A documentary produced by Model Me Kids in cooperation
with the Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD
Children
with Autism: One Teacher's Experience™
Model Me Kids shot a (free) documentary of a
wonderful classroom of children with autism at the Kennedy
Krieger Institute in Baltimore, MD. The children and their
teacher welcomed us warmly, and we were given a birdseye view
of their unique experiences. We are happy to share this with
you, and think that you will be as moved in watching the video
as we were in making it.
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files made available for playback on the Model Me Kids website
without Model Me Kids' express written consent.
Social
Skills Training DVDs
Model
Me Conversation Cues™
models nonverbal cues, how and when to start a conversation, maintain conversation,
turn-taking in conversation, & more.
For Upper Elementary, Middle, & High School read more | order
Model
Me Friendship™
models social skills involved in initiating and maintaining a friendship. Topics
include: include others, handling rejection, team sports, compromise, empathy
and more. .
For Upper Elementary, Middle, & High School read more | order
Model Me
Tips & Tricks™
Models social skills such as using tact, appropriate
voice modulation, good hygiene, asking for help, sense of humor, and more.
For Upper Elementary, Middle, & High School read more
Time
for School™ Topics include: listen to the teacher, share, sit quietly,
take turns, show interest in others, playground, & more.
For K-5 read more | order
Time
for a Playdate™
Topics include: greet friend, losing, answer, play his way, eye contact, clean
up, say goodbye & more.
For K-5 read more | order I
Can Do It!™
models appropriate behavior in stressful situations, including waiting, transitions,
birthday parties, handling criticism, & more.
For K-5 read more | order
Teaching Manuals and Student Workbooks
Extra teaching resources for each of the Model Me Kids DVDs: A Teaching Manual
with lesson plans and progress charts. A student social skills workbook with
worksheets and take-home materials. Teachers: Use to build a social skills curriculum. Parents: Use to structure home-based instruction and reinforce skills
presented in the videos.
Sold separately from DVDs. read more
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video Q&A
I loved the video! These kids are very special! I think the world needs to see that their stereotypes of kids with autism are false and this video shows it beautifully. Phenomenal Job!!!
Thank you for sharing this documentary. I am also a SPED teacher working with children with autism and I couldn’t agree with you more when you said that you find them most genuine and you wish that when you wake up in the morning you could be with them because of certain characteristics that they have which you find inspiring. I just want you to know that I feel just the same and I commend the efforts you are making for them.
Thank you so much for sending me the documentary. I hung on
every word. Please thank Ms. Rabuck for her devotion to these
children and to the world’s view of autism.
I really enjoyed the video. I believe this will help enlighten people that children with Autism can connect if people will take the time to understand and not be so judgemental. Thank you for sharing the video!
a very interesting video was nice to listen to other children and their feelings regarding autism, i have a high functioning autistic child myself and had him watch this with me although he is in denial, many thanks
This video, Teacher & the children are amazing!!! My son will be 10 yr.’s old next month. He was diagnosed at 2 1/2 with moderate to severe autism, but as of November 26, 2007 his diagnosis is now High Functioning Autism! Way to go Little Man!!! He has been home schooled since February 2005 & I truly believe that this teacher, this program with the awesome methods of teaching, amongst other wonderful traits that this teacher has & the other children in the program, would definitely benefit my son! You are amazing Ms. Dedra Rabuck!!!
I found this video exceptionally inspiring and wonderful. Knowing little about the disease of Autism, to discover that there is hope of truly reaching students on a meaningful level is such an awe-inspiring thing.
If I’m correct the Kennedy Kreiger Inst. is associated with Johns Hopkins. What an incredible pairing, and to see this class warms my heart. To see and hear the student say, “I’m social here” and to see what a great environment they have - kuddo’s!!! Above all praises to the teacher!!!!!!!!! I wish I could be your student teacher!!!
I liked this video. I have son who is 2 with autism and I believe my 8 year old may be on the spectrum but, I am going to homeschool him. I like what I seen because I seen older children connecting with friends who are like them and are happy.
I am a SPED teacher in a Jr. high school setting and teach students with high functioning autism and Aspergers and I am very glad I found your website. I ordered the DVDs and show them to my students. I can’t wait to see the curriculum for middle/high school level. The hardest thing for me is the lack of age-appropriate materials. The students I work with are smart…they don’t want to see elementary social stories and lessons. They don’t color anymore, they are more sophisticated, and need materials that challenge their thinking.
I am a parent of a child with Asperger’s and watching your video “Children with Autism:One Teacher’s Experience” is very helpful. Now in his teens I am trying to explain to him and his siblings more about autism. Thank you for a different glance at it.
