Ridge Park Elementary School students shared their gifts for Autism Awareness Week
Ridge Park Elementary School students shared their gifts for Autism Awareness Week
Ridge Park Elementary School kicked off Autism Awareness Week on April 1 with a school-wide craft project that highlights everyone’s individual gifts and talents.
The lesson was inspired by the book Uniquely Wired: A Story about Autism and Its Gifts, written by Julia Cook and illustrated by Anita DuFalla. The story follows Zak, a young boy living with autism, who explains how he experiences the world around him, how people perceive things differently, and how everyone has a unique brain.
The students used paper to make the top of a gift box, complete with a bow, and wrote their unique gift on a tag. “I liked decorating the ribbons,” said second grader Aarya Das.
The students in Lori McTamney’s second grade class shared a wide variety of special gifts and talents. One child said she wasn’t allergic to anything, and another said she sews dresses and bags. There was also a self-professed prankster, someone who helps people when they need it, and several athletes.
Ridge Park second grader Elise Develin wrote that her gift was playing the piano. “It’s really fun, and you can learn a lot from it,” she said.
In addition to highlighting what makes everyone unique, the project also showed how comfortable the children were with their differences.
“My favorite thing about the lesson was seeing how they shared their ideas so easily, because they value themselves,” said Mrs. McTamney. “They didn’t have a problem thinking about what to write.“
Each classroom received a copy of Uniquely Wired: A Story about Autism and Its Gifts thanks to a grant from the Colonial School District Education Foundation. The grant was written by Ridge Park teacher Roni Berman, who based the week of Autism Awareness activities on the book.
“This helps us have common language for the week. All of the students receive the same tool for learning, as staff will use the book as a springboard to activities that encourage belonging and inclusivity,” said Mrs. Berman.
The activities for Autism Acceptance Week also include going on a sensory walk, making a fidget craft, and end-of-week reflection.
