Last year I wrote and shared a post about the importance of helping teachers and school personnel to be able to spot the signs of autism in children. As I chatted recently with my sister about the upcoming school year, I thought again about how much I wish more school districts would do an autism training for teachers.

When I shared that post last year, the statistic for children being diagnosed with autism was 1 in 44. As of today, it’s 1 in 36. Isn’t that crazy?! It’s awesome that more and more medical professionals are able to spot the signs and symptoms of a child on the spectrum and are giving the diagnosis so those children can get the help they need to thrive, but there are still tons of kids out there whose parents either don’t know what to look for, or refuse to have their child tested because they’re afraid of the stigma that comes with labeling their child as autistic.

When it comes to raising kids, the saying is “it takes a village”. It’s so true; as a society, it’s our nature to want to help children who are struggling, and we should help when we can. This is why I think it’s so important for teachers- who are with our children for 8 hours a day through 70% of the year- to be able to spot the signs of a child who may be struggling and help them how they can. This may mean allowing them to sit in the hallway for some quiet time to decompress if they’re struggling to focus, or if they seem irritable, or allowing them access to a fidget toy to keep their hands busy if they can’t sit still. Even children who aren’t on the spectrum can benefit from a kinder approach to things you may see as “disruptive” or “behavioral problems”.

I shared a few resources last year in my post, and wanted to share a couple again, because I think they’re really valuable tools for helping teachers and school staff to understand and spot the signs and symptoms of autism and how to handle certain situations like meltdowns or sensory overload.

Autism Speaks’ School Community Tool Kit

Autism Spectrum Teacher Free Training

National Education Association’s Teaching Students with Autism

Organization for Autism Research’s Educator Resources

7 Things Your Student With Autism Wishes You Knew About Them

I have also created a handy “cheat sheet” for your info about child that you can fill out and send to your child’s teacher or any professional who may work with them. Our About Me form can be downloaded FREE from our Resources page!

If you or someone you know is a teacher, please share this post with them. ♥