GREENSBORO, N.C. — Research published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows about 1 in 36 children in the United States have been identified with autism spectrum disorder, an increase from the 1 in 44 cases reported in 2018.

Educators around North Carolina are working to meet the needs of students who are on the spectrum, including a group of teachers in Guilford County who funded supplies for a sensory room through the community. 

Curriculum facilitator Tina Lipstrue said each year she welcomes a new class to Florence Elementary School, and every year she said students' needs change. 

“We had children coming in this year that just really needed extra sensory outlets. We noticed that they were getting overstimulated and needed a way to release that,” Lipstrue said.

It's a challenge she said many teachers are working to meet.

“As society and as a school, we're becoming more aware of it, right. We're learning more, and as we learn more, we're able to help children more with those sensory needs that they have,” she said.  

Lipstrue said this new sensory space is dedicated to doing just that. 

“We have several different types of sensory systems in our body, and so what we do is when we use our sensory systems, we try to provide options in each one of the sensory systems,” Lipstrue said. 

Most of the games, toys and tools in the room were paid for through donations. 

“We were blessed that we had some donation funds,” she said. “We put an email out to our community, and they really came through for us. They gave us donations or sometimes they were giving us stuff that we could include in this room.” 

So far the room has been a game-changer.

“Has been a wonderful change for us because it's actually helping with fewer visits to the principal's office,” Lipstrue said. 

April is Autism Acceptance Month.