ashamed about being socially awkward. I was
frustrated and depressed by how difficult it was
to process even the
simplest forms of
social data. Then,
later in life, I realized something
important: how
people react to
awkwardness actually provides me
with useful information about them. If they pay no attention to a
mistake, seem interested in true connection and
not just surface-level stuff, then they are interesting, comfortable people to be around. If they
are thrown off by delays and verbal stumbles,
if they find those who are different to be weird
and embarrassing, then they are petty, judgmental people. Who needs them? Awkwardness, I
learned, actually functions as a form of social
radar; it helps me identify people to avoid. It’s
a strength, not a weakness, and I can’t help but
think that people who are adept at small talk
often have no idea how much information they
are missing out on.
To me, life with differences often gets down to
developing these kinds of understandings. You
take something
the world wants
you to hide and
you flip the
script. You own
that trait in a
way that makes
you stronger,
that reverses
what the world
wants. Small talk can be a serious challenge, but
with self-advocacy and the right perspective, it
can be a lot easier to live with.
MORNING &
AFTERNOON
SCHEDULING
OPTIONS
"Awkwardness, I learned,
actually functions as a form
of social radar; it helps
me identify people to avoid."
MONDAY-FRIDAY
$450/WEEK
M. Kelter is a regular contributor for ZOOM
Autism and writes about life on the autism
spectrum at his blog, Invisible Strings. You can
visit his Twitter and Facebook page, where positive discussions with an active parent community are ongoing.
He has been a guest contributor for Kate Winslet’s Golden Hat
Foundation blog and The Thinking Person’s Guide to Autism.
TUES/THURS
$200/WEEK
Children
experience
learning
in
both
group
and
individual
settings.
Our
preschool
program
offers
group
yoga
and
speech
sessions,
as
a
part
of
our
curriculum.
Our
preschool
teacher
has
been
providing
behavioral
services
for
thirteen
years
and
is
a
Registered
Behavior
Technician.
Our
Program
has
two
Board
Certified
Behavior
Analysts,
a
Speech
and
Language
Pathologist
and
an
Occupational
Therapist
on
site.
COLLECT PEZ?
KNOW SOMEONE
MON/WED/FRI
$300/WEEK
Little
Leaps
Autism
Preschool
Program
is
dedicated
to
establishing
and
providing
a
safe,
caring
and
structured
environment
for
your
child.
Our
program
focuses
on
teaching
language
and
academic
skills
to
children
with
autism
and
related
disorders