New Jersey has one of the highest rates of autism in the country. About 1 in 35 children is diagnosed with autism. Among boys, 1 in 25 is now diagnosed with autism. As we catch up with data collection and evaluations after the pandemic, those numbers will certainly increase in the next few years.

Recently, researchers began to group autism, ADHD, ADD, anxiety disorders, and even dyslexia into one larger bucket, called neurodivergent. Researchers estimate that 15 to 20 percent of the world’s population is Neurodivergent. 

With 1 in 35 students with autism and 1 in 5 students as neurodivergent, every classroom in our schools has at least one student with autism or a related issue. Every classroom in our schools – from the AP classes to our self-contained rooms — needs a strategy for dealing with our kiddos whose brains are wired differently. 

People are diagnosed with autism if they have social/communications differences, fixate on particular topics, and have sensitivities. However, those characteristics present differently in every child. Some kids are “Little Professors” who will chew your ear off about Pearl Harbor or Mario Kart. Others need a communications device to express basic needs. Some seek out sensations, and others avoid them. Some have a strong interest in math, others love Pixar movies. 

Read more at New Jersey Education Report