I am a strong believer in Early
Intervention for children diagnosed with Autism and in fact any other condition
that a child is diagnosed with that requires extra support.
Early Intervention doesn’t have to mean
thousands of pounds forked out by the NHS or the LA for access to specialist
treatment. It doesn’t necessarily mean that the child has to have XYZ therapy
to be able to access life, as we know it. Although that would be fabulous
wouldn’t it!
Lets go back to basics here, because all
these children really need is support and understanding from the people who are
with them the most, parents, teachers, grandparents, peers and siblings.
Children who are forced to conform into a society
that they do not understand are going to lead a very confused life. It will
create greater problems and difficulties for those being made to conform to
anyone’s idea or normality. Suppressing a child’s way of life is creating a
monster. A Great big monster that one day simply will not be able to cope in a
world that they were forced to live in.
Entering their world and seeing things from
their perception will only create a positive outcome. Before you can lead a
child into “our world” or “your idea of normal” It is crucial for you to
experience their “Normal”
Experiencing the things that the children
take great pleasure in will enable you to form a trust bond with that child and
in time, when the child knows that you understand they will begin to WANT to
enter your “Normal” Tell me, please, instead of trying to make children sit
still on their chairs, hands in their lap, looking alert and taking everything
in, why can’t you lay on the floor with them and roll cars backwards and
forwards for 10 minutes?
‘Its
fun watching these wheels going round, the colors on the metal are creating
pretty patterns when they hit the light shining through the windows and are
spectacular to look at out of the corner of my eye, the reason I do it so much
is because I am enthralled at how these wheels work, and absolutely mesmerized
by how the light shining on this piece of metal can create rainbow patterns on
the wall that otherwise is colorless. I want to show you, what I see when I lay
here, I want to tell you, but I cannot find the words to express how I feel,
sometimes I just wish you’d lay here with me, is that too much effort? Is it
too much to ask? Do you not see what I see?’
‘If
you cannot see what I see, how do you expect me to see what you see?’
‘Life
is a two way street you know, I don’t want to be outside the classroom because
I cannot sit still whilst you read a story. I really don’t want to be over here
on my own, lining up these books whilst everyone else is taking part in-group
work. I really just want to be included somehow but that’s up to you, because
I’m still little you see, and I haven’t yet learnt how to problem solve. Could
you help me, just a little? I promise that soon ill try the things that you’re
asking of me, but I just need you to understand and accept me first.’
The amount of children being diagnosed with
autism is increasing rapidly, as research grows and more is understood, more
children are identified as having autism than ever before and we really need to
change our outlook of “Normal”
Children need extra support in
schools, the SEN budget has been crippled to such an extent that even the
children with more severe needs, are being turned down for extra funding. Early
intervention, early understanding and acceptance is vital. For if the child
doesn’t get these important things early on in their life and in the
educational setting, behavior will spiral out of control, the child ends up
being excluded for behavioral reasons and moved to schools with policies which
completely defy the techniques that are necessary for our children.
Its quite simple really, we need to stop
making these children suppress their natural instincts, their natural abilities
and their outlook on the world. Their way isn’t wrong, or bad, it’s simply
theirs. Who are we to take that away from them? Why should we force them into
our world without fully experiencing theirs first?
This post was originally written for and published by Autism Awareness
I will have to agree that people are insensitive toward autism ,but we are seeing emergence of schools dedicated to special needs and autism.
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