Social Behaviours of Children with Autism: Dealing with Challenges 4

This post, we look at the final scenario brought up in the Social Behaviour series. Let us recap:

"Jessica is often being teased by her classmates for talking weird. Whenever she tries to initiate a conversation with them, they will try their best to shun her. These incidents lead to her possessing very low self esteem . She loses confidence in keeping up with her social skills as she reasons that people are going to make fun of her anyway if she tries. She begins to keep to herself more not just in social settings but also at home. This has resulted in other behaviours such as fear and anxiety attacks to be in new surroundings or when surrounded by new people". 

We have talked briefly about how the lack of common knowledge in what autism is may have contribted to the absense of understanding towards the autistic child's social behaviour in public and around others. This common knowledge while is teachable, is often not shared with the public and people involved in the lives of children with autism. When other children and even adults are unaware of what being autistic entails, these people generally inteprete their assumptions of others based on their own mental models. In other words, if the general public (you and I included) sees someone not behaving according to the norms accepted by the general public, he or she is considered as 'weird'.

The school and classroom should be a supportive and encouraging environment for learning and equipment of life skills. How then can we make it so for our children with autism?

• Teachers could seek out more information about autism so that they can be equipped with the knowledge about the issues faced by people with autism. Geared with the relevant information, teachers could then deal with their autistic students in a more empathic manner.
• Teachers who hold the information about autism can then share what they know with their students so that everyone in class understand more about autism.
• There are parents who are at a loss as to help their children who are not coping well in school as well. Thus, parents should also seek out more information on how to cope with the issues relating to school for children with autism. They can then impart the knowledge and strategies to their children who may be able to adopt these strategies to deal with the challenges they face in school.
• Parents and teachers could meet up for a short session of sharing and discussion about the challenges and issues faced in school by the child with autism and everyone involved in his learning environment. They could also exchange ideas and opinions on what they have gathered and learned from the information that they have read up on. They may then be able to cooperate in areas on how to relay such information to the younger children to develop their understanding of their role as classmates and peers of children with autism.
• Parents of other children and classmates should also be informed about autism so that they too have a better understanding of what autism is about. Parents should be encouraged to help impart these knowledge to their children as well, inculcating a sense of understanding and respect towards their peers and learning buddies.
  
• Parents of children with autism on the other hand, could also teach their children more about social rules and understanding and following social cues. Effective communication is a two way street. Having autism is no excuse for not learning to paying attention to other people's social needs and expectations.
   

Everyone has a role to play in making the learning environment a safe and happy place for the children to be in whether they are autistic or not. While it may be a lot harder to make it so for children with autism, it is not impossible. Mindsets have to change and public education has to be in place. Very often, every adults believe that everybody else is responsible to make the right things happen. What results from this is the lack of empathy and understanding between schoolmates, classmates and peers, leading to cases of bullying and social outcasting of individuals deemed as 'weird' or socially inept.

Betrand Russell expressed this phenomenon adequately - "Collective fear stimulates herd instinct, and tends to produce ferocity toward those who are not regarded as members of the herd.” If we do not educate ourselves, and then the younger generation about autism or about any other special needs, then bullying and social discrimination will become more commonplace in time to come.

Recommended Readings:

 My Friend with Autism: Enhanced Edition with FREE CD of Coloring Pages!

My Friend with Autism is the exceptional result of parent Beverly Bishop’s determination to educate her son’s classmates about autism, thus helping her son fit in at school. A peer narrator explains that his friend with autism is good at some things and not so good at others—just like everyone else! In an informative, positive tone, he addresses issues such as:

• Sensory Sensitivity
• Communication Differences
• Unique Ways of Playing
• Insistence on Routine

The Autism Acceptance Book: Being a Friend to Someone With Autism

The Autism Acceptance Book is an interactive, educational, and character-building book that introduces children to the challenges faced by people with autism while also supporting their personal journey toward appreciating and respecting people's differences. This book offers educational information, conversation-starters, and engaging exercises that invite children to "walk in someone else's shoes" as they learn to treat others the same ways they would like to be treated themselves.

Ten Things Your Student with Autism Wishes You Knew

Winner of an iParenting Media Award and Finalist in the 2006 ForeWord Book of the Year Awards! Ellen Notbohm’s first book, Ten Things Every Child with Autism Wishes You Knew, was a shot heard throughout the worldwide autism community. The unique perspective of a child’s voice is back to help us understand the thinking patterns that guide their actions, shape an environment conducive to their learning style, and communicate with them in meaningful ways. 

Helpful chapters include:

• Learning is Circular: We are all both teachers and students.
• We are a Team: Success depends on all of us working together.
• I Think Differently: Teach me in a way that is meaningful to me.
• Behavior is Communication: Yours, Mine and Ours.
• Teach Me “How to Fish”: See me as a capable adult and hold that vision.

The New Social Story Book, Revised and Expanded 10th Anniversary Edition: Over 150 Social Stories that Teach Everyday Social Skills to Children with Autism or Asperger's Syndrome, and their Peers.

Winner of an Outstanding Literary Work of the Year Award by the Autism Society of America, this 10th Anniversary Edition of The New Social Story Book offers over 150 of the most requested Social Stories, each one professionally written by Carol Gray. But it doesn't end there Carol also teaches you how to write Social Stories yourself! Years of experience and trial-and-error have led to updated Story guidelines. Carol explains her fine-tuned process in the included ten-step learning module The Social StoryTM 10.1 Tutorials perfect for parents and teachers!

If you have any questions or feedback, please email me at davensim@triumphantkids.com. Also, do visit my website www.triumphantkids.com to find out more about the services I provide.

Till the next post, best regards,
Daven. :)