Mature Audiences Only
Because I spend time every week with dozens and dozens of individuals with autism, I hear many phrases, sentences, and entire segments of scripts from television, movies, video games, and other media as well as from live conversations. My experiences over the past 35 years lead me to encourage everyone to closely monitor the words floating in the air of homes, schools, jobs, communities, car radios, and other places our friends with autism hang out.
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Because of their inattentive personalities or limited communication skills, we might assume that our friends with autism are not listening to the movie on the television in another part of the house or to a heated conversation on the front porch. If a person does not have strong receptive language, we tend to think we can talk about personal issues or share an off-color joke with another person in the room. We might watch a movie or television show with a mature theme, assuming our friend with autism is not focusing on the inappropriate language or actions.
But, please listen to this word of caution. Many of my friends with autism repeat things that would turn your face red. The very nature of autism causes individuals to latch on to words or phrases they hear drifting through the air. Even if they do not know the meaning of the words, they may repeat them over and over, sometimes for years. Some individuals notice the reaction of other people when they say certain words or phrases, so they repeat the offending sentence in order to get people to turn their heads.
Everything I just said about words applies to actions. If a non-verbal, aggressive teenage boy regularly sees heroes hitting, fighting, yelling, and kicking, we cannot assume he is able to discern the difference between fiction and real life.
TIP FOR THE DAY: Autism causes individuals to tune into words and actions that often roll right past typical people. In respect to our hypersensitive friends with autism, we must be alert to the effect of all the words and actions floating around their eyes and ears.
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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