Philip Simmons Middle School promotes empathy during Autism Awareness Month

Philip Simmons Middle School special education teacher Tikahia Williams experiences autism firsthand, in her job and in her home.

“Before I started working here, I couldn’t get a job because he would only go to school for half a day,” said Williams, referring to her son, who has Autism Spectrum Disorder. “We would be in the grocery store and he’d just spaz out and people would be staring and there’s nothing I can do but console him.”

Every April, the Autism Society takes 30 days to promote awareness and acceptance of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), and this year Philip Simmons Middle School’s special education department followed suit with a series of activities to educate the student body about ASD.

“A lot of people don’t understand what’s going on with them,” Williams explained. “They don’t understand the mind frame that they’re in, they don’t understand what we as parents really go through and how we deal with it on a daily basis. Every second, minute, hour, we’re dealing with it, even when they’re not with us.”

Some of the events throughout the month included a raffle every week for students who wore blue on Tuesday and an assignment for every student to make a puzzle piece that described themselves.

“You’re not different; you’re unique, but you’re not different. You’re still a human being,” Williams said about autism awareness.

Puzzle pieces are frequently associated with autism awareness because of the individuality they represent.

“We don’t want everybody to be the same,” said PSMS special education teacher Jessica Camp. “If everybody’s the same, then we miss out on a lot. We miss out on what people with unique abilities have to offer and the perspective that everybody is going to have on the world.”

Every homeroom class gave students the opportunity to make a large paper puzzle piece, which were put together and hung outside of the class.

“We all fit together in our own unique way, but we all connect together. Whether it’s autism, anything, we all connect together,” said Williams.

One student, Raven Jenkins, said that she learned to be more understanding of people’s situations as a result of the month’s activities.

“My brother, Roy, he gets angry easily,” she stated. “He likes quiet by himself, but they [people in their house] don’t give it to him, so I do. I’m trying to help him.”

The puzzle piece Jenkins made for her homeroom said “beautiful.”

Camp noted that during the month of April, students began to use proper language to describe ASD. She also claimed that students in her class affected with autism felt better about the disorder because of it.

“I think it helps them to recognize, as well, that ‘I think I might be a little different and there’s also other kids in the school that are different and that’s ok,’” she said.

Camp added that even some teachers were given a new outlook by the educational programs.

“I think they’ve been inspired learning more about autism and about not focusing on the differences, but making sure that we are pushing everybody to their highest potential, and that we’re not looking at the disabilities, but at the individual person and the unique characteristics that we all have to offer,” she said.

Daniel Island Publishing

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Unit 108
Daniel Island, SC 29492 

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