ALLY MALONE

what it is

"a is for autism" was created to acknowledge the needs of children on the autism spectrum who have been mainstreamed. because they attend school with typically-developing children instead of being in a specialized setting, their differences can encite bullying. with this project, i hope to provide a tool for these classmates of children with autism (and their families) so that they can better understand their peers and learn how to effectively interact with and befriend them.

 

inspiration

i had always enjoyed working with kids, from being a babysitter, to a full-time nanny, to a childcare attendant. but i had never really thought of it as a career until i took a class called "psychopathology of childhood and adolescence." one section of the class was dedicated to autism spectrum disorder, and i remember watching a short video of a speech language pathologist working with a child with autism in a school. it literally was an "a-ha" moment for me as i realized that this what i wanted to do with my life. shortly after, the perfect opportunity fell into my lap and i got a job as a behavioral technician at an autism therapy center. since then, working with these kids has impacted my life in so many positive ways and is even guiding my future. my small friends bring me so much joy and laughter that imagining them being bullied by people who don't understand them breaks my heart... something i hope 'a is for autism' can solve.