Autistic Consultant on Autism, Making Friends and The Hidden Curriculum
Autism, Making Friends and The Hidden Curriculum by Judy Endow It can be difficult for some autistic people to sort out what things are okay to say and what things are not okay to say in various social situations. This was true for a high school student I worked with during the past year. William very much enjoyed talking with others, but was asking questions and making comments that were not appreciated by teaching staff. Worse, these comments and questions were causing other students to avoid him rather than include him in social exchanges. Each time teaching staff explained to
Teaching One Autistic Student to Ask For Help
Teaching One Autistic Student to Ask For Help by Judy Endow During the past school year I worked with a third grader diagnosed with autism as he returned to school after being discharged from a treatment center. Jake displayed many behaviors that did not work well in the classroom. These behaviors occurred predominantly during math class. Jake’s scores in math were 82 – 90 percent over the previous quarter. With these scores, it did not appear that he was struggling in math. I discovered that most of Jake’s behaviors stemmed from frustration. Jake knew when he needed help, but
Teaching Autistic People
by Judy Endow Autistic People of All Ages Can Learn Just like people of all ages can learn, so is it that autistic people of all ages can learn. It is an utterly sad state of affairs that this even needs to be said, but unfortunately, it needs to be said. Too often I see autistic children being babysat rather than being taught at school. When I ask about academic curriculum being used, I am told, “Oh, he has autism” as if this is an answer to my question. In my work as an autism consultant I am called on
Fear, Anxiety and Autistic “Behavior”
When it comes to autism and "behaviors" it's better to understand and work with -- not on--the autistic person who is employing the behavior.
Autism, Perseveration and Holding onto Thoughts
Autism, Perseveration and Holding onto Thoughts by Judy Endow Like many autistics, all my life I have thought visually. My thinking is comprised of pictures, colors, shapes along with their sound and movement. Given that experience, I have had to learn how to hold onto new thoughts because it doesn’t just happen automatically. This is especially true if I see a novel thought while in a slightly (or more than slightly) elevated emotional state. It doesn’t matter if the emotion is negative or positive. Here is an example: When I am looking forward to an event
