A PowerPoint for *****!!

*photo of young person*

In the 1940’s a very clever man called Leo Kanner

became really interested in how children learned.

• Leo Kanner

He was fascinated to discover that some children were very clever at doing certain things. Things like working out how to use computers and other technology very quickly. They were often able to play very complicated computer games very well!

A lot of these children had a fantastic memory for things they had seen and done. Most of the children were excellent at talking about things which interested them.

Leo Kanner also noticed that although these children found some things easy, they also found some things very hard to do and understand.

The children often found it hard to understand how people were feeling and why they felt that

way.

Sometimes they weren’t sure how to behave in a way people liked. They often felt that they didn’t

have many GOOD friends.

A lot of children found it difficult to put their thoughts into the right words so that other people could understand them.

Sometimes the children said things which might seem rude or unkind even when they didn’t mean to be!

Urgh..yourbreath smellsreally bad!!!

That is not veryNice. I feel upset

Now. I am not your friend!

Other children found that they got angry or upset very easily and needed help to calm down. A lot of children worried about lots of things and sometimes behaved badly.

Sometimes I might get told off!

Most of the children got worried when familiar things had to change.

Leo Kanner thought that these children were so interesting that he wanted to give their amazing characteristics a name. Children who showed these characteristics had AUTISM or an AUTISTIC SPECTRUM CONDITION. This meant that their brains worked in a different way from other people’s brains.

Having a brain which works differently means that people with an Autistic Spectrum Condition:

• Behave differently sometimes

• Think differently

• Learn things in a different way

MY STORY…….so far anyway!

• This is me!!!

*add photo*

A little while ago, my Mum and Dad and teachers realised that I seemed to be very good at some things but I found other things really hard. I was

similar to the children that Leo Kanner met.

A Doctor said that I had an Autistic Spectrum Condition too. This means that I share some of

the things in common with the children Leo Kanner worked with.

These are the things I am good at!

• I am very clever at understanding and using technical stuff like computers!

• I have a very good memory for things I am interested in!

• I am excellent at riding my bike! *add photos*

More things that I am good at……

• I am very good at riding horses

• I know lots about Star Wars

• I enjoy being with animals *add photos*

Even more things I am good at!

• I am kind and affectionate

• I like to do the right thing and get things correct

• I can be organised and tidy

I find some things more tricky!

I really don’t like it when people shout.

Sometimes…

• If I am worried or angry, I can sometimes do things which can hurt other people. I need help sometimes to calm myself down.

Another thing I find a bit difficult

• Although I like reading, I find it quite difficult to remember and learn how to read harder words. I sometimes can’t remember maths problems very well either.

• Sometimes I get extra help to do these better at school.

Tricky things!

• I like doing what I want to do but sometimes I find it difficult to understand that I can’t always do what I want to do. My friends, parents and teachers need me to do things too. Sometimes this makes me cross. Sometimes I try to get out of doing them!

• I need to learn how to do things I don’t want to do in a polite and co-operative way!

Autism is not an illness or disease so I can’t become poorly or die from it. There are no

medicines to cure it yet and I will not grow out of it BUT the good things is I can learn lots of things to help me cope with the things I find more tricky!

X

X

X

Excuses!

• Having Autism DOESN’T mean that I can’t have a try at doing things!

True : “I have Autism so I might find a few things tricky. Please help me”.

False : “ I have Autism so I can’t do that!”

Every person is different. Some people have conditions which affect how they look. You can see these things from the outside like having a wheel chair.

• My Autism is part of my inside so other people don’t always know that I have it. This can be good because I can choose whether I tell people or not.

BUT it can also mean that sometimes people might not understand why I do certain things or

behave in the way I do.

• I might need some help sometimes in explaining to people what I am doing or thinking. I might also need help to understand what other people are thinking too.

What is ***** doing?

My friends can try to help me behave in the right way.

• My friends are:

• ADD NAMES OF FRIENDS HERE!!!!

A lot of children who have an Autistic Spectrum Condition sometimes have special help in school. These people are usually called Learning Support Assistants.

• The Learning Support Assistants who usually help in my class are :

Please add their names in here!

Other people who help me in school are:

ADD SOME MORE PEOPLE IN HERE!!

My teachers and Learning Support Assistants try to understand my Autistic Spectrum Condition. They can encourage me to use my talents. I can do well in school!

• Jen Maltby is from the Autism Outreach Service. She can also help me, my family and my school understand my Autism better. I might see her in my classroom every now and then!

A very dodgy photo!!

Just as everyone without an Autistic Spectrum Condition is different, no 2 people with autism

are the same either!

• I am UNIQUE. Nobody has quite the same strengths, interests and personality as me!

*add photos*

Lots of people like me because I am a little bit different and think in different ways.

I am a fantastic person!

My family think I am brilliant too!

*add photos*

Famous People who may have had autism

• Albert Einstein born 1879He was a famous Mathematician whowas exceptionallyclever with numbers.

Isaac Newton born 1642

• He was a scientist who worked out what gravity was and that white light can be split into colours!

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart born 1756

• Mozart was a genius at music. He had composed his first piece of music by the time he was only 5 years old!!