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An Autism Anthropologist in Need of Help: Special Education and Autism
Posted on Tuesday, January 24 @ 12:09:56 EST by | 
Jerry Webster is our newest columnist. Jerry will be serving as WP's official Special Education expert. Here's his first article:
I remember well the first time I heard the title of Oliver’s Sack’s book, An Anthropologist on Mars (1995.) I had seen the movie Awakening and read a couple stories from The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat. I remember hearing that it was how a woman with autism described her experience in the neurotypical world. It was only later I discovered it was Dr. Temple Grandin.
It comes back frequently, as I am in my fifth year of teaching students on the Autism Spectrum, now in Las Vegas, Nevada. I find I spend a lot of time trying to understand how my middle school guys (all boys in my class) see and understand the world.
As well as post graduate education from Pennsylvania State University, I am also the online guide for Special Education at About.com, and read and review a lot of resources. Nevada is one of the few states that require an autism endorsement for teaching, and I have it. But I am also an anthropologist.
I’m clearly aware that the “Anthropologist on Mars” quote referred to Dr. Grandin’s experience of the neurotypical social world. She found it baffling. In interviews she did around the time of the release of Animals in Translation, I heard her say that she had no need for a primary “romantic” relationship.
I know that is not true for all people on the spectrum, especially young men on the higher functioning end of the spectrum as well as people diagnosed with Aspergers Syndrome. I was delighted to read the front page article “Navigating Love and Autism” in the December 26th New York Times telling the story of Kirsten Lindsmith and Jack Robison. Not only did the author did an excellent job of relating the relational challenges Kirsten and Jack faced, they also sent me here, to WrongPlanet.net, (my blog: http://specialed.about.com/b/2011/12/29/serendipity.htm) where I spent lots of time trolling, getting to know more about the organization and Alex, the founder.
As the special education guide for About.com, I write for special education teachers. I see my role as providing resources for the whole range of teachers, those who work in resource rooms to those who deal with students with multiple handicaps. I have noticed a lot of interest in articles I write about social skills and behavior management. I also have found that many of the books written about teaching social skills are designed for therapists in clinical settings or afterschool programs. In my situation, and classrooms like mine, there are a range of abilities. Some of my guys are able to participate in some general education classrooms with support: they have Aspergers or high functioning autism but their difficulty in dealing with the expectations of a general education classroom makes a full day impossible. Others are low functioning. There are no social skills programs that can support both groups.
It’s time to write the book. I have decided I need to address this need, using the resources I have at hand and research that has already been done. It will be a middle school curriculum with a cafeteria style organization, to equip teachers and provide a rich menu of options. It will involve emotional literacy, scripting, video modeling and video self-modeling, role playing and lots of explicit teaching, using the “teaching interactions” method from the Autism Partnership. It will also involve peer mentoring.
What I really need is feedback and suggestions from the Autism Community, from family members and those on the spectrum. I need to know what is essential, what you have done that didn’t work or seemed like a waste of time, what you wish someone had taught you.
Alex and I spoke by phone the last week of 2011, and he agreed to give me this opportunity. I’m thrilled (I’m also on the forum with my own name) to contact the community and get your input. I hope you will share based on these questions:
What was hardest for you to figure out in social settings?
What was the most helpful program or strategy that you were taught at school?
What program or strategy was meaningless, useless or just plain annoying?
What do you wish someone had taught you in terms of social skills and social interactions?
What did you learn at school about social skills that you now think is the most valuable?
What did you have to learn on your own that you wish you had some help with?
Jerry will be reading the comments. He's looking forward to hearing your answers to these questions so please comment!
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Nike-Mercurial-SL (Score: 1)
by lydia0 Thursday, March 22 @ 03:12:53 EDT
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Lydia
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Re: An Autism Anthropologist in Need of Help: Special Education and Autism (Score: 1)
by LizDitz Tuesday, January 24 @ 13:04:44 EST
(User Info | Send a Message) | | Hi Jerry, I am one of the editors at The Thinking Person's Guide to Autism (TPGA). I posted a link to this article at TPGA's Facebook page, http://www.facebook.com/thinkingpersonsguidetoautism/posts/217438151681918 [www.facebook.com]. While I asked folk to comment here, sometimes comments are left at the FB page.
This is a great project and I look forward to seeing the results. |
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Re: An Autism Anthropologist in Need of Help: Special Education and Autism (Score: 1)
by kfisherx Tuesday, January 24 @ 13:11:44 EST
(User Info | Send a Message) http://asdculture.wikispaces.com/ | | Jerry,
My name is Karla Fisher and I am on the spectrum. Last year I launched an all out (hundreds of hours and over 6K dollars invested) study on social skills training that exists today from the NT perspective. I worked personally with Michelle Winner and Pam Crooke (they even spent a weekend at my rural home in Portland to help me). I have a LOT of insight into this topic and am on the leading edge of defining Autism NOT as a social disorder but a multiple disorder starting with context disability based on lower abilities to abstract.
