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Why autism education needs to change

Zoe Thompson

Our kids have missed the developmental steps that enable them to think and respond adaptively in social situations (which are everywhere in life).  Schools need to help our kids to develop these competencies otherwise they are at an unfair disadvantage compared with their typically developing peers.

In my blog, I discuss why teaching 'social skills' is not enough (and doesnt work).

http://notnigellanotjamie.blogspot.com/2011/03/why-teaching-social-skills-doesnt-work.html

Blog includes a hilarious clip of 2 toddlers having a non-verbal 'conversation'.

Enjoy!

Zoe  x

Parents

  • Hi Longman

    What I think needs to be achieved (and what schools should prioritise for kids with autism) is the development of flexible thinking and social understanding and improvement in social communication.

    NT kids come to school with all this is place - it is manifestly unfair (in my view) not to support our kids to develop these competencies.  It is tantamount to discrimination.

    Social interaction is essentially a collection of a huge array of competencies that are mastered in the early years.  Kids with autism dont master these competencies (thats why they meet the diagnostic criteria for autism).

    I dont know about whether or not 'social interaction issues go away' but I can tell you that I know of several families whose children no longer meet the diagnostic criteria for autism because their families have used the autism intervention Relationship Development Intervention with them.  My own son's ADOS score has decreased from 19 out of 22 (major rigidity problems) to 12, using RDI, and we still have a long way to go in the programme.

    It is possible to help children with autism master the developmental steps that they missed in their early years because autism got in the way.  The upshot of this is that their autism decreases and their ability to think flexibly and adaptively increases (two sides of the same coin) - and so does their ability to communicate.  Communication is all about being able to adapt in the moment to the social situation (rather than following a set of rules), to understand someone elses perspective and to use different perspectives to inform decision-making.

    Yes it can take a long time for these differences to become manifest - although its an incremental process, so you start to see results within 6 months. 

    But personally I can live with the timeframe as long as I know what the goal is.  Rather that than do nothing and continue to see my child (and our family) struggle.

    Zoe

     

Reply

  • Hi Longman

    What I think needs to be achieved (and what schools should prioritise for kids with autism) is the development of flexible thinking and social understanding and improvement in social communication.

    NT kids come to school with all this is place - it is manifestly unfair (in my view) not to support our kids to develop these competencies.  It is tantamount to discrimination.

    Social interaction is essentially a collection of a huge array of competencies that are mastered in the early years.  Kids with autism dont master these competencies (thats why they meet the diagnostic criteria for autism).

    I dont know about whether or not 'social interaction issues go away' but I can tell you that I know of several families whose children no longer meet the diagnostic criteria for autism because their families have used the autism intervention Relationship Development Intervention with them.  My own son's ADOS score has decreased from 19 out of 22 (major rigidity problems) to 12, using RDI, and we still have a long way to go in the programme.

    It is possible to help children with autism master the developmental steps that they missed in their early years because autism got in the way.  The upshot of this is that their autism decreases and their ability to think flexibly and adaptively increases (two sides of the same coin) - and so does their ability to communicate.  Communication is all about being able to adapt in the moment to the social situation (rather than following a set of rules), to understand someone elses perspective and to use different perspectives to inform decision-making.

    Yes it can take a long time for these differences to become manifest - although its an incremental process, so you start to see results within 6 months. 

    But personally I can live with the timeframe as long as I know what the goal is.  Rather that than do nothing and continue to see my child (and our family) struggle.

    Zoe

     

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