Thank you for making this delightful and insightful video available to all; I’ll be sharing it with my dedicated colleagues who work with our children on the autism spectrum.
Parent/professional
It was a joy to see other students around my son’s age(he has autism) who were clear about their disorder, yet they understood that there was sooo much more to being themselves than the diagnosis. My son glanced briefly at the clip. It seems he is stuck between world of “typical” and not quite “severe” enough.
Az still has much to learn to be able to provide such a great school as I saw presented in the video. Thank you to teacher and staff for putting the video together. More importantly, thanks to the students who were courageous enough to share themselves with us, and brought hope to our family. THANKS.
I loved the fact that the video shows these kids as people first and that autism is just a part of who they are. It is a great tool for educating the public about these special kids.
This video makes me cry each time I see it and I thank God my child gets to be in that classroom with Diedre. Fantastic video, Thank you, Thank you Thank you! Gracias too!
Mimi
One of the best videos I’ve seen about special kids who happen to have autism. Please consider shooting another documentary showing these wonderful young kids out in their communities.
I have a brother with autism and he is like some of the kids on the video. It made me feel good because it can kind of help me with my brother. I felt good when I saw the part about when you said that kids with autism - their brains are different but it’s not who they are.
This is an awesome video. I am a future educator, and it is so important that people understand that children with autism aren’t just “that autistic kid” they are just another kid with autism. Beautifully done.
I think the video opened my mind as to how students react to their disorder, autism. Some are happy, shy, socialable etc. I always thought that children with autism did not have social skills but this video clip proved me wrong. Thanks for opening my eyes to reality.
I enjoyed the video. I have an 8yr old son with Autism. Where we live we don’t have a spec. ed class and I can see from the video how important it is to have others with the same situation work together and give confidence and support to each other so they can deal with the world. Thank you
This video was awesome! Thank you so much for sharing. These kids connect in so many different ways, and people need to take the time and see that! If people would give kids with autism a chance to connect with them..I know they would be better people for the experience. Ms. Rabuck and teachers like her should be commended for all that they do for kids with autism! This video will inspire anyone who watches it!
I wish that the student I work with could go to your school. She is so alone and sad. I am just her paraeducator. I think she isn’t quite as high functioning as some of the children in your video, but she would do so much better if she could be with children like her. I don’t even know if she knows that she is Autistic….but she does know what isolated means and she will tell you that the word isolated is her.
I was touched by your video. It is obvious that the children and the teacher are lovingly connected. I was unable to have children but I cared for my mother with progressive dementia for many years. I wish that there were special people like Diedra who could treat elderly with dementia in the same gentle and accepting way that she treats her students. Thank you for sharing your lives with the world.
Your documentary is a wonderful gift to children with Autism and parents and teachers of children with Autism. They are children first and autism is not who they are! You did a wonderful job of showing who they, what they like, and celebrating them for who they are and what they can do rather than what they can’t!
My 6yr old daughter was recently dx’d as having high functioning Autism. I’ve always known something was “different” about her, it’s so nice to see other kids like her. Deidra, thank you so much for making this video, and for what you are doing for these “special blessings from GOD” like mine out there!! I wish you taught in our school system! GOD bless you.
Thanks for the documentary. I work with kids on the spectrum and it’s such a breath of fresh air to hear a positive perspective about these amazing kids. What a great job!! Thanks again!
It is hard to see these children. One of my sons has autsim and is 5 years old. It is hard to imagine him not fully recovering from it. I know I will love him no matter how he develops. Your heart breaks that a child is ostrisized for being different. Deidre is an inspiration. Thanks for helping.
I am so pleased to see that such wonderful talents are alive and well in our world. I had the privelege of visiting this classroom today and saw for myself the wonderful work that this teacher and her students are doing in the field of autism. I hope that my son, gets an opportunity to learn from and experience all that KK has to offer in the up coming school year. To all the staff at KK, thank you and keep up the good work.
Marie and Aaron.
This is a really good video. Most children with high functioning autism fall through the cracks. My son is in a “main stream” school and having alot of problems.
It's a great video. I am a Parent to Parent Support Program Coordinator for Kitsap County, WA. I run a monthly Autism group and I have copied your product catolog to share with the families I work with. I am also hoping to figure out a way to show them this video at our next meeting.
I love the video! This teacher is incredible! I really enjoyed watching & listening to the kids in this classroom. Our son was almost totally non-verbal at age 5 (very few words) and now is very verbal. Has trouble with sentence structure. He’s tall & handsome & full of love. Has tons of friends! Thank you Model Me Kids for making videos to help teach our Special Kids! We heard about you through a Mom at Music Therapy.
