Because school OTs have specialized knowledge and experience, they make great ambassadors for students with autism. Here are resources OTs can use to raise autism awareness within the school community.

April is National Autism Awareness Month, an ideal time for school-based occupational therapists to use their specialized knowledge and experience to help others in the school community better understand students with autism. Here are some resources for OTs to share with teachers, parents, providers, and students to help raise awareness and support for students with autism.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.autismspeaks.org/what-autism" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Autism Speaks&nbsp;</a>Autism Speaks has many resources for people with autism, including toolkits to assist with specific events for those with autism, such as getting a haircut or finding employment. This site also has great resources for statistics and facts about autism.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.aota.org/autism" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">AOTA Autism Resources&nbsp;</a>This site compiles all of the American Occupational Therapy Association’s resources related to autism, including topics such as occupational therapy’s role with autism, tips for educators for students with autism, and living with an autism spectrum disorder across the lifespan.<a href="https://www.autism-society.org/about-the-autism-society/publications/resource-materials/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Autism Society&nbsp;</a>This site includes many great resources for parents, students, and educators. There are resources for teaching students of all ages about autism, strategies for engaging students with autism in school, and teaching siblings how to support their sibling with autism.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/AutismLive/featured" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Autism Live&nbsp;</a>This YouTube channel includes videos from Autism Live. Autism Live is a free resource with live videos on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. Autism Live provides information and resources to help individuals with autism achieve progress in areas that are important to them. Autism Live is a production of the Center for Autism and Related Disorders (CARD).<a href="https://www.centerforautism.com/resources/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Center for Autism and Related Disorders Resources&nbsp;</a>This website includes a wide range of autism-related resources, including a guide to common acronyms used related to autism, public policy related to autism, and Camp Discovery, an autism learning game.<h2>Resources for School OTs</h2>We hope you find these resources on autism, compiled by OTs from our Cross Country Education team of educators, to be a useful addition to your OT toolbox. For more, check out our resource library, which has articles on topics such as <a href="https://www.crosscountryeducation.com/blogs/guidance-for-school-based-ots-on-how-to-optimize-relationship" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">OTA supervision</a>, <a href="https://www.crosscountryeducation.com/blogs/occupational-therapy-is-fun" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">OT fun</a>, <a href="https://www.crosscountryeducation.com/blogs/successful-ot-ieps" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">IEP tips for OTs</a>, and more!

Autism Resources for School OTs