District, students honor the work of special ed teachers

SPARTA - April was Autism Awareness Month and Special Education teachers at Helen Morgan School coordinated several activities to help raise awareness about the contidion. Autism is a developmental disability that typically appears during the first three years of life. The result of a neurological disorder that affects functioning of the brain, Autism and its associated behaviors have been estimated to occur in as many as 1 in 166 individuals. Autism is four times more prevalent in boys and knows no racial, ethnic or social boundaries. Family income, lifestyle and education do not affect the occurrence of Autism. Autism impacts the normal development of the brain in the areas of social interaction and communication skills. Children and adults with Autism typically have difficulties in verbal and non-verbal communication, social interactions and leisure or play activities. The disorder makes it hard for them to communicate and relate to the outside world. The culminating activity at the school was an appreciation breakfast sponsored by the Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) classrooms at Helen Morgan School. A plaque was presented to honor all special education teachers and instructional aides in the district who work daily with children with special needs. Taking part in the event were (front row, from left): Bari Bristow, Kristi Hicok, Carrie Gilbert, DiAnn Sayers, Debbie Adams and Jayne Heinz. Back row: Kim Kus, Alycen DeCrescenzi, Melissa Allen, Chris Hemming, Terry Friend.