I loved the video. I have a 6 year old son with PDD-Nos and watch him struggle daily with social issues. Everyone that gets to know him finds him funny and fascinating, you never know what will come out of his mouth! My son first got help at The Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore and I cannot thank them enough for getting him talking and communicating with us. They also helped us curb his aggression. I can't believe he ever was agressive now. We now live in New Zealand and was thrilled to see this video about a class at KKI. Thank you for that.
I am a regular education teacher with a masters in special education. My son was diagnosed with Asperger’s at age 7. What a wonderful video, all teachers should watch this video. Every new year my son goes to school I pray to God for him to have a teacher like the one in this video and I try to be the teacher I would like my son to have (I did this before having children also). What a gift she is giving these children, love, encouragement, believe and respect. All these gives us all parents of autistic children peace of mind. She’s not just teaching but creating a mind set for these wonderful children and making them understand how special they are. I try to do this everyday with my child, so much so that my younger child says that life is not fair because he also wants to be autistic. I’ll tell all my teacher friends to watch it.
Thank you so much
As a Special Educator for 35 years, and recently an educator who teaches an Asperger Self- Awareness class to 8 middle schoolers on the spectrum, I rate this video as #1. The students were so relieved to see their own characteristics on film, and applauded your efforts!
thank you.
I loved this video. It gives me hope for my son. I
have a 10 year old with Autism and Epilepsy. His class
is told at the beginning of the year about his Autism
and Epilepsy, that way the won’t make fun of him
when he does something “not normal. He has alot
of “bodyguards” because of the kids being
told about his Autism & Epilepsy. I have been worried
about what would happen when he goes to middle school,
and this video gave me hope. Thank you very much! Way
to go Ms. Rabuck!
My son is 15- he is my hero. He was diagnosed in 6th
grade with autism. We have tough times at home but nothing
compared to the bullying and garbage he has to go through
at school.You are a blessing to those children. I wish
we could clone you. Thanks,
Patty
I hung onto every word. I am a teacher who sometimes works with mainstreamed children on the spectrum and the mother of a severely autistic, non-verbal son. Not only is the teacher inspirational, but so are the children. They have such great personality that shines through. Thank you. I hope more people who are unfamiliar with autism see this.
My son was diagnosed with autism at age 2.He is 4.5 and we have had alot of struggles.The kids in the video give me hope for the future of my son.That you can succeed if you work hard at something and don’t give up.
My sweet 12 year old Grandaughter has autism. This past year, the “typically developing kids” in her sixth grade class shunned and teased her without mercy. It is the World out their from which they need protection, there is nothing “wrong” with children with autism.
Thank you so much for sharing such a amazing video! I have a 6 yrs. son who has autism. He is a very lovable, bright and happy boy. However, I worry as he gets older and wonder how the other kids will treat him at school. I think this type of videos should be definetely view at all schools so other kids and teachers will be more aware of how wonderful our autistic children are. Also, the rest of the teachers could learn so much from Ms. Rabuck.
This is a great video. My nephew is autistic and attends a regular school, but in a special needs class. The other kids love him. He is not a social butterfly, but neither are some other children. We are just what God created us…all special and with special needs in His eyes. I hope you are sharing this with every school in this country. Every teacher and student needs to see this. Thank you for going the extra mile to make this documentary. God Bless
My son is 8 and has HFA. I cried when I watched this. These kids have potential and they need to be supported. This teacher is amazing. My son exhibits some of the behaviors mentioned in the video, and I wish more people would ask questions. I would be happy to answer and help more people become aware and understanding.
This video clip presents 'best practice' educational
services for students with Autism Spectrum Disorder.
I am Principal at a Public Elementary School in Kentucky
and I believe the Model Me Kids materials offer resources
that can effectively be used to demystify many aspects
of the struggles faced by students with autism. To best
serve ASD students, all participants – ASD students,
typical students, school personnel, parents and community
must be accurately informed of student struggles and
needs. I believe the resources you make available will
help. I hope to introduce these materials for use in
my school where several students on the spectrum are
appropriately, optimally, and successfully mainstreamed
with typical function students in the total school population.
Currently, this is being done through an inclusion /collaboration
model with resource services as appropriate. We seek
to provide the very best possible individual education
services within our capabilities. Certainly, typical
public schools are not as equipped as the specialized
facility and personnel of the Kennedy Krieger Institute
in Baltimore, MD. Still, we strive to offer the best
possible to foster success of all our children in this
public school mainstream setting.
