In 1985 I was doing a presentation at a special needs preschool. We were doing a create-a-tale story where the children were giving me characters they wanted incorporated in the story. One little boy raised his hand and said, “pink elephant, pink elephant” so; I included a pink elephant in the story. I noticed the staff at the back of the room putting their heads together. When the performance was over the staff came to me and said, “You remember the little boy who wanted the pink elephant in your story? “Yes, I remember.” was my answer. “Well he is five years old and he has autism, he has never spoken before.”

Something about autism and storytelling connects. I do not know what it is but several times since that first experience I have had several autistic children want to touch my outfit or artifacts. Those who work with autistic children know they often do not like being touched or touching things not in their normal surroundings.

In 1994 I was telling at a school for the blind. I started my program and about 45 seconds into the storytelling a seven-year-old boy started screaming at the top of his lungs. For the next 45 minutes at intervals of every 1 to 3 minutes the boy would let out another blood curdling scream. I kept thinking to myself why doesn’t someone take this young man out of the program, he is just disturbing everyone. When I finished my program I was asked to stay and share refreshments with the 20 or so students. They seated me right next to Jake, the little boy who had been screaming throughout my program. His caregiver brought Jake’s food and placed it right in front of Jake. As soon as the plate was on the table he began to take both hands and as fast as he could literally cram the food into his mouth. I began to see Jake in a whole new light. I asked him how he liked the program. His caregiver patted me on the arm and said “Jake doesn’t speak.” After the refreshments were over I let the students touch and feel the wolf skin, coyote skin, and the bear hide that I had brought. The first time most of them had been able to feel real wild animal furs. When we finished that I gave them my drumbeater and let them play the drum. Jake took his turn at each. He was no longer screaming. Jake’s caregiver came to take him back to his room. As he walked away from me I said, “Goodbye Jake.” He turned around towards me and pausing just a moment said goodbye. I packed up my stuff and left. About a month later I was presenting at a teachers conference. When my workshop was over a woman came up to me, and introduced herself by saying “You don’t remember me but about a month ago you spoke at our school for the blind. There was a little boy named Jake that had been at our school for a six-week evaluation to see if we could help him. Because of the severe abuse he had suffered we did not think it would be possible to keep him at our school. But, when he turned and spoke to you we decided maybe we could help Jake. He is now enrolled in our school as a full time student.”

Just last week at a storytelling festival I told stories in schools for two days. On Saturday I did a couple of stories at a friends workshop for teachers in the same area. At the workshop was a teacher that told me I had been to her daughter’s school on Friday. The girl’s birthday had been that same day. She had special treats for her classmates, a birthday party and a chance to eat at her favorite restaurant with family and friends. Her mother went into her bedroom to tuck her in asking what had been the favorite part of her day. She said, “Mommy my very favorite thing was the man who came to our school and told the story about the skunk.” You can probably guess who the storyteller was.

This is only a few of the more memorable experiences over 20 years. I could literally tell hundreds of these memories.

Do stories have an impact in the classroom? You bet they do! Keep telling those tales.