This highly engaging presentation focuses on teaching essential evidenced based life skills that help normalize daily life, learning techniques that embrace children’s individual learning styles and joyfully empower students to reach their full potential. Stakeholders who work with special need learners will gain easy to understand research, teaching strategies and anecdotal facts that I have found to be beneficial in the “life building” education of children with Autism and other learning differences. 

This presentation introduces an uncommon but comprehensive quick reference help guide, “Alphabet of Autism” designed to empower parents, educators and organizations in supporting children with Autism and all learning differences in a softer more natural way of interacting. Each letter of the English alphabet correlates to a learning concept designed in a nurturing and joyful structure. 

The session aims to bridge the gap between theoretical research and practical, teaching strategies. It presents actionable strategies for neuro-diverse and typically developing students across cultures, genders and socioeconomic backgrounds.

With a thirty-year career dedicated to teaching students with ASD across diverse learning environments and with a specialized focus on under-resourced urban schools, Taunya K. Bickerstaff-Young offers a unique blend of high-need practical experience. This experience is further enhanced by my personal journey as a grandparent watching my grandson “live well” with Autism.