Can my kids go there too? The teacher has the same views as my sons teacher but the school district kinda forced her out. She is right -they DO connect. my son is 4, autistic and has a little girlfriend who isnt autistic and they connect just fine
I LOVED YOUR VIDEO! My son Eric has Asperger’s Syndrome and I saw him in the faces and stories of all the kids in this video. Please, can Eric come and be in your class Ms. Dedra Rabuck, I love you!
This was great! I could see how my son is a lot like these kids. He is Fourteen and in Middle School. I passed this along to many people because I think that they need to see this and learn more about Autism.
I loved this video. I am a special education teacher and I also have a 13 year old daughter that has been recently diagnosed with PDD-NOS. We watched the video together and her comment was, “Can I go to this school? I would like to have friends like they do.” We have searched for social skills groups, but we live in a rural area and I have been unable to find one. Seeing this video helped her see that there are other kids like her. Thanks for a wonderful documentary!
Thanks so much for this video. My 10 year old daughter is autistic and we are experienceing alot of regression and not understanding why she is different… just because she is autistic…. this video really hit home with her and I.. They are all special. I also work with autistic children as an aide in a public school and it hurts to see the kids treat them the way they do, just because they are different. they are indivduals with awesome pesronalities. Awesome!
I so appreciate your sharing this video. I work in schools with children on the spectrum. It is wonderful to meet these students and see how they relate to each other. Our school is small, developing peer groups is sometimes difficult, but it’s great when relationships build.
So much is about the community understanding. You said it well.
Thank you for showing in your video what I see every time I look at my son. He is an amazing 12 year old who just happens to have Autism. It is so important for people to realize that our children do have feelings and that they can connect with others. Thank you!!
I really appreciate your video clip. My wife and I have raised a child who was considered classically autistic and now he’s almost 30 and extremely high functioning. There’s always another way my son fills us with surprise and wonder. It’s worth the journey!
This video made me cry. Not tears of sadness, but tears of absolute pure joy. These children, who stand in the glory of God, are magnificent. A dear friend of mine, her son has high functioning autism. My great nephew is in the spectrum. A boy in my Sunday School class has autism. Each one of them is precious to me, and I try as hard as I can to meet them at the edge and help them in this place we call “society”. Thank you for making this video.
I notice most of the comments are from person who either teach or are in some way related to an indiviual with autism, how do we get the general public not immediately affected by autism interested in learning more and willing to help provide opportunities for these indiviuals?
THANK YOU! That was the most genuine and simple explanation
of individuals with ASD that I've seen yet. It just
made sense to look at the person as an individual, the
way we all wish to be viewed. I’m a resource specialist
for my district’s public schools PK-12 grade for
our students with ASD. I would love to share this with
others. Thanks again!
The video was GREAT!!! My daughter goes to Kennedy so most of the kids in the video I recognized. I commend you on a wonderful job that you are doing. I really enjoyed hearing the group express themselves. Kudos to you and your class.
Thanks for the video. I wish my 2 daughter will be able to speak like those children on the video. Is there any way my children would be able to speak like that? What do I need to know and how? Thank you again.
Social
Skills Training Curriculum Resources
Tips & Tricks™
December 22nd, 2007 at 4:27 am
I loved the video! These kids are very special! I think the world needs to see that their stereotypes of kids with autism are false and this video shows it beautifully. Phenomenal Job!!!
December 22nd, 2007 at 4:32 am
Thank you for sharing this documentary. I am also a SPED teacher working with children with autism and I couldn’t agree with you more when you said that you find them most genuine and you wish that when you wake up in the morning you could be with them because of certain characteristics that they have which you find inspiring. I just want you to know that I feel just the same and I commend the efforts you are making for them.
December 22nd, 2007 at 4:46 pm
Thank you so much for sending me the documentary. I hung on
every word. Please thank Ms. Rabuck for her devotion to these
children and to the world’s view of autism.
December 30th, 2007 at 5:12 pm
I really enjoyed the video. I believe this will help enlighten people that children with Autism can connect if people will take the time to understand and not be so judgemental. Thank you for sharing the video!
January 6th, 2008 at 12:48 am
This video was great! I want for my Kindergarten kids to grow up to be as communicative as those in the video!
January 13th, 2008 at 6:23 pm
a very interesting video was nice to listen to other children and their feelings regarding autism, i have a high functioning autistic child myself and had him watch this with me although he is in denial, many thanks
January 14th, 2008 at 4:25 am
This video, Teacher & the children are amazing!!! My son will be 10 yr.’s old next month. He was diagnosed at 2 1/2 with moderate to severe autism, but as of November 26, 2007 his diagnosis is now High Functioning Autism! Way to go Little Man!!! He has been home schooled since February 2005 & I truly believe that this teacher, this program with the awesome methods of teaching, amongst other wonderful traits that this teacher has & the other children in the program, would definitely benefit my son! You are amazing Ms. Dedra Rabuck!!!
