I am a student at Salisbury State University in Maryland (USA) and I was instructed to post a question about a particular disability. I choose autism. My question is for teachers, parents and anyone who can possible shed some light onto my question. Here it goes: Autistic children as well as adults show little or no emotion and don’t understand what it means, since there is a lack of emotion, how does one reward a child or student with autism???
Please get back to me, my email is provided.
Thanks
Robert Martin
[email protected]
Re: Autism-each child is unique
I agree with Robin, you have generalized and made an assumption that is wrong. However, I think I know what you are asking. How do you reach autistic children.
In my experience my autistic child goes completely on her feelings. It is a “me, me, me,” world. Seeing other people’s perspective took years of therapy, both professional and home.
How did I reach her? It was hit and miss. I had to find the things SHE liked. I had to find something that motivated her. In my case, at two yrs old, we reached her through a kitten. We communicated through that cat for years to come. We always had two cats because things sometimes happen to animals.
Patience and understanding were the keys to success. If you are really interested in understanding autism and the illogical feelings, thoughts and emotions read “Nobody, Nowhere”, by Donna Williams - an autistic adult.
Re: Autism-each child is unique
Good day,
One little boy I taught was very interested in keys.
We made that his reward. When he had done a certain amount of work or followed directions, etc, we would give him a key.
He would take the key, with a teacher Aide, and try out it out in all the locks in the school. (They were old keys which we thought didn’t fit any locks - it was amazing how many he got to work).
So what I am saying tume into the child and their interests and reward them with things they like.
Good luck
Melody
The fact that autistic individuals have difficulty showing emotion or reacting to their environment in the conventional sense does not in any way imply that they do not feel emotions OR that they are unaware of emotionas around them. Autism is a spectrum disorder, which means that individuals with the disorder are as varied and unique in their responses as their less disabled peers. Please don’t categorize so broadly.
Whew, now that I have spit that out, are you really asking about students who are so severe that they cannot communicate? Or are you asking about people with the disorder in general?
I didn’t mean to snap- well maybe I did a little- but I would caution you as you step out into the world of working with folks with disabilities that you do yourself and the folks you work with a huge disservice by using language that sounds as if you are lumping into a box. You may not mean that the way it came out- but… read your question again.
Robin