This presentation illustrates how everyday stimuli might feel to a child with autism. It requires some volunteers from the audience who act as the autistic child. The facilitator demonstrates different scenarios with the volunteers to help students empathize better with how a child with autism might feel in different situations. A reading of the “Autism Acceptance Book” is also good for young kids (up to 4th grade).
Numbered blocks - the "student" is asked to keep the blocks in order throughout the demonstration to avoid becoming distressed despite the "teacher" constantly rearranging the blocks or moving them to the side in a fruitless effort to get the student's attention directed toward the lesson ("Billy, stop playing with the blocks/pencils/crayons and please pay attention to the lesson")
Wood block(s) - having another volunteer tap the block(s) every second near the student's ear represents the way the student might hear the ticking. Where neurotypical peers might be preoccupied with looking at the clock simply to know what time recess or lunch may be (and will be easily redirected to the task at hand), our student with autism might be completely distracted by the ticking sound. In addition to illustrating the acute sense of hearing, it also is used to explain how some individuals have difficulty "shifting" these unnecessary sounds to the background.
Several shiny or glittery balls hanging from a mobile - commenting that our student may be sitting near a window on a sunny day in a dusty classroom, we have another volunteer hold these in front of the student's face. This illustrates how some individuals with autism not only focus on, indeed become entranced by seemingly insignificant details, but also allows for the reiteration of the point that while they are looking at one thing, they may not be listening to another.
Sandpaper - Rubbed lightly on the arm by another volunteer, this illustrates the tactile defensiveness that many individuals experience while wearing certain types of clothing
Maraca (or rain stick) - Shaking this next to the student's other ear, we make the comment that (at least here in Florida) the weather can change at any time. Thus, our sunny day may turn into a rainshower. Again, this illustrates the acute hearing and the inability to shift background noises out of conscious thought
Scented cloth - While kidding that the teacher may put on perfume to counteract the smell of her students upon their return from recess, another volunteer places a cloth soaked with some pungent (but not putrid) scented oil, emphasizing how every sense can be bombarded, sometimes, as in this case, simultaneously.
Although we didn't do it in today's training, we have also had the "teacher" volunteer, in addition to pestering the student by rearranging the blocks, also recite an academic lesson (e.g., read a passage from a textbook) to further demonstrate how little knowledge is being acquired when these difficulties are present and no accommodations provided. It also provides an opportunity to reiterate the point about the frustration level of the affected individual - not only with the conditions, but with the inability to communicate the frustration - and the understandably negative behaviors that may result.
This demonstration is also a good segue to the Autism Every Day video clip since you can say something like, "Now you know what it's like - sort of - to experience some of the difficulties encountered by individuals with autism for just a couple of minutes, we'd like to show you a short film about what it's like for families who live with Autism Every Day."
A 13 minute clip can be found at http://www.autismspeaks.org/sponsoredevents/autism_every_day.php.
A seven minute clip can be found at www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDMMwG7RrFQ.
Again, this can be adapted in any way to illustrate different characteristics or behaviors. We just chose these few to illustrate some of the more common ones in a very relatable situation.