Students Mark World Autism Month With Hands-On Support Projects

At High Road School of Belvidere, students are recognizing World Autism Month with a project that blends hands-on learning with impact for others.

Students Create Autism Support Projects for Their Peers

Each year, high school students with learning and emotional disabilities create sensory items for their peers at the Northwest Center for Autism. This year, students are planning to make at least 50 sensory bottles and 15 weighted lap pads, building on last year’s effort, which included sensory bins, bottles, and weighted items.

A sensory bottle is typically filled with water, oil, food coloring, and small objects. When shaken or turned, students can use them as a calming tool, watching the movement inside the bottle to help regulate emotions. Weighted lap pads serve a similar purpose, providing deep pressure that can help students manage sensory needs and stay focused.

Hands-On Learning Builds Awareness and Empathy

The projects support people living with autism while helping students better understand how others experience the world

“While students are making the items, we talk about how and why they are used,” said Kathryn Powell, a classroom teacher at High Road School of Belvidere. “They ask thoughtful questions and, in some cases, do their own research and share what they learn with the class.”

According to Powell, those lessons extend beyond the materials themselves.

“This gives our students a chance to learn about what others are going through and have a positive impact on their community,” she said.

Autism Support Projects Providing Real Impact in the Classroom

Bethany Foster, a board-certified behavior analyst who works with both schools, said that students at Northwest Center for Autism regularly use the materials made by Belvidere students.

“She shared that students love the sensory bottles and use the weighted lap pads in different ways to help regulate,” Powell said. “Teachers and students both appreciate having more options.”

Students take pride in their work, knowing others will use and benefit from the items they create.
For many, the experience reinforces both practical skills and a broader sense of connection.

As the making continues throughout the month, the focus remains on learning and creating something beneficial for others.