Quote:
Originally Posted by StbGuy
The thing is, there actually doesn't exist such a concept. With autism, it is what it is, there is no "stepping in" and "helping". There is nothing "wrong" in the first place. Trying to change autistic to neurotypical is not an "improvement", and besides, it will never happen.
People misunderstand autism completely. It's not a "disorder" (despite it being defined as one in it's name). It's simply a deviation from the "norm".
There is an assumption, that "norm" is automatically "correct" and a deviation from that is some kind of error that needs to be "fixed". If you view autism that way, you'll never ever be able to truly understand it for what it is.
There was a person once who described it very well in my opinion, it's like having another operating system on a computer:
Normal/neurotypical - Windows
Autism - Mac
I find that analogy very illustrative in trying to explain it to someone.
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I want to take a moment and correct you. "Stepping In" with children who are diagnosed with autism does help. ASD causes developmental delays with motor skills and speech and language as well as sensory processing/integration issues and deficits with social communication. Occupational, Speech and Language and Behavior therapy can improve adaptive functioning in children with ASD especially if started early. A person with autism will always have autism but there are many therapies and interventions that can lesson the gap with certain skill deficits and improve social communication and lesson sensory issues.
My son has autism and I teach students with autism. My entire life is about "stepping in" to help.