Miss

Hines Class
3rd Grade Newsletter
Week of October 3
Dates to Remember

October 18 Field Trip Money Due

October 26 Field Trip

Spelling Words
1. Along
2. Bought
3. Close
4. Something
5. Seem
6. Laughed
7. Lady
8. Enough
9. Graph
10. Paragraph

Classroom News

This week we are working on

Language Arts: Parts of a

Story
Spelling: Spelling List 7
Writing: Personal Narratives
Math: Geometry
Science: Earths Landforms
and Processes
Social Studies: The World in
Spatial Terms

Miss Hines
Happyland Elementary School
123 Happy Way

This month, our educational topic is

Autism. As many of you know, we
have multiple children in our
classroom who suffer from Autism
Spectrum Disorder.
Because of this, I want to make sure that you as parents
know how you can discuss questions or comments that
may arise at home about Autism. Throughout the month
I will provide you with facts about some common topics
regarding Autism that tend to come out in our classroom.
As always, please feel free to talk to your student if you
would like to supplement this information at home.
Please let me know if you have any questions or
concerns.
What is Autism?
Autism is defined as a developmental disability that can
cause significant social, communication and behavioral
challenges.*
What can we do to help?
Educating ourselves and our students are the
best ways to help others who suffer from
Autism. It is only once we understand what
exactly Autism is and how it affects individuals
that we can go about helping those with ASD.
Please keep a lookout for the next newsletters
with more educational and applicable
information about ASD!
Email address: hinesca1@msu.edu
Website: happylandschool.com/hines
Phone Number: 734-512-3689

Miss Hines Class

3rd Grade Newsletter
Week of October 10
Dates to Remember

October 18 Field Trip Money Due

October 26 Field Trip

Spelling Words
1. Cloud
2. Child
3. Open
4. Example
5. Begin
6. Chance
7. Match
8. Watch
9. Batch
10. Steel

Autism Information Continued From Last Week

How common are Autism Spectrum Disorders?
About 1 in 68 children in the United States have an ASD
diagnosis. Boys are affected 4 to 5 times that of girls.*
What are some behaviors* associated with Autism?

Classroom News
This week we are working on

Language Arts: Plot of a Story

Spelling: Spelling List 8
Writing: Personal Narratives
Math: Geometry
Science: Earths Landforms
and Processes
Social Studies: The World in
Spatial Terms

Miss Hines
Happyland Elementary School
123 Happy Way

Note: It is important to remember that each person

with an Autism Spectrum Disorder has a different
experience. This is not a one size fits all way of life
for those with Autism.

Email address: hinesca1@msu.edu

Website: happylandschool.com/hines
Phone Number: 734-512-3689

Miss Hines Class

3rd Grade Newsletter
Week of October 17
Dates to Remember

October 18 Field Trip Money Due

October 26 Field Trip
October 31 Halloween Party

Spelling Words
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

Cant
Shall
Those
Both
Paper
Pushed
Fraction
Shock
Crash
Showed

Classroom News
This week we are working on

Language Arts: Character

Studies
Spelling: Spelling List 9
Writing: Personal Narratives
Math: Geometry
Science: Earths Landforms
and Processes
Social Studies: The World in
Spatial Terms

Miss Hines
Happyland Elementary School
123 Happy Way

Autism in the Classroom

This newsletter edition is meant to give you,

parents/guardians, a glimpse into some accommodations
that we make for students in our classroom. While many of
these accommodations began with usage targeted with
students with an ASD, I have found that these specific
accommodations tend to help all students, not solely
those with Autism.
Five Count Breathing

This technique helps students focus on

their breath and thus focus their
attention.* It also helps students learn
shapes, improve eye movements, and
calm students all at the same time.

Lack of Lighting

Students with Autism tend to be sensitive to sensory overload, and

bright lights and loud noises are an example of this phenomenon.*
I purposely make my classroom less bright so that there is not
sensory overload for students, and because it simply creates a
calmer demeanor in the classroom to promote relaxation,
learning, and attentiveness.

Visual Directions

Students with Autism tend to have

troubles with social interactions and
communication skills*. Therefore,
usage of visual directions help
students communicate specific
information or questions, plus they
help everyone in our classroom keep
up with what we are doing!

Email address: hinesca1@msu.edu

Website: happylandschool.com/hines
Phone Number: 734-512-3689

Miss Hines Class

3rd Grade Newsletter
Week of October 24
Dates to Remember

October 26 Field Trip

October 31 Halloween Party
November 10 Writing
Celebration

Spelling Words
1.

