I just returned from a conference that featured speakers Tony Attwood and Temple Grandin. It was wonderful and I learned so much!

If you ever get a chance to hear either one of them speak in your area I HIGHLY recommend you find a way to get there.  I love that they are both articulate and entertaining speakers, but most importantly, they present the most up-to-date research and evidenced-based, proven interventions.

The talk I heard this weekend has inspired me to shift how I work with kids diagnosed with AS and let me tell you why.

First, if you don't know, Temple Grandin is a person with autism.  She talks about understanding the world through "pictures in my brain." She is a pure visual learner, which has allowed her to be the foremost authority on developing humane meat processing procedures.  (HBO is developing a movie about Temple which will be broadcast later this year.)   She has also written several books about being autistic, how she thinks and learns.

Temple provides insight into autism for those of us "neurotypicals."  She says she gets satisfaction from what she does, not from relationships.  She suggests that we put too much treatment emphasis on social skills and not enough on exposing kids to experiences, supporting and encouraging strengths (rather than weaknesses) and preparing kids for careers and employment. 

 I agree with her.  Social skills are important, but when you have ASD, social interactions will always be weak and effortful. Often kids with AS who are "forced" to be social, withdraw and experience life as constantly stressful.  We need to find a balance between teaching social skills, while also teaching life and career skills. 

Tony Attwood is not autistic, but he is one of the foremost experts on treatment of Asperger's syndrome.  He is shifting his focus from teaching social skills, to teaching people with AS to understand emotions and feelings in themselves and in others. He says that children with behavioral difficulties are often responding to their misunderstood emotional states.

So, with these new paradigms in mind, I will be creating curriculum-based feelings and career groups for the fall.

I'll keep you posted on the details. Stay tuned!