Learning: A Process of Discovery
Filed Under (Uncategorized) by Estee on 20-02-2009
I want you to watch this video presentation by Will Wright: “Will Wright Makes Toys That Make Worlds. Take a few minutes to watch before reading the rest of this post. Wright creates video games that enable people to create worlds. He praises his Montessori school for the method in which he learned — which is a process of discovery — and uses the Montessori model in his games.
Adam goes to a Montessori school. At first, I was told that “autistic kids shouldn’t go to a Montessori school because it has little social interaction opportunities.” Then, there was a Montessori school built here in Toronto that used ABA therapy — totally antithetical to the Montessori process. Needless to say, I never sent Adam there and I believe the school is out of business. The classic Montessori school has been a blessing in our lives and a boon to Adam.
Adam has more friends in this Inclusive school than ever. He is into the creation of his own creatures and has launched into a realm of pretend play that didn’t obviously exist for him when he was three. I say obviously because learning for Adam has taken a different path — no less important or valuable than traditional methods. Obviously might replace the world “typically.”
It is here that I will speak out against Applied Behavioural Interventions for autistic children. My child is barely verbal, yet he’s social. He loves pretend play which he didn’t “display” when he was younger. I cringe at the attempts of one former speech pathologist who made Adam “feed the baby,” each and every single day in preschool, but completely ignored the way he played on his own. I mean, how does that expand the mind? Adam seemed so angry with her. He was probably thinking, “here comes that boring lady who wants me to feed the baby every day when I’ve got better things to do.” Today, I watch Adam progress and evolve, watching others and wanting to learn so badly. This can only come from within him. The environments we expose our children either nurture or squash the desire.
The bottom line is this: autistic people learn. They discover. They have their own path. I want this game for Adam. It has no set conclusion. It is open ended. It enables him to keep discovering, as does his wonderful school. He can play this with any member of his family or his friends.
While Adam does get lessons in structure, sequencing, motor planning and much much more, there has to be a balance to let children be and discover. People do not fit into little boxes. If we put them there, we may never understand their true potential.
ESTÉE KLAR
TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA
Writer.Curator of Art. Founder of The Autism Acceptance Project. Mother of Adam. I like to write about our journey, musings, attitudes towards autism.
He was probably thinking, “here comes that boring lady who wants me to feed the baby every day when I’ve got better things to do.”
:) You bet he does! Great post.
Captioned version of Wright’s presentation here, for those who need it.
(Just doing my part for accessibility…)
Thanks for the captioned version! I didn’t see it.
Just wanted to finally thank you for the blog you have been running! My son was diagnosed when he was 3. He just had his 5th birthday, and you will never know how much you taught me to love him, and love his autism. With your help, I made it just as important that I learn to understand him, as it is for him to understand me. Without the right attitude, I never would have realized what an amazing little man I was given. He has taught me more than I have taught him so far, but that’s okay. Am I helping him to “get out of his box,” or has he been helping me? Dunno! Thank you for all you do!
Hello. Your blog is lovely, but I’m sorry you don’t agree with ABA. My son also went to a Montessori School and he received on-sight and in-home ABA. The way you describe it is nothing like we have. There is plenty of room for creativity and individuality. There is plenty of room for exploratory play. However, ABA teaches the child practical life, executive and functioning skills that they can carry in any life situation throughout their entire lives. Our ABA has never put restrictions on our child. Quite the contrary. It has abled him to be more able-bodied and free to interact with the world.
Also, individual pretend play is a wonderful thing. But, what the professionals are working towards is getting our children to interact and communicate with others by using toys and games to do so. Whether verbal or non-verbal, communication is an essential element, but one must first understand how to engage in order to communicate.
Of all the therapies, I feel behavior modification programs play the most critical role in an autistic child’s development because they cover every aspect of life. But, I never think it’s good to force a therapy on one’s child if you don’t agree with it. Thanks for listening.
Well, I do not agree that ABA specifically will help with those things. I believe it’s the one to one assistance that has helped our kids.
Watching Kaye And Faye on TVO recently, I was struck by the behaviourist’s questions. In order to judge whether or not the savant twins understood “social interaction and emotions,” they had to answer a question that sounded more like a math problem. This alone was the behaviourist’s basis for assessment that the autistic twins did not understand emotions or social nuance.
Moving on through the TVO series, it was noteworthy how emotional, humourous and empathetic they really were. The “got” nuance. But the behaviourist said they didn’t by virtue of the one question, so hey, the expert must be right…right?
Wrong. I do not credit behavioural therapies as saviours or the path that enables our kids to do things they end up doing naturally, even if the pathways are different. Adam learned to engage by being with people, not by a facilitated method exclusively, although I admit we also tried that. I found building on his play, respecting his play, also showing him how others play — ALL of that made a difference, but I hate to credit one method to Adam’s learning style or success.
Adam learns, period. Autistic people learn. ABA doesn’t seem to learn at all.
P.S.Thanks for writing and sharing. I just can’t agree that ABA helps kids “engage.” I felt that it was so aversive for Adam, and for most autistic people I meet. I do, however, appreciate the sharing of ideas and information and a respectful dialogue and debate on the issues.
Oops… I also wrote Fay and Kay when it should read Flo and Kay.
Hi, again. I totally see your viewpoint, even though mines is a bit different. I see it because I, too, don’t think ABA is beneficial for every child. It can be rigorous. And, I always feel the parents have the final say on what therapies work best for their children.
I don’t see ABA as salvation. Quite the contrary. I see it as one form of teaching many kids that’s effective. And, ours is one-on-one. But, what I appreciate about it is that it brings in all the other therapies and disciplines together to work with the child. A good ABA program compliments and enahances all the other therapies the child is doing. That’s how our program was modelled. It’s just a different way of teaching that can probably benefit many children off the spectrum, too. It gives the kids their own tools to manage their own issues so that they can be more independent in handling their deficits and/or skills that are needed to function.
I saw Flo & Kay and it struct me as being incredibly sad. If these two brilliant women had had some form of intervention, I feel they would be independent today. Instead, they are totally dependent on family members who sometimes don’t want them. I hope they always stay together because they’re each other’s support system.
I think our sons are the same age. Mine is 5. He went to Montessori for 2 years. We have things in common. I’ve always been positive about my child, his life and future. It was in my spirit that he was going to be okay and he is. I’m happy that with sites like yours, there is growing understanding and awarness of our children.
Thank for letting me post.
Just watched the video – what a fantastic game, much better than feeding a baby all the time! Surely you have to start with what interests the individual child and feeding a baby just didn’t do it for Adam!