Henry David Thoreau said, “Could a greater miracle take place than for us to look through each other’s eyes for an instant?” Real change begins with us, and it may just start in the classroom of a Wylie West fifth grade classroom – at least that is the hope of RLA teacher Angie Kenley.
This fall semester, she and her students jumped into the world of neurodiversity by reading the novel “Rules” written by Cynthia Lord.
The novel, a 2007 Newberry Award winner, tackles the topic of autism. Main character Catherine, who is relatable to the fifth grade readers, seeks to live a normal 12-year-old’s life as she helps her younger, autistic brother David try to live life by the norms or rules of society. Goodreads.com describes the novel as “a heartfelt and witty story about feeling different and finding acceptance–beyond the rules.”
Along with reading, Kenley provided her students with the opportunity to select one of eight roles. From discussion director or word watcher to quote collector or theme thinker or summarizer to setting specialist, the students were proactive in connecting to the story individually and collectively. These tasks aligned well with the objectives outlined by Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) and began building a learning experience Kenley had hoped to achieve – one that also built awareness, empathy and respect for biodiverse peers.
“I wanted my students to move beyond learning about autism and actually feeling what some of those challenges might be like… understand what every day experiences might feel like for someone with autism,” said Kenley.
So now it was time for her students to go for a walk. This isn’t the kind of walk you’re probably imagining. It’s a walk that takes you from walking in your own shoes into the shoes of another – almost literally.
A sensory walk challenges the senses, such as trying to follow directions with background noises or touching textures they couldn’t see. Kenley said it helped her students better understand how the autistic character David experiences the world differently due to his sensory processing differences.
“Many shared they hadn’t realized how overwhelming simple tasks could feel for some people, and they expressed a real desire to be more understanding and patient with others,” said Kenley.
Graham Farrow and Taytum Berry, students in Kenley’s class, shared their perspective after completing the novel and learning activities, drawing conclusions from the five-station sensory walk around their classroom; stations included Sound Overload, Vision Distortion, Tactile Sensitivity, Routine Change and Communication Barrier.
Farrow, who liked the Vision Distortion station best because it helped him understand how the character David saw his world, said he learned that autism is not only difficult for the person who has it, but also for others like family members and that being helpful to everyone is best.
“Always help others … even if you aren’t friends,” said Farrow.
Berry also liked the Visual Distortion station. “I liked that we got to not only see but know just a little bit of how some people’s lives are like,” said Berry. She said learning about Catherine and David helped her realize that not all disabilities are visible.
“I learned you can’t just look at someone and say, ‘Oh, they have autism,’” said Berry. “Sometimes people struggle with things that we don’t even know about, and we just have to be kind.”
Kenley said her students grew as a community, strengthening their classroom culture.
“It was incredible to watch students go from curiosity to real empathy…they began to understand that what might feel easy for one person can feel overwhelming for another. Their reflections showed genuine compassion and a desire to make our classroom more inclusive,” said Kenley. “The simulation gave them a chance to step into someone else’s experience, which led to powerful empathy and reflection. It really helped our class grow in understanding and kindness.”
By Kristen Johnson
Photos By Angie Kenley and Christi Stark