School's In

I have been working with children with autism for over a decade. While I worked, I put myself through college and now in my second Masters' I am in my second year of teaching in a Kindergarten, First, and Second grade classroom for children with autism.

I have 6 students this year, 5 boys and one girl. My staff consists of two instructional assistants.

I get many questions about what it is like in an SDC classroom for children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). I can only speak to the classrooms I have worked in, and taught in. I have worked in some awful rooms, and I have taught in two wonderful ones.

My current classroom receives many observers. Often the observers are college students fulfilling a teachers ed. program requirement. The first thing I tell them is, if you've seen one special education classroom, you've seen one special education classroom. I recommend new teachers visit many classrooms in many schools before deciding what and where to teach. My classroom, I assure you, it is not typical.

School districts generally give you four walls for your program, and there are undoubtedly desks or tables, but in my experience, that it where the program design ends for the district. The program is designed by the teacher. Every program is as unique as the teacher and students are. That is one reason smart parents shop programs. I know I would! And I would take someone in the know with me!

As far as my room is concerned, there are far more academics going on than many expect, in fact I have had some general education students sent to me to help catch them up with the rest of their class. Structure, ABA, discrete instruction, organization, and really loving my students are all part of what is making magic for 6 wonderful children this year!