Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Annette Oviedo teaches a class of students with disabilities basic life skills each day at Portales High School. Here she is teaching her students how to order a pizza on the phone.
World Autism Day was Sunday, but the whole month of April still brings awareness to the disability.
According to the National Autism Association, Autism is a bio-neurological developmental disability that generally appears before the age of three.
Autism impacts the normal development of the brain in the areas of social interaction, communication skills, and cognitive function. Individuals with autism typically have difficulties in verbal and non-verbal communication, social interactions, and leisure or play activities.
Annette Oviedo has taught special education at Portales High School (PHS) for 19 years, and she says that how she teaches each student always varies.
"You modify and adapt as you go along," she said. The way a student learns, according to Oviedo, depends on their personality and what they're willing and able to do. "It's an individual basis," she said.
Oviedo teaches basic life skills to her students every day, and some even have a work study job at the school. She said they will wipe down tables after lunch and clean up other areas to prepare them for a part time job after they leave PHS.
Oviedo said the Autism spectrum is very wide, and some don't get diagnosed until adulthood. "To me, autism is just a label," she said.
Oviedo said she was always drawn to others with disabilities, which is why she chose to teach special education. She believes that everyone deserves to be accepted. With understanding and patience, Oviedo said anyone can treat those with disabilities the same as they would treat anyone else.
