The Award Honoring this Practical Socialization component as well as the Independent Skills Component, bridging General Education and Special Education students has a main goal of serving students more and more in the least restrictive environment.
The Award received was from Wayne Regional Autism Collaboration for Excellence (WRACE) and was presented on October 16, 2017 at RESA in the Boyd Auditorium to Kathy Cialkowski (former ASD Center based teacher at the high school now teaching at Lindemann Elementary), Michelle Calvillo (Social Worker at APHS/APMS), Jennifer Fairbanks (New ASD teacher at the high school), and Chantel Cunningham (Special Education high school teacher).
Acceptance is the greatest gift you can give to a student with Autism. Teaching, Problem-Solving Skills, and Creating Interactive Opportunities are examples of benefits gained by the ASD students. The Mentors (LINKS General Education students) have a full curriculum that exposes them to many reflective opportunities that foster their development of on-line instruction through “Google Classroom”.
The General Education teachers have an opportunity to address the effectiveness of the LINKS students as they assist ASD students while in their classrooms. The common logo used throughout education with Autism students is:
“STOP TRYING TO FIT IN WHEN YOU WERE BORN TO STAND OUT”.
During this 2017-18 school year, 36 LINKS students are working with 14 ASD students.
The Autism Program has a FACEBOOK page called: “JAGUARS WITH AUTISM”. The Facebook page is accessed by parents, students, and staff interested in engaging and sharing along while promoting joined enthusiasm. We encourage our readers to access our Autism Facebook page at: APHS Jaguars with Autism.
At Allen Park High School we believe that “connection is what moves this world forward.” We know in our practice that our duty is Autism is to maximize each student’s potential.
The “WRACE” award honors the tremendous efforts displayed in Peer-to-Peer Support displayed by Mrs. Cialkowski, Mrs. Calvillo, Ms. Cunningham, and new to our school, Mrs. Fairbanks, who practice daily, the belief that Autism is not a disability, it is a unique ability.
The Peer-to-Peer program that this award honors, emphasizes treating students with dignity, having a systematic problem-solving approach, providing social learning opportunities, and acknowledging peers for their contributions to the building. 
