HILLSBOROUGH: For schools, April is month to focus on autism

Triangle Schools plans walkathon, aerial photo of student body

   April is Autism Awareness Month in Hillsborough schools.
   At Triangle School, special themed T-shirts were made and purchased by the teachers. The Home and School Association provided grant money to buy autism awareness buttons for students, staff and administration. Autism awareness pencils for all students were bought through another grant.
   An open house for board members and administrators will be held on Wednesday, April 13, from 9 to 11 a.m. The students will participate in a school-wide project to create artwork to meet the year’s theme. A “Guess the Amount” contest will be held in the cafeteria for two students to win a T-shirt for autism awareness. A sibling support group will also be held to provide resources to the siblings of students with special needs.
   Two events will be held to spread awareness:
   • At an assembly Thursday, April 7, at 9:30 a.m., students will watch a PowerPoint presentation of a book titled “Help Me Understand,” written and illustrated by two teachers. Some special needs children used their artistic abilities to bring the illustrations to life.
   After the reading, the children will sing a song, entitled “Walk With Me,” and written by a parent of a child with autism and a special education teacher. The guitar-playing parent will sing the song while the students join him.
   • The school will host a “walk-a-thon” on Thursday, April 28, at 1 p.m. Every classroom is creating a banner to illustrate how they support autism awareness. Everyone will parade around the school wearing clothing in primary colors, which are a way to show support for autism. The parade will culminate with the student body forming the shape of a peace sign (to meet the theme of “Peace, Love, Autism”) while a photographer takes a shot from atop a fire truck ladder.