If you ask students what
their least favorite part
of the school day is, you
might hear answers like
“math” or “taking tests.”
But for those on the autism
spectrum, the responses
might sound a little different.
Playing by the Rules
tion, no matter how simple
or predictable it seemed.
When I was a kid, I always I could not begin and end
enjoyed the structure of
conversations, and I found
school. There was assigned the unwritten rules to be
seating, students were
mystifying. Forced to sit
expected to sit still and
with a group of talkative,
not roam around, and the
restless kids, I struggled
adults were the overseers,
to make my way through
the enforcers of the rules.
every single interaction.
That structure was imporI grew up struggling with
The awkwardness I genertant to me, not because I
sensory issues and social
ated never failed to elicit
pragmatics. No matter how liked the rules, but because negative responses. Conchallenging a subject or test it offered a buffer between versations would happen.
myself and the other stuwas, I could at least enjoy
I would pause, think, and
the relative quiet and sense dents. I always found social then offer up seemingly
of order that the classroom interactions to be deeply
random statements. Kids
confusing, so the rules that would laugh or tease. Bulprovided. But, if you had
were imposed during the
asked me about my least
lying was not uncommon.
classroom hours were a
favorite part of the school
Lunch became a daily
relief.
day, I would have given
nightmare.
the same two answ