January 20th, 2008 at 9:38 pm
I found this video exceptionally inspiring and wonderful. Knowing little about the disease of Autism, to discover that there is hope of truly reaching students on a meaningful level is such an awe-inspiring thing.
January 28th, 2008 at 10:42 pm
If I’m correct the Kennedy Kreiger Inst. is associated with Johns Hopkins. What an incredible pairing, and to see this class warms my heart. To see and hear the student say, “I’m social here” and to see what a great environment they have - kuddo’s!!! Above all praises to the teacher!!!!!!!!! I wish I could be your student teacher!!!
January 29th, 2008 at 5:42 am
This women is great teacher! I’m study special education and realy want to be like she, when I start to work.
January 29th, 2008 at 10:57 pm
Thank you. My son has Autism. He is 3 years old. He is smart, he is fun and has a cute sense of humor. This gives me such hope for my son.
February 3rd, 2008 at 11:30 pm
I liked this video. I have son who is 2 with autism and I believe my 8 year old may be on the spectrum but, I am going to homeschool him. I like what I seen because I seen older children connecting with friends who are like them and are happy.
February 7th, 2008 at 12:32 pm
I am a SPED teacher in a Jr. high school setting and teach students with high functioning autism and Aspergers and I am very glad I found your website. I ordered the DVDs and show them to my students. I can’t wait to see the curriculum for middle/high school level. The hardest thing for me is the lack of age-appropriate materials. The students I work with are smart…they don’t want to see elementary social stories and lessons. They don’t color anymore, they are more sophisticated, and need materials that challenge their thinking.
February 7th, 2008 at 10:05 pm
I am a parent of a child with Asperger’s and watching your video “Children with Autism:One Teacher’s Experience” is very helpful. Now in his teens I am trying to explain to him and his siblings more about autism. Thank you for a different glance at it.
February 10th, 2008 at 12:03 am
Thank you for making this delightful and insightful video available to all; I’ll be sharing it with my dedicated colleagues who work with our children on the autism spectrum.
Parent/professional
February 12th, 2008 at 11:34 pm
It was a joy to see other students around my son’s age(he has autism) who were clear about their disorder, yet they understood that there was sooo much more to being themselves than the diagnosis. My son glanced briefly at the clip. It seems he is stuck between world of “typical” and not quite “severe” enough.
Az still has much to learn to be able to provide such a great school as I saw presented in the video. Thank you to teacher and staff for putting the video together. More importantly, thanks to the students who were courageous enough to share themselves with us, and brought hope to our family. THANKS.
February 13th, 2008 at 9:41 am
I loved the fact that the video shows these kids as people first and that autism is just a part of who they are. It is a great tool for educating the public about these special kids.
February 14th, 2008 at 5:51 pm
Thank you for sharing this video.
It gave me and my son a hope!
February 21st, 2008 at 9:18 am
I think this website is very good for kids who want to be a role model xxxxxxx
February 23rd, 2008 at 9:04 pm
This video makes me cry each time I see it and I thank God my child gets to be in that classroom with Diedre. Fantastic video, Thank you, Thank you Thank you! Gracias too!
Mimi
March 4th, 2008 at 6:51 pm
Terrific video! I’m excited to see the information on this site.
March 10th, 2008 at 12:59 pm
One of the best videos I’ve seen about special kids who happen to have autism. Please consider shooting another documentary showing these wonderful young kids out in their communities.
March 10th, 2008 at 6:10 pm
I have a brother with autism and he is like some of the kids on the video. It made me feel good because it can kind of help me with my brother. I felt good when I saw the part about when you said that kids with autism - their brains are different but it’s not who they are.
March 10th, 2008 at 6:11 pm
Thank you for this great video.
March 15th, 2008 at 1:39 pm
I enjoyed reading your blog. It is so interesting reading other peoples personal take on a subject….
March 18th, 2008 at 10:03 am
This is an awesome video. I am a future educator, and it is so important that people understand that children with autism aren’t just “that autistic kid” they are just another kid with autism. Beautifully done.
March 18th, 2008 at 10:21 am
I loved the video. I agree with the way you view your students. Have you taught a student with Aspergers?
March 19th, 2008 at 2:12 am
Nice website!!
March 28th, 2008 at 1:43 am
I think the video opened my mind as to how students react to their disorder, autism. Some are happy, shy, socialable etc. I always thought that children with autism did not have social skills but this video clip proved me wrong. Thanks for opening my eyes to reality.
