Anything But Typical

Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that 1 in 44 children in the United States have some form of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). What do you know about ASD and other types of neurodiversity? What does it mean that autism is a “spectrum” disorder? What are some other examples of neurodiversity?

Teaching Suggestion: Students may have some insights into the nature of ASD and/or other forms of neurodiversity from their peers, from their families, or from their own personal experience. For those students with limited awareness, however, you will want to encourage them to approach the subject with openness, sensitivity, and empathy. Students may have familiarity with other forms of neurodiversity (ADHD, dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia, and/or Tourette’s Syndrome) but not realize that those conditions fall under the same umbrella term as ASD. ASD is considered a “spectrum” disorder because of the wide range of ways the disorder can present and manifest in individuals.

• Autism Speaks offers this helpful School Community Tool Kit to help teachers provide students with useful information about autism in their communities, as well as to help promote understanding and acceptance.