Coming full circle, it was the student teaching the adults at a recent Frankfort School District 157-C Board of Education meeting. In coordination with the observance of Autism Awareness Month, Hickory Creek Middle School sixth grade student Miranda Schor made a presentation to the board highlighting her perspective on her experiences within the school setting. Previously she had presented to the entire staff at Grand Prairie Elementary School. She said she would be willing to put on the presentations to help people understand Autism better.
Director of Special Services Carrie Clodi stated, “We wanted Miranda to present to the Board during Autism Awareness Month to recognize the great job District 157-C and our students do through our continuum of Special Education services.” Grand Prairie Social Worker Maribeth Fagan and Occupational Therapist Jeanine Graefen worked with Miranda to create the presentation at school. Miranda’s teaching team was on hand to cheer her on at the meeting, however, she got plenty of cheers on her own for her perspectives on Autism that were clearly from her point of view.
While Miranda highlighted the fact that many people with Autism have a hard time expressing their feelings to others, she had no trouble getting her points across to the audience. Miranda’s confidence and excellent sense of humor were evident as she gave her presentation. She emphasized topics by using hand gestures along with variations of her voice level. She explained that many times she has big reactions to small things and that she might experience feelings such as frustration, being worried or getting overexcited. She stated, “Sometimes it is hard to think with high anxiety and we can’t handle loud noises or crowds.” When asked about her strengths, she said that she is funny, does well in school and is very talented. She stated, “I am good with horses, playing the trumpet and ‘creative breaking.’” This got laughs when she explained that this means breaking things creatively.
Discussing coping mechanisms she has learned at school, the audience realized that the skills she was outlining could work for anyone. For example, because Miranda cannot stand being late and it causes her high anxiety, she has learned to use a schedule that she has printed out. Because it is hard to finish her work without “freaking out” that she might not be able to finish in time, she uses a special folder to hold the items she could not finish. This allows her to realize it is okay to finish the project later, cutting down on her anxiety. She said that when it is hard to focus because of other thoughts or because she is bored, she uses an “imagination journal” to draw or write down thoughts that are “crammed into her brain.” Some of these offending thoughts might include cartoons, YouTube videos, what is going on around her or what might happen later that day or in a week.
Miranda said some classes are more difficult and she has trouble listening to directions. She finds it harder to work in a group because group discussion can be taken for arguing and she worries about others not finishing the project on time. Also in a group everyone is working at a different pace and she wants to stay on track and on time. A coping mechanism for this concern might be assigning roles to the group to take away some of the anxiety.
Miranda said she doesn’t always pay attention or understand people’s body language or facial expressions. She also finds it difficult to start a conversation so she has learned to keep a “friendship file” in her brain where she puts facts about each person. This allows her to use facts such as the person’s interests to start a conversation with them. She also finds it beneficial to use “who, what where, when, why and how” when interacting with others. Other helpful strategies include deep breathing, taking a break, going into a different room, using non-verbal gestures and relying on her imagination journal.
She said that she uses a five-point scale to determine “how her engine is running.” If she feels her energy level is too low, she tries to become more active. If her energy level is too high, where her voice is elevated and she is tense or has negative thoughts, she turns to deep breathing, taking a break, writing in her journal, getting a drink, going into a different room or using her iPod or headphones.
The final slides of Miranda’s presentation showed drawings she made of her body from the perspective of when she has low energy or high energy. She said, “When you are exploding all over the place, you need to think about the good things and get those big bad feelings out of your head and body.”
Grand Prairie Elementary School Assistant Principal Cathy McCarthy stated, “All of our staff members were so proud and touched by Miranda’s presentation.” Miranda’s goals for herself include going to Harvard University and becoming a veterinarian, a soccer player and a musician. After seeing her presentation, her audience has no doubt that she can do whatever she sets her mind to. Miranda’s mom Amanda Schor commended District 157-C for helping Miranda reach her potential. She stated, “Miranda works with a great team of many people to find strategies that make her successful.”
Following Miranda’s presentation, the board also saw a video demonstrating Autism educational strategies and technology skills used by Hickory Creek eighth grade student Sydney Brown. The video showed Sydney with student peer helper Rachel Gage. They were playing a word game with Sydney typing into a Tough Book lap top speech-generating device that uses “Write Outloud” software. Sydney’s teachers are looking into whether loading technology onto an iPad or iPod would be feasible to help her interact with her peers throughout the school day.
According to the Autism Research Institute, Autism is a severe developmental disorder that begins at birth or within the first two-and-a-half years of life. It is a disorder in both socialization, as well as communication, with both facets of the disorder demonstrated to the Board by Miranda and Sydney. More information about Autism can be found at the Autism Research Institute site at www.autism.com.
