A group of four seniors in the Autism Unit at Carver Early College have proved that labels do not define them and cannot limit what they can do.
Hadji Dye, Khalil Halle, Kyle Johnson, and Elihue Cothran are not only getting ready to graduate, but have also co-authored and published their own book, “FIRM: Forever I Recognize Myself.”
The book, which features the students talking about what they have learned in class, is just one of the many achievements they have reached while in Kenya Tucker’s classroom.
“I want people to realize that just because their label says autism, it doesn’t mean that they can only do what people define as autistic things,” Tucker said. “Every student is different. Every student possesses something within them that is so magical and so special, and it takes the patience to learn what that is.”
After graduation, these four seniors will go into Atlanta Public Schools’ (APS) transition program. Dye and Halle will be in the program that will guide them toward employment, while Johnson and Cothran will be in more of a life skills section that will prepare them to transition to learn more job skills.
Tucker, a veteran special education teacher, guides her students to be prepared for life after school both in and outside the classroom. During the pandemic, she said she met with her students and parents every three weeks in the school’s parking lot to maintain their relationship and let the kids know school was still happening even though they were operating remotely.
The students have gone on educational field trips to expose them to situations they will need to learn to navigate. They’ve gone on field trips to MARTA, the Georgia Aquarium, and visited Tuskegee University. They have also been able to visit job sites once a week and get job shadowing experiences at places like Kroger, the zoo, and the Mariott Hotel.
“I work with them on life skills and social skills because a lot of times they’re not sure what’s appropriate socially. I take them out and try to expose them to as much as I possibly can,” Tucker said. “I expose them to life skills to help make them as independent as possible. That is my goal in the classroom.”
She described Hadji as resourceful and driven, one of APS’ “Six Profile Characteristics of a Graduate.” When Hadji first joined her classroom as a freshman, he was socially awkward and had some temper issues. Tucker calls it their honeymoon phase. But now, he’s become her star student.
Hadji is one of Tucker’s students who can almost independently navigate his own way on MARTA, was chosen as Mr. Panther Pride, earned honors cords for Science, and was one of the torchbearers to help kickstart the APS Special Olympics. He said he’s looking forward to the transition program and ultimately getting a job.
“It came with a lot of patience. A lot of structure. A lot of support from his family,” Tucker said. “I’m going to miss them. I have these students sometimes four to six years, and the connections and bonds that we have are immeasurable. It goes past graduation.”
As the four seniors move on to the transition program, you can add high school graduate and author to their list of achievements.