Originally published in TEACH Magazine, November/December 2019 Issue
By Christine Hughes
The saying goes, “If you’ve met one individual with autism, you’ve met one.” As one person on the Autism spectrum may be highly verbal, another may be nonverbal. As one may not be able to tolerate touch, another may be extremely tactile.
Ask any educator who has welcomed multiple learners with autism into his or her classroom, and you will find there is no set formula for ensuring academic success. When charged with teaching any student on the spectrum, one will likely find him or herself teetering the line of adhering to predictable routines while “thinking outside the box.”
Christine Hughes is an autism mom and professional Music Specialist with Bartlett City Schools in Bartlett, TN. Christine has studied Arts Integration extensively and presented inclusive strategies on teaching students with disabilities at the district and state level.
