AUTISM SOLUTIONS
I allowed her to continue the conversation: “Yes, I
think about France right now, too, because I learn
how to talk French in French class in my class in the
United States.” Obviously, this child was not asking
about terrorism.
2. U
se Other Forms of Communication like
Drawing, Role play, Writing, etc.:
Out of the blue, one of my clients asked me, “Why
don’t the firemen use ladders?” He was unable
to use different words or manipulate language to
explain, and I had no idea as to what he was referring. I gave him paper to draw what he meant.
Though this was a few years after the September 11th terroristic attacks on the World Trade Center, my student drew the ladders from the fire
trucks reaching the 100th floor of the twin towers.
It became apparent that he misunderstood the
length limitations of a fire truck’s ladder. I had
him tape several papers together to illustrate
the grand height of the twin towers. Then, we
used only two sheets of paper taped together to
compare the ladder’s insufficient length. His response was that buildings should only be built as
high as the fire trucks’ ladders can reach. I agreed.
3. C
ompare Frequent vs. Rare Events:
Many children with autism depend on the stability of predictability. Any traumatic event is a disruption, so we need to help them understand
probability to develop a sense of proportion.
After the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami, my client, shuttering in fear, refused to take a family reunion trip
to the seashore. His parents and I helped him think
about the nature of risk: That while storms are fairly
frequent and common everywhere, most storms are
not tornados or hurricanes. And earthquakes, which
are usually the cause of tsunamis, are even rarer.
If needed for further reassurance, together look
up probability statistics of disastrous weather and seismic activity online. Assure your child
that just like the TV weatherperson predicts the
weather daily to let us know if we should take
our umbrellas, agencies like the National Weather Service and the National Earthquake Information Center are always monitoring to keep us safe.
4. E
xplain Complex Concepts in Basic Ways:
Understanding people’s motives to commit despicable, purposeful acts such as terrorism is incredibly
difficult for most of us. Children with autism who
tend to think concretely usually have an even harder
time processing this complex information. If they ask
about such topics, it helps to be very specific yet basic
to explain, channel, and guide their understanding.
Recently, my client asked me, “Why did people kill
other people in Paris?” When I asked her what her
thoughts were, she truly had no idea. To respond as a
matter-of-fact, I said, “Some people don’t want to do
good things, but that is not right.” Again, she asked
why people don’t want to do good things and instead
do ‘unright’ things. Like before, this time using different words, my response included basic facts to express
the same concept. I said, “Some people feel that it’s OK
to hurt other people, but it’s never OK to hurt anyone.”
She continued to ask questions out of confusion.
Recognizing that this child really wanted a deeper
discussion, we continued. I knew I had to give her
a way to analyze inhumane acts to understand that
not everyone has the best intentions. I explained,
“Most people want to do good things, but a few people do not. Like the people who stole things from
your house a little while ago, some people do not
follow the rules. Just like the police kept you safe
from the people who robbed your house and put
them in jail, people in government and everyday
heroes around the world are keeping us safe too.”
5. H
elp Your Child to Observe Objectively:
In the months that followed the horrific events of
September 11th, planes flying overhead might have
evoked fear within some people. For others who saw
the events unfold or replayed on TV over the years,
the