Happy World Autism Awareness Day! Autism Awareness Day is an internationally recognized day that falls on the 2nd day of April every year that encourages everyone to raise awareness for people living with autism spectrum disorder.
So what is autism? Well, according to Autism Speaks, "There is no one type of autism, but many".
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) refers to a very broad range of conditions that are characterized by difficulties in verbal and non-verbal communication, expressing oneself, repetitive behaviours, and social skills. According to the Public Health Agency of Canada, almost 1 in 66 Canadian youth from age 5-17 are living with autism.
Some individuals living with autism require significant levels of support while other may require no support at all and can live their whole lives independently. Those that need an extra hand in the learning process might find it easier to learn through the use of visuals rather than auditory input, "seeing it, rather than saying it" as put by Maureen Bennie, an author of the Autism Awareness Centre Inc.
But what are visual aids and how can you use them. Most of the time, visuals form a picture set in the form of laminated cards and can be used to for building schedules, creating decision, offering choices, listing tasks, and the list goes on. You can get very creative with your picture sets and use them over and over again.
We found a place where you can download your own visuals and create your own picture sets FOR FREE! Visit: http://www.practicalautismresources.com/printables to check out the lists!
Have an awesome day and don't forget to #wearblue
