tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5426050656197929065.post3716023176980894266..comments2024-03-19T18:36:41.875-04:00Comments on Yes, That Too: That's Not What It's AboutAlyssahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06413844178426365789noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5426050656197929065.post-40220182199398603652014-06-17T02:19:21.673-04:002014-06-17T02:19:21.673-04:00Agreed!
It's hard because, as I think you men...Agreed!<br /><br />It's hard because, as I think you mentioned in another post, people conflate genuine progress such as acquiring better communication skills with "becoming less autistic." The issue is further confused because, of course, gaining skills leads to reduced frustration and anxiety, which leads to reduction in things like meltdowns.... and then people interpret "fewer meltdowns" as evidence of the person becoming "less severely autistic." [facepalm]<br /><br />Sometimes I have trouble, as an outside observer, knowing whether the "progress" reported to me (or even that I see) in an autistic kid is actually something they find useful/positive/desirable or not. Sometimes I'm not sure if anyone could tell. There are trade-offs in many cases. Learning to sit quietly for an hour or two may mean gaining access to concerts and movies. That shouldn't be a requirement, of course, but it often is. Some kids might consider it worth the struggle, while others wouldn't-- I suspect being given a choice in what skills to work on (or what overarching goals to work towards) would make a big difference for a lot of kids-- the way NT kids are often given the choice of whether or not to tackle a difficult skill like learning an instrument or taking dance lessons.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5426050656197929065.post-60400099742341527062013-06-20T14:22:05.606-04:002013-06-20T14:22:05.606-04:00Ha ha ha stim ALL the stims!Ha ha ha stim ALL the stims!Elizabeth J. (Ibby) Gracehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08330631899371657005noreply@blogger.com