https://padlet.com/grabsoo/orgbvweh71zb2kyw Made with a taste for adventure en-us 2021-08-22 21:25:20 UTC 2021-11-22 02:10:49 UTC hello@padlet.com https://padlet.net/icons/png/1f331.png grabsoo https://padlet.com/grabsoo/orgbvweh71zb2kyw/wish/1689737769 At Dr.Hedges' recommendation, I have added and subscribed to Spectrum News so that I can stay up to date with the latest information on autism. This will be a great resource for my toolbox as I move on in my professional career as a teacher. As I encounter new students, I want to be able to support them as best as possible in my classroom. Spectrum will be of great value to me as I consider new ways to support students with autism, especially in my early years as a teacher. ]]> 2021-08-22 21:43:04 UTC https://padlet.com/grabsoo/orgbvweh71zb2kyw/wish/1689737769 grabsoo https://padlet.com/grabsoo/orgbvweh71zb2kyw/wish/1689741923 The first AFIRM module I completed during the second summer session, this introduction to ASD explores the characteristics of autism, how people with autism are diagnosed, and how to support students with autism. These modules do a fantastic job of breaking down stereotypes and stigma surrounding people with autism; furthermore, they made me first realize that people with autism and neurotypicals have more in common than people realize; that in some way shape or form, we all struggle with social competency. ]]> 2021-08-22 21:54:49 UTC https://padlet.com/grabsoo/orgbvweh71zb2kyw/wish/1689741923 https://padlet.com/grabsoo/orgbvweh71zb2kyw/wish/1868483995 The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) provides information, guidance, and resources that are available for public school educators teaching in North Carolina, where their aim is to help students develop intellectually, physically, vocationally, and emotionally. Using statistics from the CDC, this website offers information regarding the prevalence of autism in North Carolina, and the United States. There is further information regarding policy and guidance apropos to services supporting students with autism. Additionally, there are lists of Evidence-Based-Practices, instructional and online learning resources, as well as ELA and social/emotional learning resources too. ]]> 2021-11-04 21:23:56 UTC https://padlet.com/grabsoo/orgbvweh71zb2kyw/wish/1868483995 https://padlet.com/grabsoo/orgbvweh71zb2kyw/wish/1871649511 Autism Speaks is an organization seeking to promote and provide solutions, support, and advocacy for the needs of individuals with autism, and their families. Their mission is rooted in a desire to increase understanding and acceptance of people with autism; being committed to creating a more equitable and accessible world for people with autism, and people of all backgrounds and identities. This will undoubtedly prove to be a useful resource for me as I begin my journey as a first year teacher, and as a teacher of students with autism. Autism Speaks is also active in research surrounding practices and better interventions for people with autism and related conditions. The resources and research available provided by Autism Speaks will be a great reference for this toolkit as I advocate and support my students with autism. ]]> 2021-11-06 15:04:45 UTC https://padlet.com/grabsoo/orgbvweh71zb2kyw/wish/1871649511 https://padlet.com/grabsoo/orgbvweh71zb2kyw/wish/1871677925 The Autism Research Institute's mission is to support the health and well-being of people affected by autism through research and education. This resource seems more relevant to individuals with autism, family members, clinical workers, researchers, and therapists rather than to teachers; however, the resources and research available through this organization will be invaluable with regards to my own personal understanding of autism, and may give me a better means of supporting and advocating for my own students with autism. ]]> 2021-11-06 15:30:35 UTC https://padlet.com/grabsoo/orgbvweh71zb2kyw/wish/1871677925 https://padlet.com/grabsoo/orgbvweh71zb2kyw/wish/1900200661 The Scholars with Diverse Abilities Program (SDAP) here at Appalachian State will be a great and helpful reference to have in this toolkit as I begin teaching high school English. SDAP is a two year program for students with intellectual disabilities that helps students develop skills that are essential to a fulfilling, independent, and successful life post-graduation. High school is a time where students and adolescents start to seriously consider their next moves in terms of getting a job, starting a career, joining the armed forces, or going to college. For my future students with autism, they may have to overcome more challenges than their neurotypical peers with regards to their future. SDAP may be a helpful program to recommend to students and their families as they begin to consider the student's plan for the future, and it may be a good resource for me as a teacher if I need to consider specific supports for a student with ASD to help their transition into adulthood. ]]> 2021-11-18 17:53:01 UTC https://padlet.com/grabsoo/orgbvweh71zb2kyw/wish/1900200661 https://padlet.com/grabsoo/orgbvweh71zb2kyw/wish/1900246012 The Council for Exceptional Children is the largest international organization that aims to improve the success of children and youth with disabilities and/or gifts and talents; advocating for appropriate government policies, setting professional standards, providing professional development, and helping professionals