior Personally.  Compassion begins with understanding and knowing what makes children with autism tick.  However, just understanding someone does not necessarily make children immune to the behaviors of that person. Patience, practice, and a good adult role model who knows how to relate to children with autism without getting offended by their social qualities is crucial to their acceptance.    
• Be Proactive. Ask the Teacher!  The teacher has an intimate relationship with the children and parents in her class. Certainly she is aware of the things that help make each of her students tick.  
• Teach Tolerance. Treat individuals with autism the way you would want to be treated, even if they do not know how to respond appropriately.
• Talk about Autism. Encourage the parent of the child to come speak to the class. Having the parent speak openly to the class opens dialogue and removes the stigma on that child. Speaking about the experiences of the child will also open up communication for discussing options to help support that child.
• Get Involved in Your Community!  The Orange County Chapter of The Friendship Circle is an important organization that will match you or your youth group with people with autism in your community who need a buddy.  Contact The Friendship Circle at this link. You can also contact these other local organizations at these links to see how you can get involved!      

TACA: Talk About Curing Autism  

Autism Society of Orange County

Autism Speaks – Facts about Autism

Council for Exceptional Children

Understanding others and their situation is the first step to being kind and compassionate.  The challenges that children with autism might create in a classroom setting are significant and must be addressed with openness and clarity, but the humor, fun, uniqueness and diversity that they bless the classroom with is under-represented and under-appreciated.  We will all benefit from the compassion required to help make the world of school a kinder and better place for children with autism.   

About this column: Jennifer Luchesi Long, a fifth-grade teacher in the Placentia-Yorba Linda school district, tutors in the Newport-Mesa district enrollment area. Her passion is helping students who don’t necessarily fit the mold of traditional education become successful in traditional settings. She also writes the Academic Pentathlon Language Arts exams for the Orange County Department of Education. Jennifer was born and reared in Corona del Mar.