TC classes learn about autism in school assembly

April is Autism Awareness Month and the students at Trout Creek School are learning what the disorder is and how they can help people with autism navigate through life and the everyday challenges they face. "Autism affects one in 44 people," Lana Dicken with Trout Creek School said during an assembly Friday morning. "Autism is a spectrum disorder; it doesn't look the same on everyone. Every person with autism is different."

The school has a small number is autistic students, and teachers want all students to gain a better understanding of what they can do to help their fellow classmates get through the day. The school hosted guest speakers James Marble and Michelle Eder-McLane, who both are autistic, and wanted to come talk to the students about the different levels on the autism spectrum.

Marble, who works for the Department of Justice, asked students if they knew what autism looks like. "Can you tell by the way someone looks if they are autistic?" he asked. "Both Michelle and I are autistic." Marble explained that while both he and Eder-McLane are autistic, they are on different levels of the spectrum and yet they look just like everyone else. "Something we both have in common is that we both struggle with sensory overload," Marble said. He explained sensory overload and his personal experiences with it, as well as a coping mechanism called stimming.

"Having autism is different, but that doesn't mean it's bad," said Eder-McLane. A state social worker for the last two years, Eder-McLane said since her diagnosis, she has been able to better understand why she is more hyper-focused than the rest of her peers. "I'm acutely more aware of my surroundings," she said. "Transitions from one task to another can be difficult."

While Marble said a strong smell can be overwhelming and too much to handle at times, Eder-McLane said the opposite, that a certain smell can be more calming. Both agreed that getting away from a situation that is bringing on stress is what helps the most. "Having other people understand and help deal with the issues has been really helpful for me," Marble told the students.

Eder-McLane credits self-love and how important it is to her in order to better understand her place in the world. "I'm just like everybody else," she said. "We have a lot to offer the world and I just want to let everybody know autism is not a bad thing."

Nathan Cano, a senior at Noxon High School, was diagnosed with autism in the fourth grade. Cano's mother, a teacher at Trout Creek School, brought him in to talk to students about his experiences with autism. "I'm still noticing new stuff about my diagnosis every day," he said at the assembly.

Cano said a realization for him about his diagnosis was that he didn't like fireworks. "I didn't like the big booms," he said. "That was one of the first things I could remember when I realized that I was different from other kids." Cano is the student council president and has participated in various sports in the past. He is a member of Business Professionals of America and ready to head off to college. "Everybody is different and everybody has their ups and downs," he said. The biggest thing you can do to help people with autism is to just accept them."

Cano will be moving to Kalispell after he graduates to attend Flathead Valley Community College as an HVAC apprentice while he takes courses to become a certified technician. What Cano hopes the students take away from the assembly is just to accept one another. "A little acceptance can go a long way," he said. "It did for me."