Georgia 10-Year-Old Volunteers, Teaches Students With Autism

BARTOW COUNTY, GA — A Bartow County fourth-grader is being commended for her work in helping her school's exceptional education teacher. Addison Silvers, 10, volunteers her assistance to the teacher who focuses on teaching students with autism, a release from Bartow County Schools says.

"In the middle of a busy hallway, this little girl was suddenly standing in front of me asking if she could help with my students," Jessica Gardner, the exceptional education teacher at Taylorsville Elementary School, said of Addison.

She was only 8 when she made the offer.

"I remember feeling kind of surprised and taken off guard," Gardner said in the release. "I didn’t know any kids noticed us."

Addison actively seeks out opportunities to help those kids out before and after school, during lunch, in special areas and during recess, the release said.

"I just did it one time and fell in love with it," Addison said in the release.

Addison's assistance has helped advance her students' social skills and eating habits, Gardner said in the release.

"One student who would not eat with his class last year and had challenging behaviors that decreased his participation in grade-level activities will now go to these other settings because she is there," Gardner said.

Gardner added that Addison's work includes acting as a teacher for her students' morning group. "She encourages students to answer questions and participate in the morning activity for the entire lesson. I may be working myself out of a job!" Gardner said.

"They make me so happy!" Addison said in the release.

Even while facing scheduling changes, Addison makes time for "her" students. She saves up "positive behavior reward tickets" so she can spend time in Gardner's classroom and teach.

The release says it's no surprise that Addison wants to be a teacher.

"She is well on her way with more years of real-world and student teaching experience than most college-aged students," the release says.

"My hope for my students is that they always have an 'Addison.' Every school needs an 'Addison,'" Gardner said.