Standards Correlations

R.1, R.2, R.3, R.4, R.6, R.7, W.2, SL.1, L.4, L.6

Learning Objective

Students will identify problem-solution relationships  in a text about a teen who has autism.

Key Skills

problem and solution, text features, vocabulary, central idea and details, cause and effect, author’s purpose, inference, critical thinking, informational writing

Complexity Factors

Purpose: The story explains how finding out she has autism changed the way Allison sees herself and others.

 

Structure: The article is written from the first-person point of view.

 

Language: The language is conversational.

 

Knowledge Demands: No prior knowledge is needed.

Levels

Lexile: 600L-700L 

Guided Reading Level: T 

DRA Level: 50

SEL Connection

This article and lesson promote social awareness and self-awareness skills.

Lesson Plan: My Life With Autism

Essential Questions

  • How does understanding our own uniqueness lead to self-acceptance and happiness? 
  • How can we ensure that everyone feels valued and accepted, regardless of their differences?

Literature Connection

  • Novel: Simon Sort of Says by Erin Bow
  • Novel: The Many Mysteries of the Finkel Family by Sarah Kapit 

1. Preparing to Read 

Watch a Video (5 minutes)

As a class, watch our video “Two Minutes With . . . Allison Orbach.” Let students know that the video introduces them to Allison, the teen who wrote the article they’re about to read. After viewing, ask students to volunteer things they have in common with Allison.

Preview Text Features (10 minutes)

Guide students to locate the article in their magazines or at Action Online. Then preview the text features by asking the following questions:

  • Read the article’s title and subtitle (the text beneath the title). How do you think being “different” can be good? Give examples from your own life or from movies and TV shows you’ve watched or books you’ve read. Answers will vary. 
  • Look at the sidebar “The Autism Spectrum.” In your own words, explain the difference between the bar-shaped spectrum and the circle-shaped one. Answers will vary. The bar-shaped spectrum shows people as being more autistic and less autistic. The circle-shaped spectrum shows that an autistic person can experience different aspects of autism to different degrees.

Preview Vocabulary (10 minutes)

  • Point out the vocabulary box. Read the terms (sensitive, relieved, develop, sarcasm, traits, overstimulated) aloud and discuss their definitions.
  • Play the Vocabulary Slideshow. 

Make a Plan for Reading

Before students start to read, walk them through a reading plan:

  • Set a purpose for reading: Tell students that after reading, they’ll analyze problem-solution relationships in the story. Point out the activity at the end of the story. 
  • Encourage students to pause at the end of each section so they can monitor their comprehension by summarizing what they’ve read. Prompt them to take note of sentences they think contain important information in each section, as well as any words or sentences they don’t understand.

2. Reading and Unpacking the Text

Read the article. (Higher- and lower-Lexile versions are available on the Story page at Action Online. Click Presentation View to access an audio read-aloud.) Then discuss the following close-reading and critical-thinking questions.

Close-Reading Questions (15 minutes)

  • How did Allison feel when she first learned she had autism? Why? (cause and effect) Allison cried when she found out she was autistic, but it was out of relief rather than sadness. As she learned more about autism, everything started making sense to her. Having a word to describe the way her brain worked made her feel less alone.
  • How does Allison describe the differences among autistic people? Why do you think she makes this point? (author’s purpose) Allison explains that every autistic person is unique: Some can hold conversations easily, while others don't talk; some require a lot of support, while others need very little. This highlights the importance of seeing each autistic person as an individual rather than assuming things based on stereotypes.
  • How does hiding her autistic traits make Allison feel? (cause and effect) Hiding, or masking, her autistic traits makes Allison feel tired and stressed. 

Critical-Thinking Questions (10 minutes)

  • Allison says masking is exhausting, or very tiring. Why might this be? ( inference) For a person with autism, masking means ignoring and covering up their feelings. It takes energy to ignore the feeling of being very hot, cold, or hungry. It’s probably similar when Allison pretends not to be bothered by loud noises.
  • Allison talks openly about her autism. How can knowing more about autism help a whole community? (critical thinking) When people know more about autism, they can be more understanding and supportive. This can help people who have autism and those who don’t to enjoy each other’s company and learn from each other.

3. Skill Building and Writing

  • Assign students to work in small groups to complete the Spotlight Skill Workout: Problem and Solution activity.
  • Go further: Use our Central Idea and Details Skill Builder, available in higher and lower level versions.  (Click here to view all your Skill Builders.)
  • Writing prompt: In the article, Allison describes a number of ways autism affects how she feels and acts. What are some things she doesn’t tell you? Write three questions you’d like to ask Allison, either about her own experience of having autism or about her knowledge of autism in general.

Learn-Anywhere Activity

An enrichment activity to extend the learning journey at home or in the classroom

Project the task below on your whiteboard or share it with students in your LMS.

Write Your Story

In “My Life With Autism,” Allison describes how learning that she had autism changed her life. Now it’s your turn.

In a short essay, write about an event that changed your life. It can be anything: the moment you met your best friend, the birth of a sibling, a move to a new town, the first time you signed up for an art class, etc. Your writing should answer these questions:

  • What was your life like before the event?
  • What was the event?
  • How did the event change your life?
  • How do you feel about the event?

When you’re finished, swap essays with a partner. Read each other’s work and discuss what you learned.

Language-Acquisition Springboard

Discuss sarcasm to boost comprehension and fluency.

After reading the article, direct students’ attention back to the part where Allison says that autistic people might not easily understand sarcasm. Point out the definition of sarcasm in the vocabulary box, and ask students if they’re familiar with the idea. Encourage them to volunteer some examples of things they might say sarcastically.

To make sure all students get the idea, explain that when people are being sarcastic, they’re often making positive statements when they really mean the opposite. Tell students that you can sometimes tell someone is being sarcastic because they roll their eyes, raise their eyebrows, or emphasize different words than they might if they were saying the same sentence seriously. To further illustrate the meaning of sarcasm, say (or have students say) the following phrases, first seriously and then sarcastically:

  • “Well, that’s just great.”
  • “Thanks for all your help!”
  • “Wow, what a surprise!”
  • “What a great idea! Why didn’t I think of that?”
  • “This is my favorite thing to do on a weekend.”

Let students know that if a character in a book or movie says a line that doesn’t seem to make sense, the character might be using sarcasm. Students can consider the line in that light to see if it makes more sense.

Looking for more ELL support? Download our full lesson plan and scroll to p. 5 to find questions that will help your ELLs respond to the text at the level that’s right for them.

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