(CNN Student News) -- Record the CNN Special Investigations Unit Classroom Edition: Autism is a World when it airs commercial-free on Monday, March 31, 2008 from approximately 4:00-- 5:00 a.m. ET on CNN. (A short feature begins at 4:00 a.m. and precedes the program.)



Program Overview



For years, Sue Rubin says she was "her own worst nightmare." Sue has autism, and until age 13, she was unable to communicate or control her unusual behavior. Now in her late twenties, Sue has become a disabled-rights advocate and a college student with a top IQ. In the Academy Award-nominated documentary Autism is a World, filmmaker Gerry Wurzburg and CNN take a rare look at autism through the words of a young woman who lives with it.



Grade Levels: 9-12, college



Subject Areas: Health, Social Studies, Technology, Current Issues



Objectives: The CNN Special Investigations Unit Classroom Edition: Autism is a World and its corresponding discussion questions and activities challenge students to:



Curriculum Connections



Health



Standard 1. Knows the availability and effective use of health services, products, and information



Level IV [Grade: 9-12]



Benchmark 5. Knows situations that require professional health services in the areas of prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation



Standard 3. Understands the relationship of family health to individual health



Level IV [Grade: 9-12]



Benchmark 1. Understands methods to facilitate the transition from the role of a child to the role of an independent adult in the family



Standard 4. Knows how to maintain mental and emotional health



Level IV [Grade: 9-12]



Benchmark 2. Knows strategies for coping with and overcoming feelings of rejection, social isolation, and other forms of stress



Content Knowledge: A Compendium of Standards and Benchmarks for K-12 Education (Copyright 2000 McREL) is published online by Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL) (http://www.mcrel.org/standards-benchmarks/), 2550 S. Parker Road, Suite 500, Aurora, CO 80014; Telephone: 303/337-0990



Social Studies



Standard VIII. Science, Technology and Society: Students will examine the relationships among science, technology and society.



The Curriculum Standards for Social Studies (http://www.socialstudies.org/standards/) are published by the National Council for the Social Studies (http://ncss.org/).



Discussion Questions



1. How old is Sue Rubin? What type of disability does she have? What symptoms does she display? What is "mental retardation"? How does mental retardation differ from autism? Why do you think that Sue was thought to be mentally retarded when she was younger? What was her life like before she could communicate? How did she interpret sounds? How does Sue feel about having been perceived as retarded?



2. How does Sue say she learned to communicate? What type of device does she use to communicate? How did Sue's life change once she learned how to communicate? Based on what you've observed in the program, what gains has Sue made over the years in terms of managing her autistic behaviors?



3. How would you describe Sue's relationships with her parents and grandparents? What challenges did Sue's parents face when raising Sue during her early years? According to the program, what measures have Sue's parents taken to help foster their daughter's growth and development over the years? In the program, Sue states, "When I wasn't able to communicate, I was considered a non-person, but I was treated well -- intellectually, socially, culturally and personally." What do you think that she means? Why do you think that Sue considers herself lucky to have the family that she has?



4. Do you think that it is important for Sue to live independently? What types of personal, financial and governmental assistance does Sue need to live in her own home? What are Sue's greatest short-term and long-term concerns about maintaining her independent lifestyle? How would you describe Sue's relationships with the different members of her support team? What skills and attributes do you think that a person
what are they planning to examine? What can you learn about? What to examine?
the relationships among science, technology and society. Health, Social Studies, Technology, Current Issues the relationships among science, technology and society.
question: what are they planning to examine?, answer: the relationships among science, technology and society. | question: What can you learn about?, answer: Health, Social Studies, Technology, Current Issues | question: What to examine?, answer: the relationships among science, technology and society.