Jessica Sudborough Graustein, MS, has a son with autism and a daughter. Jessica serves as the special needs director for Spring Valley Church and as the special education parent advisory committee representative for Rocklin Unified School District in Rocklin, California. She now runs her own business, Skills 4 Life, which equips families to improve social, emotional, and communicative skills in children with Autism Spectrum Disorders and attentiondeficit/hyperactivity disorder.
Autism—the word evokes a picture of Dustin Hoffman banging his head in the movie Rain Man (1988). Fortunately, our understanding of how to treat Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) is increasing as rapidly as the incidence rate. Your primary role as an early educator gives you a secondary role as a screener—a person who will say, “Something just isn’t right here.”
What the Common Thread Is: Social-Emotional Delays
Some people with ASDs make eye contact, and some don’t. Some engage in repetitive behavior, and some don’t. They all have social-emotional delays that separate them from society’s world of “we.” These delays stem from Theory of Mind issues. Theory of Mind means that you know the following:
- You have wants and needs.
- Others have their own wants and needs.
- Choices have to be made when #1 and #2 don’t match.
Prior to treatment, children with ASDs lack this understanding. They are stuck in a world of “me.” The following describes their Theory of Mind:
- I have wants and needs.
- Others have no wants and needs (or even a mind at all).
- Others exist only to meet my wants and needs.
The most common social-emotional symptoms that develop from Theory of Mind issues are as follows:*
- Not pointing or understanding when others point. Children with ASDs don’t point because they assume everyone sees what they see. They don’t understand pointing because they don’t realize others have views of the world that are different from their own.
- Inappropriately reacting to emotion. Children with ASDs may laugh when someone is angry or cry when someone shouts for joy. They react to emotional sights and sounds as if they were watching just another TV show rather than seeing outward signs of someone’s inner state.
- Exhibiting a lack in the experience of sharing. Children with ASDs seek out attention mostly when they want or need something. They rarely seek out others to share pride in accomplishment or excitement in discovery.
The human world is an unpredictable and scary place for young children with ASDs. Tantrums, aggression, self-injury, repetitive behaviors, and self-stimulation are coping methods these children use to survive social situations. If left unchecked, these behaviors devastate a child’s potential.
What You Can Do
You can help children with ASDs, even if you’re not a certified therapist. To accommodate and remediate Theory of Mind issues, try the following:*
- Set up visual schedules and use timers to prevent confusion and frustration behaviors.
- Use flashcards, icons, books, or posters to identify and label emotions.
- Use natural consequences, token systems, and calming corners rather than time-outs to teach classroom skills.
- Keep a “Fun Journal” to record emotions and sensations associated with pleasurable activities, and make it available during stressful times.
- Be careful with apologies. If these children don’t understand that others have feelings, they won’t understand the point of saying two words that are meaningless to them. Insisting on apologies often escalates behaviors and provokes authority battles.
How You Can Help Parents
If you suspect that a child has an ASD, please encourage the parents to visit a developmental pediatrician, neurologist, or child psychiatrist for evaluation and treatment recommendations.* The waiting lists for qualified professionals are long, so it is best that parents check out the following resources while preparing for this life-altering appointment:
- The Autism Society of America’s website for general information on autism and intervention methods
- Family Resource Centers for parent training and connections with “disability veterans” (an online search for centers in their state)
- Dr. Steven Gutstein’s Relationship Development Intervention website and the book Overcoming Autism (Koegel and LaZebnik 2005) for therapeutic how-tos and parent success stories
- Joni and Friends for Christian disability resources and support
- An eligibility evaluation for services through local “birth-to-five” programs or school districts (usually easier to obtain services from these agencies if an independent physician has diagnosed the child with an ASD)
Because scientists haven’t found a way to prevent ASDs, you will probably teach at least one affected student during your career. These children have tremendous potential with modern interventions. Making your classroom more predictable and concrete will help these children move from their world of “me” to our world of “we.”
*Please explore the Notes & Links page of my website, for further explanations, suggestions, and resources.
References
Koegel, Lynn Kern, and Claire LaZebnik. 2005. Overcoming Autism: Finding the Answers, Strategies, and Hope that can Transform a Child’s Life. East Rutherford, NJ: Penguin Group.
Rain Man. 1988. Century City, CA: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios. Movie.
Autism: Me, Myself, and I 7.1