This work has led me to the conclusion that the NT social skills models are pretty grossly flawed for us as they are written today. My work has resulted in combing some core concepts of social and ASD cultures. I have created a social advocacy model that rolls the NT knowledge-base and models into the ASD needs and abilities. It is simple and can work for ANY level of autistic person. I am currently rolling this model out to educators in my local area.
Please see my year long thread on my social skills work on Wrong Planet and visit my Wiki Page. If you are interestedin talking more, I will make myself available.
http://www.wrongplanet.net/postt153181.html
http://asdculture.wikispaces.com/
warm regards,
Karla
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Re: An Autism Anthropologist in Need of Help: Special Education and Autism (Score: 1)
by JeremyNJ1984 Tuesday, January 24 @ 14:08:21 EST
(User Info | Send a Message) | | Hi Jerry,
Thank you for the time for reading this. A little about myself..I am 27, have aspergers ( but never knew much about it until 5 years ago when my family approached me with it). I graduated Cumma Sum Laude from Montclair State University and currently work as a temp. for the state of NJ division of developmental disabilities. I don't want to bog you down with my life story, but personally it took social skills training/therapy and my own inner drive to learn how to drive a car, go on interviews, and successfully get a job. Now, to your questions...the major issue when it comes to Social Settings for me is knowing how to read another persons voice...tone,inflection, the interest of the other person with what I am saying is always difficult to grasp and i realize that after I have the conversation i say to myself " ohhh...so he/she wasn't interested in what i was saying"...i think practice dialogue with different tones and helping students pick up on the norms of social discussion is really helpful. I know it has helped me. The most meaningless thing when i was in High School, was this idea that if I only joined groups i would somehow learn how to interact socially...it wasn't that simple..I was in cross country track, FBLA ( future business leaders of america), but that didn't help me at all in getting friends...their has to be a way for students with autism to interact on a gradual day by day basis with the " neurotypical" students. I find I warm up to people a lot easier if its a gradual process...i am nervous, sweaty, uneasy around new people. Hopefully other people have great suggestions. Thank you for the time for reading this. |
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Re: An Autism Anthropologist in Need of Help: Special Education and Autism (Score: 1)
by stat12 Tuesday, January 24 @ 14:55:56 EST
(User Info | Send a Message) | | What is the hardest for you to figure out in social settings?
Everything. I can't handle the noise, what to say, how to act, and what to do when I am at a family gathering or event. I hate going to places like supermarkets, malls and stores where there are lots of people. I don't know what it is but I just can't handle it. That is what I will not miss about college, the labs, small group projects and class. I loved the academic side of college just dealing with the people drove me nuts at times. I would like to get my PhD but just need to take a break from school for awhile.
I haven't had any social skills training. And I am in my last year of college and can't wait to graduate. I do not really participate in social activities and try to avoid them. I don't feel I am missing out, just like to keep to myself. In some ways I can't wait to graduate so I can live on my own and just be independent.
Hopefully that answers your questions. I couldn't really answer the last 5 questions.
About WrongPlanet. I really like this site, it has allowed me to see what other people on the autism spectrum go through with life, especially the "Love on the Spectrum" article in the NYTimes. I so understand Jack about not liking deep touch. I hate getting hugged and being in tight places like sitting in a crowded stadium or just walking through crowded areas. So thank you, at least I know I'm not the only person experiencing this.
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Re: An Autism Anthropologist in Need of Help: Special Education and Autism (Score: 1)
by NicoleG Tuesday, January 24 @ 16:03:23 EST
(User Info | Send a Message) http://trickykitty.dreamwidth.org/ | | In The Unwritten Rules of Social Relationships, Dr. Grandin stated: "For some, we will become expert actors on the stage of life, but it will always be a part, one we just learn to perform more skillfully as years go by."
I am very high functioning, have numerous Aspergian symptoms, and question the need for getting an official clinical diagnosis for myself. However, I have found so many of the resources for autism and Asperger's to be the most beneficial for me in understanding my history and what went wrong regarding some recent events in my life as opposed to so many other help guides I have read.
Basically, I'm having to unlearn some bad habits. I have been very successful at donning those alternative roles in order to navigate various social situations, so much so that I lost sight of myself. What I'm having to learn is exactly how fake I come across to others when trying to be someone I'm not. I'm not sure how to define this lesson other than to say that it's as though there's a line not to be crossed while learning social nuances.
