Autism Vox

Dreaming of a Dream Autism School

by Kristina Chew, PhD on September 6th, 2007

It was not a fairy-tale start to Charlie’s school year as a fifth grader: Due to our recent, and rather sudden, move of our household, Charlie is not able to take the yellow schoolbus until next week. In the meantime, Jim is driving him (and my parents, who are visiting, are picking Charlie up). Today being the first day of school, Jim and Charlie encountered monster traffic en route to the school parking lot (the lines of cars snaked far past the school parking lots and off towards a main road). When they finally parked in an adjacent parking lot and made their way to a certain door, Charlie was all smiles to see familiar faces: His teacher was an aide last year and a few of the aides are the same. He had a great first day, incluing soccer in the gym for my sportsminded boy.

I’ve learned a great, great deal from reading what many of you have described as your dream autism school. Education of autistic students is the main focus of “autism advocacy” for me (along with education of those who are not autistic, or who do not live with an autistic person, about what autism is, versus autism mythology). I have a lot more to say on this topic as commentary to your comments, and all the more so as it is September and “back to school” is in the air. Thanks to Lisa Jo Rudy for her post about building a dream school for children with autism.

Right now, I would have to say that Charlie’s school situation is our dream, and I would move farther, and live wherever, to make it possible for him to have what he needs. He is in a public school autism program that is housed in a public school in our town. Charlie is in a self-contained autism classroom that uses ABA; he receives speech therapy, occupational therapy, and daily Adaptive Physical Education (and he is fond of A.P.E., and quite good at it). He has only occasional direct interaction with the other children, at rainy day recesses and in planned moments, and this has seemed most helpful to Charlie, for right now. Today he was tired after his first day back but in constant, easy smiles, through practicing the piano and Charlie pacing on the sidewalk of the condo complex with his ears phones around his neck and his iPod up at full volume. He has been talking much more today, repeating my calling “Jim!” and saying “good boy!” and many short phrases, and singing full verses and choruses of songs. Charlie put himself to bed, his iPod on the floor, his big blue blanket wrapped over and around him.

Perhaps it could be said that one criteria for my dream autism school is that it gives Charlie sweet dreams, and me a little less worry.

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