CHILDREN at a County Durham primary school came face to face with a giant hedgehog as part of a range of activities to mark World Autism Acceptance Day.
Hartside Primary Academy, in Crook, was one of a host of schools across the North East which teamed up with the North East Autism Society (NEAS) for the annual celebration of neurodiversity.
With the support of a free education toolkit supplied by NEAS, all classes spent the morning completing creative and fun activities based on the theme of what makes you ‘you’, with the emphasis on celebrating individual differences.
The activities included teaching assistant, Richard Pratt, demonstrating Makaton – a language program using signs, symbols, and speech to aid communication for people with learning difficulties.
Another teaching assistant, Helen Herdman, used her skills to run a yoga session for pupils, explaining that the activity is known to help manage emotions, reduce stress, improve focus, and boost mindfulness.
An Autism Acceptance Day assembly featured a visit by a giant white hedgehog, called Snowdrop, who has been adopted as the North East Autism Society’s mascot.
Dawn Simpson, headteacher at the school, which is part of the Advance Learning Partnership, said: “We have lots of diverse needs in the school, but we live in a world where those needs are not always accepted by society.
“As a school at the heart of the community, we can educate people and raise awareness of neurodiversity, because we are committed to celebrating every child as a special individual. Our focus is on the needs of the child, regardless of referral or diagnosis.”
Mrs Simpson praised the North East Autism Society for providing schools with the educational toolkit, which is packed with teaching resources.
“Schools have limited capacity, so it is invaluable to have the support of organisations like NEAS, giving us the right guidance and supplying us with resources that are easy to access,” she added.
John Phillipson, chief executive of the North East Autism Society, said: “It’s a pleasure to partner schools like Hartside Primary Academy that are committed to embracing neurodiversity and encouraging children to celebrate what makes them different and special.”
- Autism Acceptance Month carries on throughout April and resources are still available for teachers on the NEAS website: www.ne-as.org.uk/world-autism-acceptance-month/schools-autism-acceptance-week/