The way I think, and probably many others, is more like witnessing something in other people that I like and then adopting that behavior for myself, whether it be a turn of phrase, how I sound when speaking, how I stand or sit, or when I decide to make a joke. It's basic mimicry at its finest, and I'd like to think this is the same for everyone on or off the spectrum, just to different degrees. I've learned, though, that it can be taken too far: Feel free to adopt behaviors, but always remain true to yourself in the process. Don't do things just to fit in, but do them because they resonate within you.
I hope this makes sense. Good luck with your book. |
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Re: An Autism Anthropologist in Need of Help: Special Education and Autism (Score: 1)
by MakaylaTheAspie Tuesday, January 24 @ 16:19:53 EST
(User Info | Send a Message) | | Another great column on here. I had fun reading it.
What was hardest for you to figure out in social settings?
The hardest thing for me was figuring out what others were trying to say. I found it especially difficult to "read between the lines"
What was the most helpful program or strategy that you were taught at school?
I didn't really use a program to learn social skills, I learned them through trial and error (My parents moved a lot, so I got plenty of do-overs).
What program or strategy was meaningless, useless or just plain annoying?
The school program the school was forcing me to conform to. They made it so humiliating to me, that I just withdrew from them. I was only willing to talk to one of the special education teachers. They treated me like I was stupid, but I am not. I was able to drop those silly classes they put me through because my reading level was beyond the other students.
What do you wish someone had taught you in terms of social skills and social interactions?
To look away every now and then so it doesn't look like I'm staring at them. I've pretty much gotten used to it by now.
What did you learn at school about social skills that you now think is the most valuable?
That everyone socializes differently. There will always be someone there for you if you open yourself up to others. I have some really good pals now.
What did you have to learn on your own that you wish you had some help with?
Nothing, really. Like I said before, trial and error. |
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Re: An Autism Anthropologist in Need of Help: Special Education and Autism (Score: 1)
by Dan_Undiagnosed Tuesday, January 24 @ 17:08:13 EST
(User Info | Send a Message) | | 1. What was hardest for you to figure out in social settings?
I still have trouble with the most fundamental things like introducing myself. I just remain quiet and wait for someone else to introduce me to a third party. That and generally finding the courage to speak to people more to engage and feel connected.
2. What was the most helpful program or strategy that you were taught at school?
I've only discovered the possibility of being on the spectrum years after being out of school. All I can say about school is the stuff I was interested in I really loved. Other stuff was hard to get enthusiastic about. Maybe mentors or student advisers could act as spotters and approach kids and encourage them in their obvious fields of interest.
3. What program or strategy was meaningless, useless or just plain annoying?
Again I was long out of school before I considered the possibility of an ASD but in relation to the last comment I think one thing that had a really negative affect on me during my school years was my Dad discouraging me from drawing all the time. He would hate the ferocious looking comic book characters I drew and ask me why I drew such horrible pictures. People tell me I'm a good drawer and I could be a tattooist but stuff like that, discouragement, really turned me off it.
4. What do you wish someone had taught you in terms of social skills and social interactions?
How to walk up to someone and start a conversation. The only conversations I have with strangers are ones they initiate.
5. What did you learn at school about social skills that you now think is the most valuable?
I'm not sure I learned anything.
6. What did you have to learn on your own that you wish you had some help with?
A lot of people won't just tolerate difference. A lot of people seem freaked out by even slightly different people and their habits and quirks like people on the spectrum. |
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Re: An Autism Anthropologist in Need of Help: Special Education and Autism (Score: 1)
by Fnord Wednesday, January 25 @ 13:12:55 EST
(User Info | Send a Message) | | Q1: What was hardest for you to figure out in social settings?
A1: How to get people to like me.
Q2: What was the most helpful program or strategy that you were taught at school?
A2: Run away and hide. I should have been taught to not make it my goal to get people to like me, but to focus on my education, develop my skills and talents, and ignore the taunts and bullying.
Q3: What program or strategy was meaningless, useless or just plain annoying?
A3a: "Be a Team Player": The popular team-members will gaff off, heave all of their work onto you, and then take credit for your efforts while blaming you for their failures.
A3b: Deprecation: Being reminded by authority figures that no matter how successful you think you are, you are never quite good enough.
A3c: Unfavorable Comparisons: Being told that because someone else is better or better off, that means that you or your efforts are worthless.
A3d: Shaming or "Guilt-Tripping": Being told that because someone else is worse or worse off, that means that you have no right or reason to try to get help to alleviate your own misery.
