What one does with autistic, gifted children

[Jay]

As another posted: love them.

Indeed, teaching children is a great art of FORCING and loving. Autistic children must be forced to behave and act like a normal person, and this can only be done with love (beside patience and some character). Watch a classic movie of Anne Sullivan (the teacher) and Helen Keller (the kid) for inspiration and the idea of forcing I'm talking about.

Unfortunately, sometimes the treatment is far from ideal.

That's what I mean. You seem to take the "psychologist" approach. Far from ideal, yes.

He has a worker at school who helps him in class.
This is great, but a double edged sword. He needs extra support, but in treatment in this way, he is made to appear different to the other children.
That is something with which i fundamentally disagree: often these kids already feel like outsiders and different.

Psychologically, if we have a problem, the first step to fix the problem is having the courage to say that yes we have the problem (but we are determined to fix it). Inability to accept will only make the problem permanent.

I have seen a good progress on a kid who seemed to be able to accept that he is different than the opposite. I can see the emotional battle in the latter. This is what I said a more difficult problem to solve.

 

[mondogenerator]

Yup. In the end, treatment that improves the happiness of the child and the collective family happiness is paramount. Conformal treatment can work too, if deemed really necessary, but it doesn't always work for the happiness of the patient. Just the rest of the world, who cant seem to tolerate difference, in any form.

 

[Absconditus]

From this comment, it's pretty obvious you don't agree, but why do you feel it's necessary to be so abusive about my 'so-called' unethical and immoral advocacy of a false hope treatment?

"so abusive"? Please, such shrill, inaccurate, and emotionally motivated comments do little to advance any intelligent discussion.

Yeah, Right - good luck with that, especially if you happen to develop cancer in this country.

They'll apply this 'rigorously tested conventions' that'll cut, burn and poison your body in some vain hope of extending your life longer than a couple of years with an accelerated decline in the quality of your shortened life at a ridiculous cost to the community that only really benefits the 'health care' professionals/doctors/system and the pharmaceutical companies.

Really? Are you so sure that all cancer survivors would agree with this? I don't know how you developed such a contrarian view, however, it seems to be totally at odds with the real world. Do you distrust all doctors so much that you will not see one for anything? Or maybe, you are one of those people who think they know more than someone who has spent at least six years at university doing a very rigorous course and who is then subjected to strict on the job training? Hmmmmm?

But, pardon me for offering some information about a possible method that MAY offer benefits that aren't double tested or achieve critical acclaim via the traditional medicine testing protocols.

Why not homeopathy or acupuncture then? They are equally silly but many still swear by them. Science, that is real medicine, has made your life better, probably extended it, and quite probably saved it a few times, yet you decry those and the discipline that has done this for you? Hypocrisy perhaps?

Of course I will consult whoever i think have the expertise in the field, which are doctors. But I will not trust everything they say. There are "moments" where I know better.

You "know better"? What qualifies you to have this skill or expertise in something you have not studied extensively?

Abs

 

[Jay]

Yup. In the end, treatment that improves the happiness of the child and the collective family happiness is paramount. Conformal treatment can work too, if deemed really necessary, but it doesn't always work for the happiness of the patient. Just the rest of the world, who cant seem to tolerate difference, in any form.

Not sure with conformal thing. But there's no border between conformal and non-conformal. Conformal treatment by one teacher can be more joyful for the kid than non-conformal treatment by another teacher.

If we look at our normal world, we all have conformal treatment to certain degree. Students are given a lot of homework, consequence for coming to school late. One of the idea is to have a little pain now for a much greater happiness later.

Yes, happiness should be prime objective, as I believe it is the sole objective of every mankind living this world. But don't forget that in many cases, parents of autistic children are much more unhappy than the autistic children themselves. And the fact that only happy persons who can make others happy makes things even more difficult.

 

[Jay]

Or maybe, you are one of those people who think they know more than someone who has spent at least six years at university doing a very rigorous course and who is then subjected to strict on the job training? Hmmmmm?

You "know better"? What qualifies you to have this skill or expertise in something you have not studied extensively?

Hehe, you're just very young. There are so many things in this world that you don't know yet. There are many things in your future life that will change your views.

You may have found out that your eyes were "opened" during your few months of on the job training, mOre than during your six years in uni. Ten years later you will find out that those six years and the training has nothing worthy to mention.

But from enthusiasm and idealism side, only a few will be able to maintain their idealism.

 

[SY]

If you have an autistic family member, some of the alternative health techniques/options are at least worth looking at...

I do. We never considered putting him through quack "therapies" just to make us feel like we were "doing something." That would not have benefited him, it would not have benefited his family, it only benefits the quacks.

 

[esgigt]

But nothing will help more than teaching/training the kids to be able to perform like normal people.

I agree. But be aware of the fact that autism poses limitations that cannot be overcome. Autism is the label for a different way of processing stimuli by the brain. This "different way of processing" can be changed to some degree by training and educating, but not cured.

And for people claiming to be able to cure autism: people have been (justly) shot for less...

 

[pinkmouse]

I think this thread has run its course, so to prevent it descending into acrimony, I'm closing it now.