Barb and Lois

To be honest, I had never really considered the possibility of teaching an individual with autism. I suppose my thoughts had always been that a student with autism would have been addressed prior to being in my classroom (being a high school teacher). Also, I had imagined an autistic student would already have an IEP on place that I would contribute to and assist with. Perhaps this picture is naive and too idealized, though.

As far as Barb and Lois' presentation/discussion, I was fascinated by the concept of students with autism experiencing some degree of freedom through typing. I find "non-verbal thought" absolutely mind blowing. Perhaps it's my linguistics background poking through, but I have a difficult time conceiving of thought without language. I would enjoy reading further on the topic on the future and anticipate the impact such knowledge could have on education.

Some of what Barb had to say (or rather Lois through Barb) caught me off guard. Rocking with a person or spinning with them if they stand up and spin seemed counterintuitive if not offensive. I don't think I would have ever done something like that had I not heard what Lois/Barb had to say on the topic. The same goes for speaking slowly and from the diaphragm to enhance the accuracy of communication.