Foreword by Gary S. Katz Preface Part I. The Program 1. Autism And Society Today 2. Typical Students and Autism 3. The Importance of Peer Leadership: What the Research Says 4. Who and What is Autism Ambassadors? 5. What is an Ambassador? 6. Autism Ambassadors at Your School: The Nuts and Bolts of Implementation 7. Curriculum Overview Part II. The Curriculum Section 1. Younger/Lower Functioning Students Pay Attention/ Calm Hands Being Alone Logical Sequencing Passing the Baton Washing Hands at School Section 2. Academic/ In Class Asserting Yourself in Class Taking Notes Giving an Oral Presentation in Class Replacing Classroom Items Switching Desks Watching a Video in Class Writing an Intro Paragraph Section 3. School Related/ Out of Class Writing a "Chunk" Paragraph Writing a Concluding Paragraph Fire/Emergency Drill Getting to Class on Time Organizing Your Time Finding Favorite Books Organizing Your Notebook Study Hall Section 4. Outing/ Extracurricular The Bus Class Trip/ Museum Class Trip/ Zoo Interviewing for a High School Job Section 5. Social Asking Someone Out on a Date Cafeteria Etiquette Cursing and Offensive Language Explaining Your Diagnosis to Friends Finding Friends at Lunch Finding Favorite Popular Music Joining a Club at School Making a Plan School Dance Section 6. Sports Playing Football Playing Soccer Playing Tag Playing Tetherball Part III. Appendices Parent Letter Frequently Asked Questions Questionnaire Evaluation Tool About the Author
Sometimes, all a student needs to succeed is a friend. Every day, thousands of students with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) struggle to stay afloat at school-sometimes bullied, often ostracized. Mastering academics can be hard enough without the added challenge of navigating social situations that neurotypical kids take for granted. If students with ASD had a peer to model and reinforce socially appropriate behavior and coach them through schoolwork, it could help them feel at home in the student population. This inspirational new book describes how to set up just such a peer-mentoring organization in your school or community. With a clear understanding of the needs of students with ASD and the kids who will be their guides, Kukoff provides: Steps for organizing and implementing your own Autism Ambassadors program Clear-cut guidelines on the responsibilities of student "ambassadors," plus peer-support strategies to improve the ambassador experience More than a hundred specific interventions any student can employ with students with ASD A path for students with ASD to become Autism Ambassadors themselves Based on the methodology of Applied Behavior Analysis-the gold standard in autism intervention-but created and led by students, the Autism Ambassadors curriculum will promote leadership and improve the school experience for all students. "This book makes a distinct contribution by providing a different view of how to support students with autism. As the number of people with autism is increasing, creating awareness and supports across larger groups of people is important." -Mary Reeve, Educator Gallup McKinley County Schools, NM "This is an amazing idea from a young innovator! This manual is a great contribution, not only to the field of professionals, but to future providers as well." -Kate Boone, Case Manager MHMRA Harris County, Houston, TX
Zak Kukoff is an 18-year-old social entrepreneur based in Westlake Village, California, and, at the time of this book's printing, a senior at Westlake High School. Zak is the founder of Autism Ambassadors, a nonprofit that builds friendships between students with special needs and typical students in more than 25 schools throughout the United States and abroad. In his spare time, he volunteers at the Westminster Free Clinic, which provides free medical services for those without healthcare. He also writes for the Huffington Post Education Section and helps organize both TEDxConejo and TEDxYouth@Conejo. He previously founded the education-technology startup TruantToday. His work has been featured in the New York Times, TechCrunch, Bloomberg View, The Next Web, and other well-known publications, and has been honored by the Clinton Global Initiative and NBC Education Nation. Contact him on twitter: @zck.