Literal Interpretation
Many individuals with autism interpret most of what they see and hear literally. We must not assume they can discern the difference between reality and fantasy. Let’s look at some ways to help literal learners sort out the difference between fact and fiction.
or
continue reading
Teachers and family members might want to make certain they always make clear the distinction between fact and fiction by telling them whether the story is real or pretend. It is easy to assume that a youngster can discern the difference between real and imaginary events and characters, but that is not always the case for individuals with autism, even those with very sophisticated language and social skills. For example, if we are getting ready to read a story about the Velveteen Rabbit or watch a Star Wars movie, we can say, “This is a pretend story about imaginary people. It is not a real story. Let’s see what happens.”
On the other hand, if we are getting ready to read a letter from a child’s grandparents whom they rarely see, we can show the child a picture of their grandparents and say, “This is a real letter from Grandmama and Papa.” Better yet, tape a 3-minute video of grandparents talking directly to the child and show that to the child before reading letters from Grandmama and Papa.
It is helpful to purposefully provide magazines, books, and movies that are based on fact. Factual materials that are based on actual people, events, things, and places provide a solid frame of reference in the future. There is a growing selection of books, DVDs, and magazines for children, teens, and adults about real topics – animals, transportation, places, science, history, inventions, cultures, food, and other interesting themes. Many of these books use actual photographs or realistic illustrations that help distinguish them from cartoons or imaginary stories.
TIP FOR THE DAY. Click on the “In Depth” section of our FAQautism.com website to find a partial list of resources and web links with a wealth of factual materials. And please feel free to send an e-mail to talk@FAQautism.com with your favorite books, magazines, websites, and other resources.
NOTE TO READERS AND LISTENERS: I am Cathy Knoll, a board certified music therapist and long-time friend of many folks with autism. At FAQautism.com we are committed to providing free, practical, everyday tips for making life better for people with autism. Feel free to send me a confidential email at talk@FAQautism.com with your thoughts or challenging situations or innovative solution. And don’t forget to check out our website for a wealth of ideas and a glimpse into the world of autism. http://FAQautism.com
Automatically generated related posts:
- Real or Imaginary A common characteristic of autism is literal interpretation of words...
- Fact or Fiction “My second grader is having some trouble sorting fact from...
- Reality or Fantasy Many of my friends with autism have some trouble sorting...
- Fantasy World Sometimes individuals with autism can seem to be living in...
- Fact vs Fiction A middle school librarian asked for some ideas for appropriate...