This is Alex. Alex likes dogs, riding his bike with friends, and playing all kinds of sports.

This is his twin brother, Sam. Sam likes reading, examining insects, and learning about outer space. 

    Alex and Sam are starting their first year of school at a new school. As they get to know their classmates, the other students notice that Alex is outgoing and friendly, while Sam seems to be shy and not very social. 

Alex and Sam’s new classmates are puzzled by their differences. 

“I thought twins were supposed to be just like each other,” Jazzie wonders during recess, “Alex and Sam are so different”.  

“Yea, Sam just sits alone during recess reading his books." adds Micah. 

Ms. Poppy introduces a new activity. We will be doing literature circles based on the book we've just read, "Stuart Little." Ms. Poppy assigns the class into groups and they begin working on their parts.  

Literature Circles

A few minutes into group work the class starts getting a bit loud. A few students notice a lot of noise coming from Alex and Sam’s group. 

“Too loud! Too loud!!” Sam has his fingers in his ears and is closing his eyes tightly. The room quiets down, and now most of the class is looking at the twins. 

Ms. Poppy walks over and places her hand on Sam's back. "Sam, how about you go and work in the quiet area for a bit." Sam nods his head as he wanders into the classroom quiet area.

Due to Sam's outburst, Alex feels the need to stand up for his brother. 

Alex stands up and faces his new classmates. 

“Sometimes my brother can act like that because he is autistic. That means he has autism.” 

The classmates all listen carefully and with respect, as Alex explains about Sam's behaviors and the challenges he faces. 

“Autism is when someones brain works a little differently than most people. That means they understand and process the world differently.”