acquire the resources necessary for effective professional practice. This organization may be especially helpful as they have special interest divisions that provide access to specialized networks of peers, advance research, and journals, which all can support my exploration and learning of areas of interest, such as: autism and developmental disabilities, visual and performing arts education, communication, language, and deaf/hard of hearing, culturally and linguistically diverse exceptional learners, emotional and behavioral health, and teacher education. I can fully anticipate returning to this organization as I delve into my teaching career. ]]> 2021-11-18 18:13:22 UTC https://padlet.com/grabsoo/orgbvweh71zb2kyw/wish/1900246012 https://padlet.com/grabsoo/orgbvweh71zb2kyw/wish/1900426806 The Cult of Pedagogy is an organization ran by a team of people who are passionate about teaching, pedagogy, and education, and who seek to support teachers. This is almost a sort of a social media-esque hub of information valuable for teachers; offering blog posts about "the art of teaching, theory and thinking behind practice, and discussions about the emotions of teaching; acknowledging how complex actual human beings can be". There are podcasts delving into teacher interviews, learning experts, parents' perspectives, and other advocates for education. They also offer teaching demonstrations, technology in the classroom demonstrations, classroom management tips, and teaching advice. This article in particular offers some critical insight into the effectiveness and significance of Universal Design of Learning (UDL); which will be important to reference throughout my teaching career. ]]> 2021-11-18 19:39:43 UTC https://padlet.com/grabsoo/orgbvweh71zb2kyw/wish/1900426806 https://padlet.com/grabsoo/orgbvweh71zb2kyw/wish/1900681109 The educational foundation, Edutopia, created by George Lucas (Star Wars), is a foundation dedicated to transforming K-12 education so that all students can learn and apply the knowledge, attitudes, and skills that are central to thrive in their studies, career, and adult lives. This foundation offers teaching strategies in assessment, interdisciplinary studies, project based learning, professional learning, technology integration, and social and emotional learning. The social and emotional learning resources will be especially critical for me to reference when working with students with ASD. This specific link provides twenty tips for creating positive relationships with family, which will be paramount to my tool kit as I aim to work with parents or guardians to best support my students. ]]> 2021-11-18 22:40:13 UTC https://padlet.com/grabsoo/orgbvweh71zb2kyw/wish/1900681109 https://padlet.com/grabsoo/orgbvweh71zb2kyw/wish/1901381413 PBS Learning Media has free, standard-aligned videos, professional development opportunities, lesson plans, and various multimodal texts about autism, and other topics across disciplines and interests; all of which would be helpful in planning and outlining a conceptual unit plan for teaching a high school English class. Additionally, these multimodal texts will be helpful in my continued learning and understanding of autism spectrum disorder, and helpful in developing my own students' understanding of ASD. Curating classroom activities that align with state standards will also be streamlined through these teaching resources. ]]> 2021-11-19 05:15:51 UTC https://padlet.com/grabsoo/orgbvweh71zb2kyw/wish/1901381413 https://padlet.com/grabsoo/orgbvweh71zb2kyw/wish/1904021298 Social and communication skills, and interpersonal intelligence are central in interacting with others in a productive and or fulfilling manner, and I think it is important that all my students have positive social experiences while learning in the classroom.  Social Thinking Training and Speakers Collaborative is a network/team of professionals with backgrounds as teachers, clinicians, and counselors; who strive to provide others with "evidence based information and practical strategies for parents, professionals, family members, children/students as well as adults living with social learning challenges to be used in schools, homes, the community as well as across work settings". Not only would this be beneficial for my understanding of implementing social skills development in my classroom, but I could share this with my fellow teachers and school professionals, as well as the parents of my own students. Additionally, this group provides professional development conferences; sharing strategies to support social skills and learning across contexts.]]> 2021-11-21 03:54:06 UTC https://padlet.com/grabsoo/orgbvweh71zb2kyw/wish/1904021298 https://padlet.com/grabsoo/orgbvweh71zb2kyw/wish/1904076429 Autism Speaks provides information regarding the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder's "diagnostic criteria for autism spectrum disorder and the related diagnosis of social communication disorder below". Rather than navigating the full text of the DSM-5, Autism Speaks has provided a quick reference to the descriptions of criteria for ASD and related social communication disorders. This would be a good reference to have if I needed to provide credible and accessible information about autism to students or individuals.  ]]> 2021-11-21 05:39:34 UTC https://padlet.com/grabsoo/orgbvweh71zb2kyw/wish/1904076429 grabsoo https://padlet.com/grabsoo/orgbvweh71zb2kyw/wish/1904943233 Often is the case that people with autism have comorbidities; having two or more medical conditions present in one person simultaneously. The Autism Community Training organization aims to provide information and training that supports children and adults with ASD to live productive and fulfilling lives within their families and communities. This link specifically provides insight about how to best support children and youth with autism and comorbid conditions. This will be a great reference for when I begin teaching and am tasked to work with students who have comorbidities. ]]> 2021-11-22 00:41:53 UTC https://padlet.com/grabsoo/orgbvweh71zb2kyw/wish/1904943233 grabsoo https://padlet.com/grabsoo/orgbvweh71zb2kyw/wish/1904962010 The Child Mind Institute aims to change the lives of children and families struggling with mental health and learning disorders by providing them with evidence-based care, educational resources, training for educators, and treatments. This particular resource would be good to suggest to parents, so they can be assured that the assessments their children receive are doing the work to help students grow and develop interpersonal and social skills. This resource will also be valuable for me to reference as I create assessments for my own students with autism or other developmental disorders. ]]> 2021-11-22 00:57:16 UTC https://padlet.com/grabsoo/orgbvweh71zb2kyw/wish/1904962010 grabsoo https://padlet.com/grabsoo/orgbvweh71zb2kyw/wish/1904983372 A highly credible source, the Center for Disease Control has curated information and resources available regarding diagnostic evaluations for ASD, medical information, core characteristics of autism, co-occurring conditions, and DSM-5 criteria.  The CDC aims to "provide essential data on ASD, search for factors that put children at risk for ASD and possible causes, and develop resources that help identify children with ASD as early as possible." The research and treatment services available will be useful as I approach my career and begin working with students who have autism, as they will provide me with a better means of supporting my students with ASD.  ]]> 2021-11-22 01:12:59 UTC https://padlet.com/grabsoo/orgbvweh71zb2kyw/wish/1904983372 grabsoo https://padlet.com/grabsoo/orgbvweh71zb2kyw/wish/1905008745 The Autism Society seeks to connect people with the services they need through education, advocacy, support, information and referral, and community programming; providing resources for the autism community in order to help them live a fulfilling life; connecting them with the evidence-based services and support they need. This website has multiple facets that can engage students in activism and taking action to support efforts to make the lives of people with autism more equitable and fulfilling. ]]> 2021-11-22 01:30:34 UTC https://padlet.com/grabsoo/orgbvweh71zb2kyw/wish/1905008745 grabsoo https://padlet.com/grabsoo/orgbvweh71zb2kyw/wish/1905026221 The Autism Science Foundation, nonprofit started in 2009, seeks to support research in autism by providing funding and other supports for scientists or organizations conducting and publicizing this research. They have extensive research and resources on diagnosis criteria for autism, treatment options, and I believe this resource specifically would be great for my own students to interact with, as the website is easy to navigate and the information is easily accessible and understandable for public readers. ]]> 2021-11-22 01:42:31 UTC https://padlet.com/grabsoo/orgbvweh71zb2kyw/wish/1905026221 grabsoo https://padlet.com/grabsoo/orgbvweh71zb2kyw/wish/1905044064 Evidence based practices are paramount when it comes to supporting students with autism in the classroom, and The What Works Clearinghouse can help me identify EBPs for students across academic subjects. Specifically, there are EBPs available for literacy instruction, english language learners, k12 education, teacher excellence, path to graduation, behavior, and postsecondary endeavors. This will be a good website to reference as I plan lessons and activities for students with autism. ]]> 2021-11-22 01:53:54 UTC https://padlet.com/grabsoo/orgbvweh71zb2kyw/wish/1905044064 grabsoo https://padlet.com/grabsoo/orgbvweh71zb2kyw/wish/1905063738 The National Education Association aims to advocate for professionals in education in order to prepare every student to succeed in the world; centered by a belief that every student in America deserves a quality education. The guide linked in this Padlet contains resources to help professionals working with students with autism focus on their strengths, strategize to address their challenges, and offer advice to provide individualized support. The strategies in this guide will not only help me reach my students with autism, but each of my students as I try to prepare them for the real world after high school. ]]> 2021-11-22 02:07:03 UTC https://padlet.com/grabsoo/orgbvweh71zb2kyw/wish/1905063738 grabsoo https://padlet.com/grabsoo/orgbvweh71zb2kyw/wish/1905069357 National Autism Resources strives to provide the tools necessary to help learners build skills in fun and engaging ways; helping students understand classroom expectations, manage emotions, and support students' ability to focus. There may be valuable resources available for me to purchase that can help me provide more effective education for my students with autism, and all my students in general. ]]> 2021-11-22 02:10:49 UTC https://padlet.com/grabsoo/orgbvweh71zb2kyw/wish/1905069357