What games to play to teach children about autism?

Question

My friends and I are doing a community service project to spread awareness about autism. We are planning a roving carnival, with game stations that children can take part in to learn about autism. Basically we just wanna let them understand how it's like to be autistic, or to learn more about autism through the game. Currently the only game we can come up with is Charades. The kids range from 7 years old to 12.

Do you guys have any suggestions for games? :)

Answer 1

Another game that could be fan and shows again how difficult can be to communicate something, is the following:

- Place small items like a clothes pin, a key, a battery, a ring, etc each in a small cotton fabric bag (you need to make these) of the same color and tie them shut.

- Make two identical bags of each item. And have the kids in two teams. Each kid gets one of the bags. S/he needs to feel what is inside the bag and then describe it to the team-mates without using the name of the item. Example: Key - it is made of metal, can be used to open a door, has teeth, etc.

- Time them. The least time to guess gets a higher score.

This will show kids how people with autism can sometimes create a mental image of something (thinking in pictures) but it is hard to communicate (put into words) what it is they "see" in their mind.

Since the kids do not see item but visualize it through the sense of touch, they create a 3-D mental image of the item, which is similar of how an autistic person will think of an item before communication what they are thinking in words, describing the mental image, is the hardest part, and that is why the speech of many autistic kids is so fragmented because they are describing a mental 3-D image into 2-D words...

Once you have made these little bags with the items, you can use them again and again. If they get dirty just put them in a pilowcase and wash them in the washing machine.

Good luck!

Answer 2

I don't have an answer BUT I would talk to some special education teachers in your school or even in an elementary school.  They will have tons of ideas.

My suggestion would be to ask them of an activity for people to do that shows how an autitic student things and what they notice.  The best way for people to understand is to put themselves in another persons's shoes.  

There is a picture book called, "Ian's Walk" that deals with children with autism.

Answer 3

Here's part of the blurb for "Drawtism", where people get together to host Pictionary games to raise awareness about Autism Spectrum Disorders...

"Anyone who's ever played Pictionary knows the frustration of trying to make your drawing understood by your teammates. This frustration is very similar to the constant communication challenges facing 1 in 160 Australians living with Autism Spectrum Disorder."

Hope that helps.