Classroom Presentations on Autism

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I am currently working with a student who has Asperger's and is struggling to get along with some of her peers in the general education classroom. The case manager that I am working with feels that the reason the other kids are not as tolerant of her behaviors is because they don't understand her disability. The case manager would like to go into the general education classroom and talk to the kids about Asperger's and how the student interacts differently with them to promote tolerance and understanding. Is this a good idea or does it just continue to point out how the student is different from the rest of her class? Thoughts? Ideas?

If you are in the US, this is ILLEGAL. It violates confidentiality laws to disclose Special Education status (to the point that we only use initials in most written communications about specific students where I work) and could result in you and the school being sued by the students' parents. It would probably also make the student feel bad by pointing out that she is different. However, you could just do a generalized diversity training for the whole class about acceptance of people with disabilities, and include Asperger's in the mix, as long as you are careful not to single anyone out.

Here's an episode of Arthur that explains Asperger's pretty well that could work, depending on how old the kids are. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsmjwHW40ps

The case manager would have talked to the parents first and if they objected in any way, would not have moved forward. It was just an idea that she had for helping the student.
I also am a parent of a student with a disability and my child's vision teacher addressed her class to talk about why she needs certain things in the classroom to help be successful, she even invited me to attend. I as a parent was in full agreement with this and saw it as a way to promote acceptance and understanding from her peers, it was purely beneficial for my daughter. We are also looking at doing a similar presentation for the staff in the elementary that she attends, which I also feel will be beneficial in providing a successful educational experience for my daughter.
I do understand the laws surrounding confidentiality in special education. The case manager is not looking to disclose the student's disability but is looking for way to promote understanding and acceptance in the classroom. That is why she was looking for feedback on how to handle the situation and I thought this would be a great resource for ideas on how to approach this very delicate situation.

I still like the idea of doing a diversity unit better than saying that a specific kid has special needs. There are loads of books and other resources to educate on disabilities without putting the kid on display like a museum exhibit, and it would be more broadly applicable if you covered more than just Asperger's. If she is comfortable, she will disclose to the class when you bring it up, then let her talk about it more if she wants or tell people about it at recess or however she wants to do it. She may do this, especially if you point out some of the positives like people with Asperger's being smart. I'm a teacher, and an Aspie, and have a child on the spectrum, as well. He's actually proud of his differences but feels insecure sometimes, too. Many children would be mortified if you did it in more than a general way. AS is a bit more prickly than blindness or being in a wheelchair, because it's not immediately obvious to everyone that the person is different, and it has more of a social stigma to it. Personally, I'm a big proponent of just teaching kids that it's okay if someone is different... you have to treat everyone with respect, period. Rather than coming at it from a "You have to be nice to people with disabilities" standpoint.

I think that you are taking this totally the wrong way. I am saying that the case manager consulted me on an idea she had for helping the Asperger's student gain more acceptance within the general education classroom. I don't disagree with you that singling out one student is not the best way to address the differences for children with disabilities of any kind. AND this isn't about disrespecting the student, it is actually about finding a way to treat ALL people with respect and understanding the differences of other people, especially those with disabilities. The fact that I am on here looking for ideas on how to help address this in the classroom should be a big indicator that I too feel there is a different way to go about teaching the other students to understand and show a little more patience and kindness. We do want to find a solution to this problem so that the student doesn't continue to struggle with her peers and not want to be part of the class.
I just wanted some positive feedback and helpful ideas by posting on this page, so I apologize if my post was misunderstood.

Maybe a research project for the students on genetic disorders (since we know there is at least some genetic basis) where the students then share their research with the class and you could privately encourage the aspie to present on AS or autism. It always felt better to me when I was sharing th information personally instead of letting someone else do the talking.