FAQautism

Sometimes we can inadvertently fall into the trap of focusing primarily on difficult behaviors or challenging issues that arise in the lives of our friends with autism. Family members, teachers, job coaches, and therapists do not intend to focus on the negative, but, in some cases, we are so absorbed in addressing difficult issues that we overlook the positive. An important component of maximizing the quality of life of individuals with autism is to start each day by recognizing and acknowledging areas of strength and ability.

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When we spend time with a person every day, it might be that we simply not notice tiny steps of progress in target areas. For example, an elementary student was having frequent emotional melt-downs in the classroom because of her intolerance for change. Every time the teacher directed the class to the next lesson or activity, the first grader screamed, cried, and jumped up to grab the teacher’s arm as she was putting away materials from the previous lesson and getting out materials for the next lesson. Because the youngster still screamed during the transition to the next activity, the teacher did not notice that the length and intensity of the youngster’s “tantrums” had decreased. Rather than screaming for five minutes at each transition juncture, the young lady was just making a rather brief, 60-second protest. Granted, it was a loud, disruptive protest, but, in reality, a decrease of 80% – from a five minute tantrum to a one minute protest – was a significant improvement. And, interestingly, as the length of the student’s tantrums decreased, it became more apparent that she was actually very interested in several academic subjects, including literature, history, and science.

A similar dramatic improvement was initially overlooked by adults in an early childhood classroom recently. After 18 months in the class, a four-year-old gradually began focusing on group activities and on the children around him. Although he still threw any object within arm’s reach, he had quit grabbing other students and he had begun sitting quietly, looking attentively when the teacher read books to the class. He had also begun looking at the other students and copying their actions. Once teachers, classroom aids, and therapists realized the gradual shift in behavior, they were able to begin praising “good” behavior and to begin working on some new classroom skills.

TIP FOR THE DAY. The two keys to recognizing strengths amidst all the daily challenges in the lives of many individuals with autism are (1) to take some time every single day to purposefully and systematically make a mental or written list of a person’s abilities, no matter how remote or insignificant they may seem, and (2) to take time to acknowledge and praise those areas of strength.

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

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