A3e: Punishment, Humiliation, & Ridicule: Failure is intolerable; but because you will never be good enough (see A3b), you must always be punished or humiliated in some way. The idea being that if they can not teach the good into you, they can at least try to "beat out the bad".
A3f: "Be Yourself": Whenever I tried this, they would tell me that I was being insincere.
A3g: "Have a Sense of Humor: Tell a few good jokes, and you're labelled a joker forever; after which, no one will take you seriously.
Q4: What do you wish someone had taught you in terms of social skills and social interactions?
A4a: How to be useful without being used.
A4b: While it's true that "Anything worth doing is worth doing well", it is equally true that "Anything worth doing well is worth being paid well enough to do".
A4c: No one can exploit me for their own gain and amusement without my cooperation.
Q5: What did you learn at school about social skills that you now think is the most valuable?
A5a: Personal wealth is the foundation of every relationship and social encounter. While this wealth may be monetary, it also includes artistic talent, a positive attitude, and ambition.
A5b: It is not wrong to be different.
Q6: What did you have to learn on your own that you wish you had some help with?
A6a: Personal Success: No one is as effective at earning what I need and want as I am by myself.
A6b: Personal Accountability: I am accountable for only my own actions and words, and no one else's. Getting blamed for someone else's mistakes as well as mine discourages me from interacting with others.
A6c: Personal Responsibility: I am responsible for my own emotions and feelings, and no one else's. Getting blamed for someone else's depression and disappointment as well as mine discourages me from interacting with others.
A6d: Social Confidence: No one can make me feel bad about myself without my cooperation.
A6e: Social Courage: To speak up, even in the face of opposition, and communicate the facts as I know them; To point out the obvious facts that everyone else seems to be ignoring;. To remind others of the essential details that they seem to have forgotten.
A6f: Pride: Not 'hubris', but pride in my own accomplishments and in the incremental improvements that I make upon myself, no matter how small.
A6g: Social Strategy: Setting social goals, knowing when to pursue them, when to try something else, and when to give them up completely.
A6h: Believing in Myself: I have the capability to do great things, in spite of the doubts that others express in me.
A6i: To not make it my goal to get people to like me, but to focus on my education, develop my skills and talents, and ignore the taunts and bullying. |
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Re: An Autism Anthropologist in Need of Help: Special Education and Autism (Score: 1)
by cathylynn Wednesday, January 25 @ 22:13:45 EST
(User Info | Send a Message) | | i was never diagnosed in school, but i really wish someone had told me that it is possible to be too honest and that i needed serious practice in tact. if i had learned that lesson i would still be practicing medicine today. |
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Re: An Autism Anthropologist in Need of Help: Special Education and Autism (Score: 1)
by DeadOperaStar Thursday, January 26 @ 04:16:29 EST
(User Info | Send a Message) | | What was hardest for you to figure out in social settings?
I think especially as a kid, and even up to now to some extent, it's been casual humor or banter that's hardest for me to fathom. I tend to err on either extreme end of the humor spectrum. That is to say, either I'm turning my humor up to 11 on the humor dial and trying to find everything funny, or I'm not daring to find anything funny and take everything literally. The latter is the safe mode that I mostly use these days. It's less offensive to folks, I guess.
What was the most helpful program or strategy that you were taught at school?
Being recognized for things done well, and giving each kid an opportunity to show what they're good at are good ways to integrate students. For example, setting up ways in different fields or areas of study to give kids social recognition. One way that school did this for me was to have us write essays and then have students choose what they thought was the best written from the class. I had a lot of trouble making friends based on just conversation, but I felt like I'd gained some respect from people when I was allowed to show what I was good at. I also learned to respect others for their skills and talents. This was different from my experiences in elementary school, where I felt almost punished for being good at certain things.
I'm not sure if I'm really answering your question as I'm not sure this really qualifies as a "program" per se. If not, then my apologies.
What program or strategy was meaningless, useless or just plain annoying?
As a kid, I had some special talents or abilities to focus on things, especially phonetics and everything reading related, but whenever I wanted to do more in those subjects, I was discouraged and told that I was being disruptive. For example, there would be a story for us all to read, which I would finish quickly and then move on to other things in the book. For some reason, this always made my elementary school teachers angry at me. I think now that their idea of socializing kids was to keep them all at the same level regardless of individual levels. I disagree with this very strongly. I think there should be ways to socially recognize kids based on their own merits. The only system they had for doing this was the student of the month program, which was voted on by the students. More or less, I saw that as an efficient way to promote kids who were already enjoying social approval and further isolate the ones who weren't.
