Give Students with Autism the Ability to Communicate!
My students need reading and writing materials to help them learn how to communicate with their friends, family, and community.
FULLY FUNDED! Mrs. Wilder's classroom raised $332
This project is fully funded
My Students
Imagine you have no way to communicate all the exciting thoughts you have each day. That's the challenge my students with autism face day in and day out.
I teach 5 fantastically unique boys at a middle school in NYC for students with moderate to severe disabilities.
My students are in 6th grade and they all have autism. I have one student who is completely non-verbal, 2 who speak in 1-3 word utterances, and 2 who can speak in full sentences, but have severe articulation difficulties.
Despite the mountains my students have to climb each day, they are always in the best of spirits. Everyday during our morning meeting, each of my boys chooses the "happy" or "excited" face when describing how they feel, which always puts a smile on my face!
Our school is a Title I school, meaning all students receive free lunch, and mine also receive free breakfast, so while many of their parents would like to buy them all the books and resources in the world, it's simply not possible. Therefore, I try to do everything in my power to make sure each minute these boys are in my class they are learning something valuable!
My Project
Autism is usually coupled with language delays in many students, and my guys need extra support in the areas of reading and writing to help them communicate with those around them.
For example, many of my students may know that they want a pencil, but they don't know the word for pencil, and are therefore left feeling frustrated because they are unable to express their needs.
Many students with autism don't learn to read phonetically and they need sight words to help them connect objects with their names. This is why products that promote reading and communication via sight words are perfect for my students!
I am asking for a question of the day chart kit, to build my students' conversation skills, language builder and sight word cards, to help them practice using their newly acquired words, as well as both fiction and non-fiction sight word readers to get them on the path to literacy!
Most people take the ability to start a conversation for granted, however, my students don't innately possess these skills.
This is why we need scripted questions to help teach them how to have conversations. By practicing with scripts, my students will become more comfortable communicating with their friends, family, and community.
My boys work so hard each day, and it breaks my heart when I see them struggling to communicate. They deserve many more resources than they have, so anything helps!
More than three‑quarters of students from low‑income households
Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more
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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Mrs. Wilder and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
