One of our mottos is "nothing about us without us." We are intentional about making our program both youth-centered and youth-led. Moreover, we use formal and informal feedback from individuals with special needs and their caretakers to develop and strengthen our programs. 

1. Our Golden Rule: GET TO KNOW EVERY PERSON AT UNIFIED AS AN INDIVIDUAL 

• As autism advocate Dr. Stephen Shore said, “if you've met one person with autism, you've met one person with autism.”

2. OFFER CLEAR AND CONCISE CHOICES

❌DON’T SAY: “What do you want to do?” 

✅DO SAY: “Do you want to play pitcher or catcher?”

3. SAY WHAT YOU WANT, NOT WHAT YOU DON’T WANT

❌DON’T: Say “Don’t drop the guitar on the floor!”

✅DO: Say “Can you put the guitar down gently?”

4. PROVIDE SPECIFIC FEEDBACK

❌DON’T: Say “Good job!”

✅DO: Say “I liked the way you passed to Jake!”

5. SPEAK LITERALLY; AVOID IDIOMS & FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE

• Individuals with autism tend to think literally. Speaking literally will make it easier for the person to hear your message.

6. STICK TO ROUTINES WHEN POSSIBLE

• Recognize that individuals with special needs often like routines and schedules and deviating from that may bring discomfort.

✅DO: Give a heads-up if something is going to be different than usual 

7. GENTLY PROMPT TEAMMATE TO RETURN TO THE ORIGINAL TOPIC

If someone gets sidetracked by something unrelated to the game…

❌DON’T: Assume it means he or she is no longer interested in the game

✅DO: say “Let’s get open to catch the ball!”

8. BE AWARE OF SENSITIVITIES TO NOISE, LIGHT, AND SMELLS

• Some people with special needs might get overwhelmed by loud noises, bright lights, or strong smells. They might do things like rocking or covering their ears to feel better. It can happen when they're happy too!

9. FACE THE PERSON YOU ARE TALKING TO, EVEN IF HE OR SHE DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE LISTENING

• We send one another non-verbal communication cues through body language. 

• It is easier for others to understand your messages when they can read your face and body.

10. PAIR YOUR VERBAL COMMUNICATION WITH NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION

✅DO: Point to a location you are talking about

✅DO: Nod your head to confirm a response

11. DON’T TALK ABOUT SOMEONE AS IF THEY AREN’T THERE JUST BECAUSE THEY DON’T REACT

• Individuals who are non-verbal can hear and understand you.

12. ASK FOR HELP

• If there is something you don’t know how to handle or you are not familiar with, ask an adult in the room that you trust. Everyone in Unified wants to help you!