Description

In All My Stripes, Zane worries that his “autistic stripe” is all that anyone sees. His mother points out that he is much more than that in a way that young children will understand.

Discussion questions from SOMN

• Zane is a fictional cartoon character who has autism. Have you ever heard the word “autism” before? Encourage children to share any experiences or knowledge they have about this topic.
• What did Zane’s mother mean when she said “I see many different stripes?” What were some of Zane’s stripes? What are some of your stripes? Do we all have the same stripes?
• In what ways are you like Zane? In ways are you different?
• In the book, Zane wants to talk to his classmates but doesn’t know how. If you were Zane’s classmate, how would you include him in the conversation?

Classroom activities from SOMN

• Work in small groups to create a different, more positive school day for Zane.
• Have each student draw a picture of their stripes. Working with a partner, identify things you have in common and ways you are different. Present these findings and your drawings to the class.
• Research autism and share your findings as a class.