Video Post

  

  I found both of these videos to be very insightful and uplifting. I have never personally known or worked with someone who has autism; so, it was very beneficial to watch these videos. All of the information presented helped me to better understand what it really means to have autism. I felt that these videos really communicated the saying, 'don't judge someone unless you're in his/her shoes.' As with any individual, we need to be aware that everyone is different and has different needs.

    I really enjoyed watching the first video, Here We Are World. The real life footage and people made everything that was presented hit home. I learned a lot about facilitated communication that I did not know before, and watching these individuals with their facilitators brought new insight. I did not realize all of the different ways that facilitated communication can be used. It was inspiring that these individuals were able to show their competence, stay engaged in a discussion, and even be humorous with their friends. It did a good job of showing how real these individuals’ thoughts and feelings are, and this is something we need to remember when becoming a teacher. How our students feel when they are in our classroom can have an impact on their learning, as well as things like their self-esteem and self-efficacy.

   The second video I watched, Autism Teacher Please, was also very inspiring. I enjoyed hearing quotes from Barb Retenbach's book being stated from these individuals. One in particular that stood out to me was, “We are all diverse, yet all important to this world.” I felt that a lot of the information in this video would be beneficial to know when having my own classroom. One thing that really stood out to me was about how individuals with autism do not always like to be alone. I feel that this is a common misconception because individuals with autism can come off as very shy and to themselves at times. I also found it interesting to hear that school systems need to be more accepting of facilitated communication. The special education class that I took this semester really helped me to see how important it is to think about all of your students and how you can differentiate to meet everyone's needs. There are ways of doing this, whether it is peer assistance or allowing them to use resources to make sure that they feel engaged in the class and with their peers.

   I took both of these videos as another learning experience towards my goal of becoming a successful teacher. Being exposed to videos and information like this can help prepare teachers (and others as well) when they are working with children who have autism.