My child is purposefully disruptive or defiant
My child should be able to perform the desired behavior with instructions given once
I should seek to address my child ’ s weaknesses exclusively
My child is broken and needs to be fixed
My child doesn ’ t listen to spoken instructions
EDUCATION dren ’ s teachers to demonstrate care for the students and families they work with rather than maintaining an exclusive focus on implementing the strategies they ’ ve learned about .
Teachers have probably heard lots of things about autism — some truths and some myths . The top seven myths that parents of children with autism want their child ’ s teacher to know about and work to combat are :
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2 .
My child is purposefully disruptive or defiant
Every act seeks an end — a person gets something out of performing a behavior . This is true for everyone . We do things for a reason , and every behavior has a purpose . Most of the time , children either get something or avoid something by engaging in certain behavior . Things they might want to “ get ” include attention , an item , an activity , or some form of control over a situation . Things they might want to avoid can include attention , tasks , demands , or unwanted activities . If the child is using a behavior to get something , try and figure out what he or she is hoping to gain . If the child is trying to avoid something , try and figure that out , too .
Children need the consistency of a reliable adult to provide support and guidance . The child is not purposefully disruptive or difficult . Find out what message the child is trying to send . Understanding why the behavior might be happening is necessary to select more appropriate behaviors to replace the challenging ones .
My child should be able to perform the desired behavior with instructions given once
Sometimes , things that other people are quick to learn might take considerably longer for the child to learn or become comfortable with . It isn ’ t that the child isn ’ t listening , or that he / she doesn ’ t understand , or that he / she isn ’ t trying hard to grasp a concept . You might have to show the child how to do something ( because children are so visually-oriented ), and then be prepared to show him / her many times . Lots of patience is needed , and please don ’ t give up .
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He / She won ’ t be great at everything immediately . The child is worth it !
I should seek to address my child ’ s weaknesses exclusively
The child doesn ’ t need any help feeling that he / she is not good enough , or that he / she needs to be fixed to do well in your classroom . The child doesn ’ t need any more criticism . Look for his / her strengths ( there are many ), and capitalize on those strengths to teach new things . Knowing the child ’ s strengths will be the key to unlocking his / her potential . Utilizing strengths can provide motivation and success in learning something new .
Some examples of strengths commonly associated with autism include exceptional memory for facts and figures , high motivation in topics of interest , excellent attention to detail , ability to follow instructions and rules , skills in arts and music , innovative approaches to problem-solving , and honesty , just to name a few . They are also very visual learners , so anything you can present in visual form is important for unlocking potential . You might find that some of the “ deficits ” associated with autism are diminished when children are engaged in their specific areas of interest .
My child is broken and needs to be fixed
Children are sensitive to environmental stimuli , so they might react to changes in routine and get frustrated easily , but they are not broken . You don ’ t have to try and fix the child . You might not be able to stop some of the behaviors you don ’ t like . I believe that instead of fixing him / her , you would benefit from taking the time to understand and respect him / her . The child will likely never “ behave ” in the way you ’ ve come to expect from other children in your class . But his / her behaviors are not wrong . The child deserves your understanding .
My child doesn ’ t listen to spoken instructions
It is important to know that visual learners prefer written language or diagrams and charts
Autism Parenting Magazine | Issue 72 | 29