April is Autism Awareness Month! As an Autism Support teacher, I recognize the dire importance of helping people understand what Autism is and isn't, not only this month, but as often as I possibly can. Did you know that 1 in 88 children are affected with Autism (1 in 54 boys) and that it affects 2 million people in the US alone? Of the $30.86 BILLION dollars allotted to the National Institutes of Health in 2012, only $169 million went directly to research on Autism. Further proof that education and awareness are key!
My students never cease to amaze me on a regular basis, and I am so fortunate to be their teacher. I feel it is our job to speak out for these individuals, particularly for those that cannot do so for themselves!
To celebrate Autism Awareness month, my students created these puzzle piece wreaths. Autism is represented by puzzle pieces to highlight the puzzle that is the disorder and to honor those working tirelessly to piece things together to determine possible causes, prevention, and methods of treatment. Here are the steps we took to create these awesome decorations that I will hang proudly in my classroom and home in honor of these incredible individuals.
Materials:
-cardboard ring (ours were 10" in diameter)
-light blue construction paper
-scissors
-glue
-large puzzle pieces
-red, yellow, green, and blue acrylic paint
-paint brush
-hole punch
-blue ribbon-approx. 6"
-Autism Awareness ribbon (we found ours in the craft section of Wal-Mart)-approx. 8"
Instructions:
1. Trace the cardboard ring onto the light blue, construction paper
2. Cut along the traced lines
3. Glue the light blue ring to the cardboard ring so that the cardboard is not seen
4. Paint the non-printed sides of 10 puzzle pieces and let dry
5. Glue puzzle pieces around the ring
6. After the glue is dry, use the hole punch to make a hole at the top of the ring
7. String the blue ribbon through the hole and tie both sides of the string together
8. Loop the Autism awareness ribbon and glue to the bottom center of the ring
Please take a moment to look through this incredible website and share it with others, because the more educated we become, the closer we get to putting this puzzle together!
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| Hanging proudly in our school's hallway |
