Foundation School for Autism - Plano

Here are some fun summer activities to try this summer.

Five Summer Activities for Children with Autism: Expert Recommendations | Bancroft Summer is an exciting time for children to explore, engage, and have fun both indoors and outdoors. For children with autism, engaging in activities that suit their unique needs and interests is crucial for their overall development and well-being. Senior Director of Children’s Services Chelsea Co...

Today we celebrated all our students and all their accomplishments for the 23-24 school year.

Our EE class enjoyed playing outside today.

Happy principal appreciation day to our amazing director Rachel!! Thank you for all you do for our campus, students and staff. We are so happy we get to share our days with you!

Our EE students had a lot of fun playing outside this week and playing with each other.

Our Kinder/1st completed an Earth Day project today.

Total Solar Eclipse 2024!

Acceptance makes all the difference.

My child is autistic.

I have the child that doesn’t enjoy surprises.

Each time we go somewhere out to eat, I provide him with a list of where we are going, when we are going and some things he should expect. I even go over the menu to get an idea of what he can order and eat.

I have the child that can’t wait.

I usually go in first or call ahead, and we don’t bring him in until there’s a table ready. I have even asked to use the party room when it’s available for our family to be seated away from people if I think it might be too difficult for him. I also always order his food and drinks the moment I get there and ask for them to put a rush on it if they can.

I have the child who needs constant engagement with the things he enjoys.. in between, before and after dinner and dessert.

I always come prepared. Charged tablets, portable game systems, books, playdoh, a pen and a notebook. And even his favorite snacks. Whatever it takes to keep him happy and busy during our time there.

I have the child who struggles with sensory overload and differences.

Loud sounds and music, bright lights or the crowd, strange people and smells can all be too much. And sitting for long periods of time can be really hard for a child who is a sensory seeker and needs proprioceptive input. This means we always have his headphones and sunglasses just in case. We give him movement breaks (5 minute timed intervals) where he can stand up safely and even get the wiggles out. Sometimes it’s even a walk outside for a much needed break or hiding under the table for a bit so he can decompress.

I have the child who is a really picky eater and has food aversions.

He may not eat one bite of the food we ordered. He may pull it apart to inspect it. He may eat with his hands instead of utensils. He may not want to touch it at all because he doesn’t like the way it feels or looks. It’s ok. We don’t force him to eat. We let him decide. We are just happy he is there trying with us. It’s a big deal he’s there in the first place.

When you see a family like ours, there is no need to stare, point, give us dirty looks or say unkind things underneath your breath.

I understand that perhaps you don’t know that what you are looking at, is a special needs family out there just trying to be in the world, together like you.

So the next time you see a child standing on the seat of a booth, or hiding under one, know that it’s probably because they need to. And as long as they are safely doing it, it’s ok with us.

The next time you see a child with an iPad or a device, just know that it may literally be the only way a family can be there. It also may be used to communicate because not all children speak.

And the next time you see a child dancing in the aisle way, jumping or spinning in place next to their table, know it’s probably because they needed that movement. They really aren’t trying to disturb you I promise. They may even want to show you, give you a high five or a hug like my kiddo. Just know they may not know personal boundaries, they only see the good in everyone and want to be your friend.

And all of these things above…believe me when I say, our families our working on it, hard, everyday.

The best thing you can do is be kind, smile and wave. Ask questions. Most families like ours love them.

And how you respond to our children, is how yours will when we are out and when they experience differences at their school and on the playground.

Remember, we teach by the example we set for them.

See families like ours…we can’t mind spreading a little autism awareness everywhere we go.

Or we would go nowhere.

And our kids deserve to be in the world, just like yours.

🐦🐦🐦

We had so much fun celebrating World Autism Day.

Light it up blue for World Autism Day!

We hope you all will join us tomorrow by wearing blue for World Autism Day.

Today we had an indoor egg hunt.

Today we celebrated World Down Syndrome day!

This Thursday we will “Rock our Socks for World Down Syndrome Day by wearing crazy socks. We hope you will join us in celebrating this special day.

Just a few pictures of the fun we had at school this week.

Happy International Women's Day to some of the best! Only missing one from our team.

Today was Cat in the Hat day!

Next week we will celebrate Dr. Seuss week.

Yesterday our EE class celebrated friendship day with goodies and our Kinder/1st grade made a craft.

Our kinder/1st grade class is learning about the different types of weather we have this week.

Just a few pictures of our K/1st grade class. Our students are working so hard since coming back from Christmas break