Ask kids what their favorite part of the school day is, and most will enthusiastically say “recess!” But for many students with autism, this unstructured 20-minute break can seem like a frightening free-for-all to be avoided at all costs.
April is Autism Awareness Month. Organizations across the country are bringing autism to the forefront of conversation to help people “better understand autism spectrum disorder and improve the lives of individuals living with it,” according to Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary of U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.
People with autism spectrum disorder may show repetitive behavior, have trouble with verbal and nonverbal communications and have difficulties with social interaction. For kids, this can make the classroom challenging and recess even harder. But with Playworks, students with autism are given an opportunity to play at recess and be a part of the game.
Coaches provide game options for all students and extra guidance to teach students with autism how to participate. Take Coach DeShea Blake, for example. He is a Playworks program coordinator at Eno Valley Elementary School in Durham, North Carolina. He remembers how Susie struggled to be a part of the games three years ago. Today things are better.
Susie*, a student with autism, has been at Eno Valley all three of my years there. She plays all games at recess the best that she can and helps clean up the playground every day after recess.
Susie is not as athletic as other students, and she sometimes has a hard time understanding simple instructions. Without Playworks, Susie would not play at recess, other students would bully her because she can't play or perform as well as them. But now, Susie has a chance to make friends and be a part of the games at recess.
This year, Susie even signed up to play on the Playworks girls basketball team! She participates alongside all the other students on the team and loves that she can be like everyone else!
Throughout the season Susie’s teammates worked one on one with her on shooting, dribbling and passing. The team and audience would always cheer just as loud for her as all the others! Susie really enjoyed playing and bonded well with her teammates both on and off court. She even played basketball several days of the week at recess with other students, even getting her brother interested!
How do you use play to help students with autism succeed?
*This student’s name has been changed to respect her privacy.
