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JUNE 30, 2026—Inside Pal-Mac Intermediate School, a recent special effort connected classrooms to a special group of their own classmates.

Addy, a fifth grade student, teamed up with Opportunities With Language (OWL) program teacher Mrs. Gagliano-Hoke to teach other students about autism acceptance.

Throughout May and June, the duo went class to class to share an interactive presentation. The slides included facts about living with autism, ranging from what the disability is to some of the strengths and growth areas someone with autism displays. They even highlighted  famous people who were born with autism, including Stephen Spielberg and Albert Einstein, among others.

“They deserve to belong just as much as we are,” Addy said. “They are just like us, they might be a little different, but we should all be accepted.”

At the core of the presentation is how people with autism communicate, and how fellow students can accommodate their peers. Addy and Gagliano-Hoke showcased this using speech-generating devices and Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) boards. These tools help individuals express thoughts and feelings.

During their presentations, Addy and Gagliano-Hoke would have students practice communicating with the speech devices. They then asked students to imagine what it would be like to be thirsty or want to watch a movie, among other scenarios.

Gagliano-Hoke previously led similar efforts to bridge communication gaps at both PMI and PMP; this included an inclusive trick-or-treating campaign in 2024. 

“We know these kids are communicating a little differently than you, and that in itself is a big thing to learn,” Gagliano-Hoke said. “It’s about what we can learn more about to be able to teach other people to be more comfortable with it.”

This entire effort was sparked by Addy, as she initially started volunteering in the classroom. Over the course of several months, she spent time during her recess and lunch periods building a bond with the class. Addy said she loved the entire experience, but felt she had more to learn about her new friends. That’s when Gagliano-Hoke said she began doing some research, and then thought about sharing her experience with the rest of the school.

Once the idea was born, the two teamed up to research and develop the presentation.

“It was a very fascinating process,” Addy said. “Just learning new things about them and the different types of ways that they can communicate.”

Addy and Gagliano-Hoke finished each presentation by asking classrooms to find new ways to include students in the OWL classrooms. Ideas ranged from dance parties to games on the playground, to even spending lunch periods together. Students were up to task, as Addy said she brought some fellow classmates along to help out in the OWL classroom.

The impact of their presentation didn’t stop there, as Gagliano-Hoke said she saw an almost immediate  increase in students interacting with each other, both in the classroom and in the playground.

“I had a teacher reach out, and he said, ' Your lesson not only changed the way that my students view the program, but it's changing how they view each other as humans,” Gagliano-Hoke said. “There's more recognition here, but there's recognition within classrooms, and I think that is just so powerful.”

The duo successfully spoke to every classroom at PMI, with the last presentation coming just before the end of the school year. As Addy is soon to be a 6th grader, she and Gagliano-Hoke acknowledged their specific partnership was coming to an end, but it didn’t mean the effort itself was over.

The OWL classroom will continue to welcome 5th grade buddies, but the hope is to extend the welcome to students at the middle school.

For now, looking back on the year overall, Addy says the entire experience was heartwarming.

“Just being with them every day made me so happy and thankful for everyone in that room,” Addy said. “I’ve fallen in love with them ever since I saw them, and I'm so happy I found the chance to be able to come in and do all these good things with them.”