We Said, They Said:
50 Things Parents and Teachers of Students with Autism Want Each Other to Know
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©2013 Cassie Zupke
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ISBN: 978-1-935274-95-7
To my husband. Without his support, this book
would never have been written.
To my children, who ate a lot of frozen pizza
while I wrote it.
And to the rest of my family, who never once
told me that cooking dinner was more important
than writing.
I'd like to take this opportunity to acknowledge a very special group of people. The parents of children with difficulties often work very hard on their behalf. We have to—they're our kids. It's our job to help them to the best of our ability. But, there are also a lot of people who have chosen to help our children—just because they want to.
There are teachers who go far above and beyond what's mandated by law, who work very hard to help our kids succeed. There are administrators who research and create special programs because they will help our kids reach new heights. Experts specialize in autism and other special needs because they really want to help children. Members of all kinds of community groups don't have to include our kids, but they do anyway, because it's the right thing to do. There are students who help the child next to them who is struggling and is frankly more than a little odd. Friends and neighbors may not have a clue why our kids do what they do, but they invite them over to play anyway. Volunteers give their own time and money to help other people's kids, just because they care about them. People like these have touched my life and the lives of those in my family in more ways than they'll ever know. My son's life is better because of them—and so is mine. They've inspired me and led me forward during the times I didn't know which way to turn. They are angels on earth, and I am in their debt in more ways than I can ever repay.
25 Things Parents of Children with Autism Want Teachers to Know
2. I Didn't Cause My Child's Autism
3. Typical Parenting Skills Are Not Enough
9. My Child's Developmental Path
11. Hope and Delusions
12. Acceptance and Realism
13. My Options
14. Dealing with Transitions
15. Childhood Development
16. What Are We Doing?
17. Your Challenges
18. Can I Trust You?
19. I Need to Prove Myself
20. Social Interaction May Be Difficult for Me
21. Why Sometimes I Don't Try
22. I'm Tired
23. I Am Afraid
24. Don't Give Up on Us
25. I Love My Child
25 Things Teachers of Children with Autism Want Parents to Know
1. I Care about Your Child
2. Autism May Be New to Me
3. Teaching Methods
4. Your Child's Privacy
5. The Other Students in My Class
6. Can I Trust You?
7. What Kind of Parent Are You?
8. Yelling Never Works
9. Legal Help
10. Services, Accommodations, and Modifications
11. I Don't Have A Magic Wand
12. Assessing Your Child's Progress
13. Why I Tell You Things You Don't Want to Hear
14. Realism and Acceptance
15. Teaching Independence
16. Special Education Is Changing
17. Living, Vocational, and Social Skills
18. The Future
19. If You Have Questions, Ask Me
20. Homework
21. Consultations
22. What You Model at Home