Monday, August 29, 2011

For Girls with Autism, Middle School Years Can Be Particularly Challenging

Piece by Pamela Gross Downing, a special education teacher. Part 2 of her series will appear next week.

BROWNSVILLE, Texas -- When Maggie was little, she was a very precocious child. The family attributed the girl’s trouble sitting still to her constant curiosity. As a student, Maggie always did average to above average work in school. However, as the girl grew older, her behavior and disposition began to change. Maggie’s parents started noticing that their daughter was no longer fitting in with other children her age. That alone didn’t really concern them. Being different wasn’t the problem. Maggie had always been very creative and she displayed a special gift for art. The parents knew that their daughter’s inability to relate to her peers wasn’t the only issue of concern. The major difficulty was Maggie’s sudden unexpected outbursts at home and at school. Plus, the incidences were becoming more frequent.

No comments:

Post a Comment