Could it be that apparent repetitive, radom and seemingly choatic movements of hands, face and body exhibited by autistic persons actually contain encoded informion.
Just maybe, what we are observing is a rudimentary effort by autistic persons to rebuild their communication skills. Quite possibly, their motor activity is a complimentary componet of brain activity both intended to mirror surroundings and establish a meaningful relationship.
If motor activity is actually part of a process designed to communicate, we ought to be careful how we respond to and or manipulate the actions of autistic persons.
From a theraputic view, therapist might consider given the autistic person an extra measure of empathy before initiating a suppresive stratgey designed to terminate what is widely believed to be meaningless body movements.
Figuratively, slapping a person trying to talk with you is wrong.
Friday, January 8, 2010
Monday, January 4, 2010
Autism and social skills
Can you imagine being manipulated or forced to socially interact with another person?
Sure anyone can fake it, but for true and lasting productivity to occur their must exist genuine reciprocal trust, free choice and respect.
Let me submit that ABA practioners do not in any way encourge free choice, respect or trust between therapist and patient. Their main issue is getting the autistice person to validate the therapist through mimicery and physical coersion.
Any and all, so called gains in social communication skills are nothing more that faint gestures of an autistic person trapped and forced by someome more powerful then themselves to act out meaningless antics.
Please note my ABA friends, given half a chance powerless autistic children would escape your well intentioned grip without hesitation. Autistic persons can smell a phoney a mile away.
Why not instead approach an autistic person with empathy, be patient and wait for an invitation to interact. Then, begin a dialog. Fair and honest dialog no matter how faint always has a future and is based on quality not time.
Might I suggest that sucessful therapy is not about getting an autistic person to pay attention to us but rather the therapist first signaling that he/she understands the autistic persons plight.
A word about those seemingly erratic body movements...could it be that the autistic person is trying to formulate a message. Clearly, we need to take the time to decode the messenger rather than dismiss or worse yet suppress him/her.
Sure anyone can fake it, but for true and lasting productivity to occur their must exist genuine reciprocal trust, free choice and respect.
Let me submit that ABA practioners do not in any way encourge free choice, respect or trust between therapist and patient. Their main issue is getting the autistice person to validate the therapist through mimicery and physical coersion.
Any and all, so called gains in social communication skills are nothing more that faint gestures of an autistic person trapped and forced by someome more powerful then themselves to act out meaningless antics.
Please note my ABA friends, given half a chance powerless autistic children would escape your well intentioned grip without hesitation. Autistic persons can smell a phoney a mile away.
Why not instead approach an autistic person with empathy, be patient and wait for an invitation to interact. Then, begin a dialog. Fair and honest dialog no matter how faint always has a future and is based on quality not time.
Might I suggest that sucessful therapy is not about getting an autistic person to pay attention to us but rather the therapist first signaling that he/she understands the autistic persons plight.
A word about those seemingly erratic body movements...could it be that the autistic person is trying to formulate a message. Clearly, we need to take the time to decode the messenger rather than dismiss or worse yet suppress him/her.
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