A few weeks ago, KindTree - Autism Rocks published a news item forwarded from "Asperger Experts". These young men have started a company marketing a "New" approach to dealing with people on the autism spectrum. It sounded pretty good to me, but I forwarded it to our own local expert David Olson, facilitator of KindTree - Autism Rocks "Self Advocacy" discussion group. He in turn shared it with a more active than this one discussion group. Below are few excerpts from that discussion, and the whole thread is here.
What do you think?
from one fellow:
I did not watch all of the first video nor any others at all, but I think I got the jist. I think this video has a place for some very young, perhaps adolescent autistics. So many are now raised as "DISABLED" that learned helplessness is a major issue. These basic social niceties escape them. This guy may have been such and found the path out. More power to him and anyone he helps! Autonomous Autistics Arise!!
I often find that special educators "LOVE" their kids - as long as the kids stay in the "DISABLED" box. If they mature, make something of themselves, and crawl out of the "DISABLED" box into the "MAINSTREAM" box, it freaks people out. These are the people I work with.
I work on two teams of 4 therapists (and only I swing between the two) to cover all of the medically fragile babies birth to 3-years in the 5th largest county in the US and an additional smaller county. I have to help these two busy teams learn how to work with me and me with them* in addition to getting our job done.
The things that seem to be working for me are:
1. One of the team members quickly became my ally. She recognized I was autistic (most people just assume I am an irritatingly passionate oddball). Since then two more team members have joined "team Janet". This is an absolute 1st for me**
2. I bring my little-professor, powerful narrow-interest-level-knowledge and expertise to the teams - a valuable commodity. Once I get the gestalt of something, the details I can remember astound them. The autistic brain is a thing of beauty!
3. My allies help me interpret interpersonal interactions and help the others not yet on "Team Janet" understand that I mean well, am actually kind and helpful, don't hang on to negative emotions, and have high value despite my unexpected "packaging".
4. People just need to give me overt feedback without emotional overoad.
This may sound like a burden, but it really amounts to a few quiet words in passing here and there.
Loretta's Letters
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