Kindness Club
Every school year from 3rd grade on, I went into the classroom (with the teacher’s permission and coordination). We sent home a letter to each of the families introducing Michael and providing our contact information to answer any questions. I brought a fun snack and I read the kids a story about autism. I also brought a poster with AUTISM as an acrostic to share big ideas. I left the poster with the teacher to be displayed in the classroom.
Then, Mikey’s aide would take him out to do some one-on-one work. I would tell the kids they could ask me whatever they wondered about. I got great questions from Mikey’s classmates. They asked about stereotopy, repeating words, rocking and struggles with communication.
I answered all their questions openly. I shared my love of Michael.
In 5th grade, I did this visit one last time since there were lots of new kids in our middle school. It happened to be kindness week so they shared it to the local paper. Here’s my facebook post about it.
Some wonderful classmates pictured beneath the rainbow. Kindness abounds.
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About the Author
Erica Mauro is a mom to two teenage boys, Will who is neurotypical and Michael with Autism and cognitive delays. She holds a BA in Psychology from Colgate University and a Masters of Psychology in Education from Columbia Teacher’s College. Before staying home with her children, she worked as an elementary school teacher. For five years, she served on the Board of Directors of the Molly Ann Tango Memorial Foundation, a charity dedicated to enriching the lives of children with special needs. In partnership with her husband Dave, she aspires to parent by using daily life as an opportunity for therapeutic intervention, seizing on real experiences as opportunities to build skills and strategies for Michael in a joyful, loving home environment. On the tougher early days, she just tried to get everyone safely to bedtime and start fresh in the morning. *wink* 
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