April is National Autism Awareness Month

Hearing and vision screening for very young children can be difficult to diagnose when the child also has autism. It is possible for a child to have significant visual impairment and autism, or hearing loss and autism. Up to 40% of children with hearing loss having an additional disability.

Collaborative efforts between parents, doctors, and teachers are important in appropriately diagnosing children. Cooperative efforts between vision, hearing, and autism programs can be critical in ensuring children have all the resources they need. For more information:

Related Resources

Media

Humanoid Robot Russell Engages Children With Autism

With support from the National Science Foundation, mechanical and computer engineer Nilanjan Sarkar and psychologist Zachary Warren at Vanderbilt University have developed a learning environment for kids with autism, built around state-of-the-art technologies. One of those state-of-the-art technologies is a humanoid robot, nicknamed Russell, who works with the children on their ability to imitate others. The robot has some of the characteristics of a human, but it’s not as complex, so it doesn’t overstimulate or overwhelm a child with autism.

Grades 10-12

Members Only

Heart Child

This documentary chronicles the story of a mother's journey to create and sustain a non-profit organization for autistic children. Crys Worley is the mother of an autistic son, Sasha. While she has health struggles of her own, she starts A. Skate (Autism. Skating with Kids through Acceptance, Therapy, and Education) as a resource for other autistic children and their families.

Grades 9-12

Members Only

Our Special Life: An Autism Story (The Jorgl Family)

Sydnee is the mom of twin 11-year-old boys Jake and Ian. When the boys were younger, she noticed that Ian was not developing as fast as his brother. Ian was diagnosed with autism. In this episode, the Jorgl family shares their story and highlights their partnership with Ian's teachers at the Brooklyn Autism Center.

Grades 7-12

Tags: educators, parents