Joining in the national celebration in recognition of Autism Spectrum Disorder, the students and staff of Chicago Heights School District 170's Wilson School have gone all out for autism awareness.
Marissa Werner, an eighth-grade self-contained Special Education teacher, joined with her classroom assistant Bonita Dondle, and students, Keenen Fanning, Jaylen Thomas, and Janyah Wooten to initiate an activity that would raise autism awareness while also raising money to help pay expenses associated with the school's graduation cruise.
The class sponsored a fundraiser during which students, staff, and families and friends purchased t-shirts to show support for the initiative. (Shirts still are available at a cost of $15 and may be purchased by contacting Wilson School at 756-4839.)
"The fundraiser was a fabulous success, and it is so gratifying to see students and staff wearing their shirts in celebration of Autism Awareness Month and learning about autism," Werner said.
"It made me super emotional in the best way possible that the students in our classroom were so involved in an activity that helped others learn about autism while at the same time teaching them to advocate for themselves."
"I was very proud of our students and staff for supporting our activity, and even more proud of the fact that our class's initiative helped pay for some of the expenses associated with graduation events!" she concluded.
Werner's enthusiasm for the autism activity was embraced wholeheartedly by her students.
"We are all a family - all five of us – and we sold the shirts to help for autism and to celebrate our classroom family," Janyah Wooten said.
"Thank you to Mr. Banks for helping us to sell the shirts and, especially, for wearing his shirt the most!"
The Autism Society declared the first National Autism Awareness Month in April 1970 to promote autism awareness, inclusion and self-determination for all, and to assure that each person with autism spectrum disorder has the opportunity to achieve the best possible quality of life.