Together
2. Tied
3. Group
4. Often
5. Table
6. Space
7. Fence
8. Price
9. Office
10. Police

Classroom News

This week we are working on

Reading: Fables, folktales,

and myths
Spelling: Spelling List 10
Writing: Personal Narratives
Math: Geometry
Science: Earths Landforms
and Processes
Social Studies: Places and
Regions
Miss Hines
Happyland Elementary School
123 Happy Way

Autism at Home
As stated in the last edition of the newsletter, many
strategies that work well with students who struggle from
Autism really tend to work for all students. Below, you can
find some activities to complete at home to help your
student, whether he or she does or does not suffer from
Autism.
Feelings Wheel
Many students with Autism struggle
with empathy, or understanding the
emotions of others, so a feelings wheel
helps students learn what emotions are
and how to handle them.

Teachable Moments
Whether your child suffers from Autism or not, it is extremely
important to take advantage of life's teachable moments.*
- For students with Autism, a teachable moment may be when
your student takes a toy from his or her siblings hand. This is a
chance to redirect the behavior and educate the child.
- For students without Autism, it is likely that teachable moments
will come to you in stories at home. Your student may say that a
classmate was rocking back and forth in his chair all day or that
another student was given different rules. This is a chance to talk
to your student about differences, and that everyone needs
something slightly different to succeed.
Daily Schedule
Students (especially those with Autism) tend
to benefit from a schedule of what will
happen each day. This allows kids to
anticipate changes and prepare for
transitions. If at all possible, a simple way to
help your student at home is to have a daily
calendar so that he or she knows what is
happening and what to expect every day.

Email address: hinesca1@msu.edu

Website: happylandschool.com/hines
Phone Number: 734-512-3689

h
s

Miss Hines Class

3rd Grade Newsletter
Week of October 31
Dates to Remember

October 31 Halloween Party

November 10 Writing
Celebration
November 22 Thanksgiving Play

Spelling Words
1. Important
2. Cannot
3. Children
4. Wife
5. Giraffe
6. Gentle
7. Stage
8. Engine
9. Badge
10. Tundra

Classroom News

This week we are working on

Language Arts: FF&M from

Other Cultures
Spelling: Spelling List 11
Writing: Personal Narratives
Math: Geometry
Science: Earths Landforms
and Processes
Social Studies: Places and
Regions

Miss Hines
Happyland Elementary School
123 Happy Way

Physical Education and ASD

Physical activity is incredibly important for all children,
regardless of ability or disability status. Below are some
ways that we accommodate for ASD in terms of Physical
Activity.
Picture Exchange Communication System
Just like in our classroom, we tend to use visual
forms of communication during periods of PA.
This Picture Exchange Communication System
(PECS) helps foster the communication process
for students with disabilities* and, much like
before, has benefits for general education
students as well!

Increasing Amounts of Physical Activity

Unfortunately, our educational system is not as accepting of physical

activity (PA) as many of us would like it to be. In my classroom, I try
to increase PA as much as possible for everyone, but especially for
those with disabilities. It has been shown that even during recess
and times of free play, students with disabilities tend to spend less
time actually participating in moderate to vigorous PA*. Therefore,
we take breaks during the day to dance and do light exercises, and I
try to get all students moving as much as possible.

Choices

All students tend to participate more

frequently in activities that they get to
choose*, so we try to give options as
much as possible for PA. Again, our
main goal is to have students engaging
in PA every day, so we try to let
students have as much choice/input in
that decision as possible.

Email address: hinesca1@msu.edu

Website: happylandschool.com/hines
Phone Number: 734-512-3689

Sources per Newsletter

Miss Hines Class

rd Grade Newsletter
Facts About ASD. (2016). Retrieved November 21, 2016, from
3
http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/facts.html
Image: JAMA and Archives Journals. (2011, July 4). Genetic component of autism spectrum
Week of October 31
disorders may be moderate compared to environment, twin study suggests.
October 3rd

ScienceDaily. Retrieved October 29, 2016 from

www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110704174616.htm

th
October 10
Topics By Week
What Is Autism? (n.d.). Retrieved November 15, 2016, from
https://www.autismspeaks.org/what-autism
Image: Team, P., & A. (2013). 10 Signs of Autism PositiveMed. Retrieved November 15,
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Introduction/ Autism
October 17th
Facts
Room, M. R. (n.d.). Five Count Breathing visual from The Worry

Wars (see page 5 in this PDF):

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th: Facts
Retrieved November 15, 2016, from
October 10
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/486670303463743029/
continues, Autism
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Behaviors
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October 24th
th: How we
October 17
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2016, from http://www.educationandbehavior.com/behavior-strategies-foraccommodate to
children-with-autism/
Autism at school
What Is Autism? (2015, June). Retrieved November 15, 2016, from
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Image: Rother, J. (2014). Dr Seuss Inspired Class Daily Schedule Pocket Chart Cards EDITABLE.
th: What
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October 24
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Schedule-Pocket-Chart-Cards-EDITABLE-1362476

your student(s) at
October 30th
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October 30
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we do to
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accommodate for
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Autism during PA
doi:10.1080/07303084.2007.10597987

Miss Hines
Happyland Elementary School
123 Happy Way

Email address: hinesca1@msu.edu

Website: happylandschool.com/hines
Phone Number: 734-512-3689