March 28th, 2008 at 9:14 am
I enjoyed the video. I have an 8yr old son with Autism. Where we live we don’t have a spec. ed class and I can see from the video how important it is to have others with the same situation work together and give confidence and support to each other so they can deal with the world. Thank you
April 1st, 2008 at 1:46 pm
My son has Asperger’s and I have been trying to find material to help other students to understand and accept him more. Thanks.
April 2nd, 2008 at 9:49 am
This video was awesome! Thank you so much for sharing. These kids connect in so many different ways, and people need to take the time and see that! If people would give kids with autism a chance to connect with them..I know they would be better people for the experience. Ms. Rabuck and teachers like her should be commended for all that they do for kids with autism! This video will inspire anyone who watches it!
April 3rd, 2008 at 6:43 pm
I wish that the student I work with could go to your school. She is so alone and sad. I am just her paraeducator. I think she isn’t quite as high functioning as some of the children in your video, but she would do so much better if she could be with children like her. I don’t even know if she knows that she is Autistic….but she does know what isolated means and she will tell you that the word isolated is her.
April 3rd, 2008 at 8:34 pm
I was touched by your video. It is obvious that the children and the teacher are lovingly connected. I was unable to have children but I cared for my mother with progressive dementia for many years. I wish that there were special people like Diedra who could treat elderly with dementia in the same gentle and accepting way that she treats her students. Thank you for sharing your lives with the world.
April 5th, 2008 at 8:33 pm
Hi. Nice site - thanks.
April 7th, 2008 at 12:29 am
Your documentary is a wonderful gift to children with Autism and parents and teachers of children with Autism. They are children first and autism is not who they are! You did a wonderful job of showing who they, what they like, and celebrating them for who they are and what they can do rather than what they can’t!
April 7th, 2008 at 6:39 am
My 6yr old daughter was recently dx’d as having high functioning Autism. I’ve always known something was “different” about her, it’s so nice to see other kids like her. Deidra, thank you so much for making this video, and for what you are doing for these “special blessings from GOD” like mine out there!! I wish you taught in our school system! GOD bless you.
April 7th, 2008 at 9:17 pm
Thanks for the documentary. I work with kids on the spectrum and it’s such a breath of fresh air to hear a positive perspective about these amazing kids. What a great job!! Thanks again!
April 15th, 2008 at 10:00 am
It is hard to see these children. One of my sons has autsim and is 5 years old. It is hard to imagine him not fully recovering from it. I know I will love him no matter how he develops. Your heart breaks that a child is ostrisized for being different. Deidre is an inspiration. Thanks for helping.
May 4th, 2008 at 1:01 am
Thank you!
May 5th, 2008 at 9:32 pm
I am so pleased to see that such wonderful talents are alive and well in our world. I had the privelege of visiting this classroom today and saw for myself the wonderful work that this teacher and her students are doing in the field of autism. I hope that my son, gets an opportunity to learn from and experience all that KK has to offer in the up coming school year. To all the staff at KK, thank you and keep up the good work.
Marie and Aaron.
May 13th, 2008 at 6:33 pm
Wonderful video. Terrific children with a very remarkable teacher, showing the world these children are beautiful inside and out.
May 21st, 2008 at 6:52 pm
This is a really good video. Most children with high functioning autism fall through the cracks. My son is in a “main stream” school and having alot of problems.
May 22nd, 2008 at 4:46 pm
It's a great video. I am a Parent to Parent Support Program Coordinator for Kitsap County, WA. I run a monthly Autism group and I have copied your product catolog to share with the families I work with. I am also hoping to figure out a way to show them this video at our next meeting.
June 6th, 2008 at 9:58 am edit
I love the video! This teacher is incredible! I really enjoyed watching & listening to the kids in this classroom. Our son was almost totally non-verbal at age 5 (very few words) and now is very verbal. Has trouble with sentence structure. He’s tall & handsome & full of love. Has tons of friends! Thank you Model Me Kids for making videos to help teach our Special Kids! We heard about you through a Mom at Music Therapy.
June 10th, 2008 at 6:14 am
I loved the video. I have a 6 year old son with PDD-Nos and watch him struggle daily with social issues. Everyone that gets to know him finds him funny and fascinating, you never know what will come out of his mouth! My son first got help at The Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore and I cannot thank them enough for getting him talking and communicating with us. They also helped us curb his aggression. I can't believe he ever was agressive now. We now live in New Zealand and was thrilled to see this video about a class at KKI. Thank you for that.
