View in browser

It’s that time of year: back-to-school. And while there is no denying that the transition from summer to school, especially new schools, can be stressful for autistic students and their families, it is also a time of renewal. With each new school year comes a chance to set new goals and reignite hope. 

That’s exactly where we start this back-to-school newsletter - with hope. Sabrina Vaughn’s The Hatching Hope Foundation, to be exact. Read how she is inspiring parents to better advocate for their autistic child at school, starting with their IEP. We also share our Autism by the Numbers dashboard so you can see where your state stacks up in serving autistic students in special education. In addition, we've included some great resources for teachers and nurses to make school more welcoming for autistic students.  

Lastly, we have advice for young autistic adults beginning their postsecondary education careers from autistic adults who have tackled that journey. Higher education looked different for each of them, a reminder that learning goals are different for everyone.

Maybe your grade school child has a goal to finish the upcoming school year at their grade reading level. Maybe your child wants to learn to tie their shoes. Maybe you or your child just wants to learn to drive. Regardless, we want to celebrate those aspirations and hope you will share your or your child’s goal this school year here. Let us know if we can follow up with you in December and again in Spring to see how you or your child are doing and feature your story. In the meantime, wishing you a smooth transition and a wonderful school year! 

Meet Sabrina Vaughn: Mother of autistic son, special education advocate and founder of The Hatching Hope Foundation who is helping families of autistic children navigate the school system  

Sabrina Vaughn is a mother of triplets, including Keyshawn who was diagnosed with autism in 2012 at age two and a half. After struggling to find much-needed information, services and supports in her area, necessity forced her to become the mother of invention. She founded the Hatching Hope Foundation to help Dallas-Fort Worth families access local resources she wished she had when Keyshawn was diagnosed. Among her biggest endeavors: making sure that autistic children’s IEPs are implemented correctly at school. To date she has helped 5,000 families. Learn more about her foundation and advocacy efforts here. 

How is your state performing in special education? 

Autism Speaks’ Autism by the Numbers dashboard can help you get a full picture of how well your state is serving autistic students in special education. Discover information around: 

• How often do students receive special education for autism? 

• How often do autistic students receiving special education leave high school with a diploma? 

• How often do schools use disciplinary actions with special education students who have autism?

• How often do high school students receive vocational rehabilitation training? 

Autistic teacher perspective: How to nurture autistic students and build an inclusive classroom 

Despite 1 in 36 children being diagnosed with autism in the United States, many general education teachers lack sufficient training specific to students on the autism spectrum. Teacher Jim Hoerricks brings a unique perspective to the classroom: their lived experience as an autistic person. Here, they share tips to help other teachers connect with their students with autism and related disabilities in a way that maximizes everyone’s learning. Share it and our crash course in autism for gen ed teachers with your teacher friends or your child’s teachers to help create an inclusive classroom environment that not only supports autistic students but the entire class.   

An essential resource: The school nurse  

Like every other kid, students with autism and other developmental disabilities visit the nurse’s office. But since they are more likely to experience additional health issues, autistic students can be regular visitors. How can the school nurse best support them? Getting to know them personally helps. So does understanding the most common challenges related to autism. Read about them here and strategies to make visits to the nurse less stressful and more productive.   

If an autistic student requires daily intensive care, suffers from trauma related to their medical needs or medical providers, has expected behavior, frequently or occasionally, that requires medical attention, or has any issue requiring health management, including an inability or aversion to identifying pain, the school nurse will probably suggest an Individualized Health Plan. Learn here how to establish this tool which the National Association of School Nurses calls “vital and practical” to manage student-specific healthcare needs. 

About to begin your postsecondary education journey? Find out what life is like from current and former autistic students 

Postsecondary education opportunities for young adults on the spectrum are growing leaps and bounds in part to an increase in universities, community colleges, vocational schools and other institutions offering autism-specific support programs. Choosing which setting and school is right for you is important. That’s where our Postsecondary Educational Opportunities Guide comes in handy. But to give you an idea of what postsecondary education life is like, we went straight to the source: five autistic people in different settings and at different stages of their educational careers. Here, they talk about everything from making friends and picking roommates, to study habits, adding/dropping classes and communicating with professors, and everything in between. 

Autism Speaks | 50 F Street NW, Suite 360, Washington, DC 20001
Mailing address: P.O. Box 37148, Boone, IA 50037

© 2023 Autism Speaks Inc. Autism Speaks and Autism Speaks Design are registered trademarks owned by Autism Speaks Inc. All rights reserved. 

Unsubscribe | Update subscription preferences