To observe Autism Awareness Month, the Beaufort-Martin County Autism Society Group purchased then donated several books to schools throughout Beaufort County.

Maria Gironda, a Chocowinity Primary School teacher, uses those books that were donated to the school’s library.

“We did a fundraiser last year during Autism Awareness Month, and what we did was (sell) autism-awareness bracelets,” Gironda said. “We used that money and donated it to the local chapter of Beaufort and Martin counties.”

According to Gironda, the chapter decided to give back to the community and educate people about autism by ordering books from the Autism Society of North Carolina Bookstore and will be donating them to different schools throughout the county this month to promote Autism Awareness Month.

“They’re not just doing it for Chocowinity Primary,” Gironda said. “They’re doing it schools that they’re aware of that have children there with autism.”

Gironda said books are geared toward children with autism.

“Our hope is that when students hear about it and are educated about autism, that they’ll pass that information along and be more accepting of students into the mainstream kind of setting,” she said.

Gironda said group donated about five to 10 books to each school that received books, including Bath Elementary School, John Cotton Tayloe School, Chocowinity Middle School and Eastern Elementary School.

“I know they’re donating to several schools in the county,” she said. “Our goal is to eventually get the books into every school in Beaufort County. We just have to wait for funding.”

Donna and Allen Pittman, leaders in the Beaufort-Martin County Autism Society Group, decided that donating the books would be the best way to give back to the community and promote autism awareness.

“They’re storybooks, and some of them are geared toward if you have a sibling with autism, a child in a classroom with autism, and they kind of explain the life of a child with autism. Like the behaviors that a person might see a child with autism display,” she said.

For example, Gironda said, children with autism may not come up to someone on a playground and want to play.

“These books give others ideas on ways to approach that child and try to play with them,” she said.

Gironda said the books provide insight into why autistic children behave as they do at certain times.

“Children with autism have communication delays and may not be to verbally express to you whether they’re hurt or that something’s bothering them or that they’re frustrated,” she said. “The goal is to make people more aware of autism and what autism might look like.”

Summer Dail, Chocowinity Primary School media coordinator, said the books are a wonderful addition to the school.

“We have two inclusive classrooms here, and a lot of our students don’t know what autism is and have never been around children with autism before,” she said. “So, this is education for our students here who haven’t ever experienced it before, so we can teach them what autism is and what they can do to be helpers to our children that are here at our school.”

Donna Pittman, whose son is autistic, appreciates the books being donated to schools.

“It allows other children to understand and to learn about some of the behavior that kids with autism display,” she said. “And how they learn differently. It helps them to realize that different people learn differently and participate in activities.”

Dail concurred.

“After Mrs. Pittman read to some of the kids last year, they were like, ‘“Oh, now I understand,’” Dail said. “So, it really helps the kids make those connections.”