June 11th, 2008 at 8:28 pm
I am a regular education teacher with a masters in special education. My son was diagnosed with Asperger’s at age 7. What a wonderful video, all teachers should watch this video. Every new year my son goes to school I pray to God for him to have a teacher like the one in this video and I try to be the teacher I would like my son to have (I did this before having children also). What a gift she is giving these children, love, encouragement, believe and respect. All these gives us all parents of autistic children peace of mind. She’s not just teaching but creating a mind set for these wonderful children and making them understand how special they are. I try to do this everyday with my child, so much so that my younger child says that life is not fair because he also wants to be autistic. I’ll tell all my teacher friends to watch it.
Thank you so much
June 13th, 2008 at 9:14 am edit
Wow what a wonderful documentary and wish the world could see this. Our children in the spectrum are the most special people on this earth.
June 13th, 2008 at 10:41 am edit
As a Special Educator for 35 years, and recently an educator who teaches an Asperger Self- Awareness class to 8 middle schoolers on the spectrum, I rate this video as #1. The students were so relieved to see their own characteristics on film, and applauded your efforts!
thank you.
June 19th, 2008 at 4:34 pm edit
I loved this video. It gives me hope for my son. I have a 10 year old with Autism and Epilepsy. His class is told at the beginning of the year about his Autism and Epilepsy, that way the won’t make fun of him when he does something “not normal. He has alot of “bodyguards” because of the kids being told about his Autism & Epilepsy. I have been worried about what would happen when he goes to middle school, and this video gave me hope. Thank you very much! Way to go Ms. Rabuck!
June 19th, 2008 at 4:41 pm edit
My son is 15- he is my hero. He was diagnosed in 6th grade with autism. We have tough times at home but nothing compared to the bullying and garbage he has to go through at school.You are a blessing to those children. I wish we could clone you. Thanks,
Patty
June 19th, 2008 at 6:51 pm edit
I hung onto every word. I am a teacher who sometimes works with mainstreamed children on the spectrum and the mother of a severely autistic, non-verbal son. Not only is the teacher inspirational, but so are the children. They have such great personality that shines through. Thank you. I hope more people who are unfamiliar with autism see this.
June 19th, 2008 at 8:05 pm edit
My son was diagnosed with autism at age 2.He is 4.5 and we have had alot of struggles.The kids in the video give me hope for the future of my son.That you can succeed if you work hard at something and don’t give up.
June 19th, 2008 at 9:42 pm edit
My sweet 12 year old Grandaughter has autism. This past year, the “typically developing kids” in her sixth grade class shunned and teased her without mercy. It is the World out their from which they need protection, there is nothing “wrong” with children with autism.
June 19th, 2008 at 10:37 pm edit
Our son was just diagnosed at 17 with Autism. Thank you for this moving video. It is like watching a piece of our boy.
June 19th, 2008 at 11:13 pm edit
Thank you so much for sharing such a amazing video! I have a 6 yrs. son who has autism. He is a very lovable, bright and happy boy. However, I worry as he gets older and wonder how the other kids will treat him at school. I think this type of videos should be definetely view at all schools so other kids and teachers will be more aware of how wonderful our autistic children are. Also, the rest of the teachers could learn so much from Ms. Rabuck.
June 20th, 2008 at 7:12 am edit
This is a great video. My nephew is autistic and attends a regular school, but in a special needs class. The other kids love him. He is not a social butterfly, but neither are some other children. We are just what God created us…all special and with special needs in His eyes. I hope you are sharing this with every school in this country. Every teacher and student needs to see this. Thank you for going the extra mile to make this documentary. God Bless
June 20th, 2008 at 8:27 am edit
My son is 8 and has HFA. I cried when I watched this. These kids have potential and they need to be supported. This teacher is amazing. My son exhibits some of the behaviors mentioned in the video, and I wish more people would ask questions. I would be happy to answer and help more people become aware and understanding.
June 20th, 2008 at 10:32 am edit
This video clip presents 'best practice' educational services for students with Autism Spectrum Disorder. I am Principal at a Public Elementary School in Kentucky and I believe the Model Me Kids materials offer resources that can effectively be used to demystify many aspects of the struggles faced by students with autism. To best serve ASD students, all participants – ASD students, typical students, school personnel, parents and community must be accurately informed of student struggles and needs. I believe the resources you make available will help. I hope to introduce these materials for use in my school where several students on the spectrum are appropriately, optimally, and successfully mainstreamed with typical function students in the total school population. Currently, this is being done through an inclusion /collaboration model with resource services as appropriate. We seek to provide the very best possible individual education services within our capabilities. Certainly, typical public schools are not as equipped as the specialized facility and personnel of the Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore, MD. Still, we strive to offer the best possible to foster success of all our children in this public school mainstream setting.
