ear defenders

 

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/newsbirmingham/aston-villa-mascot-scared-players-would-laugh-at-him-overjoyed-at-ings-autism-headset-gesture/ar-AA13osv8

Riley Regan is a nine year old Villa fan who was chosen to be a mascot for a recent game. Riley has autism and struggles with loud noises. He has ear defenders to help him keep calm, but he was worried if he wore them to walk on to the pitch, that the footballers would laugh at him.

Villa Forward Danny Ings wore ear defenders and walked with Riley. Danny Ings said there was a lot of ignorance around autism and he wanted to help raise awareness. Riley's Mum said following Danny's gesture, other parents have contacted her to say their children no longer feel embarrassed to wear ear defenders in public.  

Mum said, "Riley was worried that the players and other fans would laugh at him so the fact he wasn't the only one wearing them made him so happy. What Danny Ings did has had such a positive impact on raising awareness and making children like Riley feel less alone. That's all we really wanted, just to show people that even if a child has a disability - that doesn't mean he's not the same as everyone else."

- what is a mascot in football, what do they have to do, what do you think it's like to be a mascot?

- what is autism? (I asked Oliver, a child with autism how to describe what autism means. Oliver told me, "autism is your brain wired differently so you see the world in a different way. It' just a different view of the world." Oliver says some things are harder for him but but also he better at some things than other children.)

- Why ask a child with autism to be a mascot? Isn't that insensitive knowing the noise and sensory overload the job involves? (no, it's not insensitive, everyone should have the right to be a mascot, sometimes we just have to do things in a different way)

- Why was Riley worried?

- If Riley was so worried, why didn't he leave his ear defenders home for one afternoon? (Danny has the right to wear whatever makes him feel comfortable)

- Why do you think Danny Ings chose to wear ear defenders when he doesn't need them?

- "What Danny Ings did has had such a positive impact on raising awareness and making children like Riley feel less alone." explain this comment

- What was the impact of Danny's decision on a) Riley b) the other players c) the crowd  d) the world

- why do you think the photo went viral?

- "Even if a child has a disability - that doesn't mean he's not the same as everyone else." - is this correct? Are we all the same? How would you respond to this comment? (We're not all the same, all of us have differences but that doesn't mean we shouldn't be treated equally. At our school we're not afraid of differences; we understand our differences because we ask questions and talk about them so that we can support each other if we need support. There are no outsiders here) (note: there is a tendency to slip in to language such as "We celebrate our differences" here, but be careful not to use that word- we don't need to celebrate ear defenders, we just need to understand and accept them as part of our everyday life.)

- What can we learn from Riley?

- What can we learn from Danny Ings?

- Why is this about No Outsiders?

No Outsiders: Everyone different, everyone welcome by Andrew Moffat 

www.no-outsiders.com

Girls at Work

 

https://www.upworthy.com/girls-at-work-is-empowering-young-girls-with-confidence

Elaine Hamel founded "Girls at Work" in 2000 to challenge traditional norms and normalize girl power, particularly between the ages of 8 and 18. Elaine  says empowerment shouldn't just be a buzz word but a way of life.

Elaine says girls are bombarded from an early age with messages telling them they can't, it's too heavy, it's too big. Unless someone takes the time to show them otherwise, they will grow up thinking those limitations are true and they will never reach their full potential. Girls at work wants to show them, they can!

The group organise summer camps and workshops where girls learn to communicate ideas, use tools and build something practical. Elaine believes learning how to use power tools shows the girls they can do anything they put their minds to, preparing them for a brighter future.

Elaine grew up in the 1970s and 80s and worked in construction. She says when she started out it was brutal; "The men were so cruel but I grew up with 5 brothers so I was used to it. I told myself I'd be the boss one day and here I am."

The group works as a community with help for other groups. For example, a club of retired men pre-cut the lumber for the Girls at Work projects. The girls use that lumber to create projects such as picnic benches and tables which are then donated to local organisations. 

- what do you see in the picture, what is she holding?

- what are traditional norms?

- what does empowerment mean?

- "Girls are bombarded from an early age with messages telling them they can't, it's too heavy, it's too big..." are they? give examples?

- what is the word for when someone faces discrimination because of their gender?

- what is a gender stereotype, how do gender stereotypes affect us?

- how can using a power tool prepare someone for a brighter future?

- why do you think men were cruel to Elaine when she started out in construction?

- there are actually outsiders in this story, who are they? (boys) is that ok? 

- Why do you think Elaine has made this group for girls only, was that the right thing to do?

- what can we learn from Elaine?

- why is this about no outsiders? (Is it about No Outsiders?)

- how can we make sure gender stereotypes are challenged at our school?

 No Outsiders: Everyone different, everyone welcome by Andrew Moffat

www.no-outsiders.com 

Bruno the Brake Car

 

https://www.theguardian.com/global/2022/sep/07/thomas-the-tank-engine-to-introduce-first-autistic-character

Thomas the tank engine has a new character- Bruno the Brake Car, voiced by 9 year old actor Elliot Garcia. The character Bruno is autistic and this is the first time the series has featured an autistic character. Elliott, the actor, is also autistic.

The company behind Thomas the Tank Engine is Mattel and they say they, "carefully curated Bruno's character to ensure an accurate fictional representation of autism."

Bruno rolls in reverse which gives him a "unique perspective" on life and he also loves timetables, routines, schedules and things being in order, "when everything goes to plan." The train sometimes wears ear defenders if trains get too noisy and he has worked out signals using a lantern to let the other trains know if he is getting overwhelmed or needs support.

There will be a range of Bruno merchandise available by the end of the year.

Mattel accept that although Bruno is autistic, he does not reflect the lives of all autistic people. The National Autistic Society worked with Mattel to create Bruno and they say his inclusion in the show is an "amazing moment for autistic people."  

"It is important that everyone sees autistic characters on our screens because there are 160,000 school-age autistic children in the UK and they want to see their stories told. But it's also important that non-autistic children get insight and understanding in to what it can be like to be autistic."

- what is autism? (I asked Oliver, a child with autism how to describe what autism means. Oliver told me, "autism is your brain wired differently so you see the world in a different way. It' just a different view of the world." Oliver says some things are harder for him but but also he better at some things than other children.)

- why do you think   Bruno the Brake Car travels in reverse and loves routines and schedules?

- why does Bruno sometimes wear ear defenders?

- why is the lantern useful? How do you think the other trains respond when Bruni asks for support, what kind of support do you think he needs?

- "A unique perspective on life" what does that mean?

- Why introduce a character with autism?

- why have the character voiced by an actor with autism?

- "Although Bruno is autistic, he does not reflect the lives of all autistic people." What does this mean?

- why is this "an amazing moment for autistic people"?

- "It's important that non-autistic children get insight and understanding in to what it can be like to be autistic." - why?

- what can we learn from Bruno the brake car?

- why is this about No Outsiders?

No Outsiders: Everyone different, everyone welcome by Andrew Moffat

www.no-outsiders.com