June 20th, 2008 at 12:04 pm edit
Can my kids go there too? The teacher has the same views as my sons teacher but the school district kinda forced her out. She is right -they DO connect. my son is 4, autistic and has a little girlfriend who isnt autistic and they connect just fine
June 20th, 2008 at 1:22 pm edit
I LOVED YOUR VIDEO! My son Eric has Asperger’s Syndrome and I saw him in the faces and stories of all the kids in this video. Please, can Eric come and be in your class Ms. Dedra Rabuck, I love you!
June 20th, 2008 at 7:27 pm edit
This was great! I could see how my son is a lot like these kids. He is Fourteen and in Middle School. I passed this along to many people because I think that they need to see this and learn more about Autism.
June 20th, 2008 at 8:16 pm edit
I loved this video. I am a special education teacher and I also have a 13 year old daughter that has been recently diagnosed with PDD-NOS. We watched the video together and her comment was, “Can I go to this school? I would like to have friends like they do.” We have searched for social skills groups, but we live in a rural area and I have been unable to find one. Seeing this video helped her see that there are other kids like her. Thanks for a wonderful documentary!
June 20th, 2008 at 8:45 pm edit
Thanks so much for this video. My 10 year old daughter is autistic and we are experienceing alot of regression and not understanding why she is different… just because she is autistic…. this video really hit home with her and I.. They are all special. I also work with autistic children as an aide in a public school and it hurts to see the kids treat them the way they do, just because they are different. they are indivduals with awesome pesronalities. Awesome!
June 20th, 2008 at 9:25 pm edit
I so appreciate your sharing this video. I work in schools with children on the spectrum. It is wonderful to meet these students and see how they relate to each other. Our school is small, developing peer groups is sometimes difficult, but it’s great when relationships build.
So much is about the community understanding. You said it well.
June 21st, 2008 at 12:47 pm edit
Thank you for showing in your video what I see every time I look at my son. He is an amazing 12 year old who just happens to have Autism. It is so important for people to realize that our children do have feelings and that they can connect with others. Thank you!!
June 21st, 2008 at 4:49 pm edit
WOW. I SO WISH THAT SHE COULD BE MY NEIGHBOR. PAT
June 21st, 2008 at 5:08 pm edit
I really appreciate your video clip. My wife and I have raised a child who was considered classically autistic and now he’s almost 30 and extremely high functioning. There’s always another way my son fills us with surprise and wonder. It’s worth the journey!
June 22nd, 2008 at 2:13 pm edit
IT IS SO GREAT TO MAKE A VIDEO AND SHOW THE WORLD THAT KIDS WITH AUTISM AREN’T WHAT PEOPLE THINK THEY ARE.
June 22nd, 2008 at 7:15 pm edit
This video made me cry. Not tears of sadness, but tears of absolute pure joy. These children, who stand in the glory of God, are magnificent. A dear friend of mine, her son has high functioning autism. My great nephew is in the spectrum. A boy in my Sunday School class has autism. Each one of them is precious to me, and I try as hard as I can to meet them at the edge and help them in this place we call “society”. Thank you for making this video.
June 23rd, 2008 at 9:31 pm edit
I notice most of the comments are from person who either teach or are in some way related to an indiviual with autism, how do we get the general public not immediately affected by autism interested in learning more and willing to help provide opportunities for these indiviuals?
June 24th, 2008 at 8:49 am edit
THANK YOU! That was the most genuine and simple explanation of individuals with ASD that I've seen yet. It just made sense to look at the person as an individual, the way we all wish to be viewed. I’m a resource specialist for my district’s public schools PK-12 grade for our students with ASD. I would love to share this with others. Thanks again!
June 24th, 2008 at 10:10 pm edit
The video was GREAT!!! My daughter goes to Kennedy so most of the kids in the video I recognized. I commend you on a wonderful job that you are doing. I really enjoyed hearing the group express themselves. Kudos to you and your class.
June 24th, 2008 at 11:40 pm edit
Kennedy Krieger has an exceptional program for children with autism. Every child should have the opportunity to attend such a quality program.
June 25th, 2008 at 8:17 pm edit
Thank You for the look into your classroom. I am studying to be a SPED teacher, this classroom is inspiring.
June 30th, 2008 at 2:51 pm edit
I LOVED the video. I wish I could purchase a copy to show to teachers during trainings.
July 1st, 2008 at 1:31 am edit
Thanks for the video. I wish my 2 daughter will be able to speak like those children on the video. Is there any way my children would be able to speak like that? What do I need to know and how? Thank you again.