What do you wish someone had taught you in terms of social skills and social interactions?
Be aware of others. I think we have to be taught this in special detail. Noticing and interpreting facial expressions and such is so foreign to us. As far as humor (both giving and receiving laughs), it's a pretty essential social value that gets people to trust and like one another. It's also virually impossible without a good working knowledge of how to gauge others' reactions. When to laugh, when not to laugh, when to tell a joke, and so on are all determined by this ability. I'm sure I don't need to tell you all that, of course, but I just want to say that even though I know this now, knowing is still not good enough. I've always been intelligent enough to understand those things in an abstract sense, but a safe environment in which to learn these things and try them out as a young person would have been invaluable, perhaps.
What did you learn at school about social skills that you now think is the most valuable?
While it was mostly random and haphazard, I did get some experience dealing with reactions from people, and I think that's helped me somewhat in knowing when to tone down my personality and when to turn it up, so to speak. I also learned that we don't always have to like each other in order to respect each other.
What did you have to learn on your own that you wish you had some help with?
There have been a few occasions when I've offended or put off people by violating one or more of their taboos. This wasn't because I wished to be nasty or offensive at all, but rather because of several different factors. 1. I can be insensitive to the reactions of others. 2. I can understand a cultural or group attitude objectively, but in some important way, I might not internalize it. The concepts of profanity or sacrilege, for some reason have little to no emotional value with me, other than being humorous at times (which is what gets us into trouble, now isn't it..). 3. I often forget that people can't really see inside my head. This means that perhaps the intents or directions of my remarks end up obscure or partially unstated.
Well, I could go on, but you probably get the idea. Basically, for someone to tell me, "Hey, better safe than sorry.." might have checked my remarks, especially if it were communicated to me that I might actually be HURTING people or THREATENING them by my words or actions. Not only that, but also it wouldn't hurt to have known that I'd be embarrassing myself, most likely.
I think your program and your work are really excellent and I'm happy to see people developing this stuff. I only wish it were more widely available and taken more seriously by parents and teachers. |
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Re: An Autism Anthropologist in Need of Help: Special Education and Autism (Score: 1)
by LennytheWicked Thursday, January 26 @ 22:42:03 EST
(User Info | Send a Message) | | My name is Lenny [it's not, actually, but it's my nickname], and here are my answers.
What was hardest for you to figure out in social settings?
I have a lot of trouble figuring out why other people are laughing. It makes me incredibly nervous, as I've been bullied and laughed at quite frequently.
What was the most helpful program or strategy that you were taught at school?
I had to learn this from experience:
You have to make a choice between being well-liked and being happy, if you're on the spectrum. I eventually chose to just do what makes me happy, and have friends who can respect who I actually am.
My special education teachers could not respect this. As I no longer have an IEP, this is acceptable.
What program or strategy was meaningless, useless or just plain annoying?
Any sort of busy work that they made the kids in the resource room do. Addressing envelopes and sorting cards was incredibly useless, and demeaning. There were also lessons on how to take phone calls, which were stupid.
Bottom line, try asking students if they've done these sort of things on their own before. As their parents if you're still not sure. Just don't make a mostly-functional aspie/autie do something they already know how to do.
What do you wish someone had taught you in terms of social skills and social interactions?
How to tell when people are making fun of me.
What did you learn at school about social skills that you now think is the most valuable?
Anything that I learned, I learned on my own. Resource was a time that clouded my elective-taking abilities.
I think the most valuable thing I learned is to be suspicious of acquaintances speaking with you. Sometimes they're just looking for some fuel for the fire.
What did you have to learn on your own that you wish you had some help with?
Recognizing when people are making fun of me. I'm still not there yet. |
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Re: An Autism Anthropologist in Need of Help: Special Education and Autism (Score: 1)
by seaside Monday, January 30 @ 00:13:25 EST
(User Info | Send a Message) | | -What was hardest for you to figure out in social settings?
It still is hard for me to figure out what is going on when everyone falls silent and looks at each other, perhaps after I've said something... Then I am trying to figure out what just happened... I also cannot tell what people are thinking and whether they are bored and would welcome facts mentioned or think it's weird if I would talk at that moment...
-What was the most helpful program or strategy that you were taught at school?
We didn't have any special instruction for autism when I was a kid! The best thing for me was the tiny class size, consistency of teachers and location for years, clearly set rules of the school (mailed out each year, too!), and the fact that everybody knew who I was.
-What program or strategy was meaningless, useless or just plain annoying?
Nothing good came from trying to get me to be less clumsy at team sports. Wasted a lotta hours that could have been spent on less discouraging and fruitless practice!
-What do you wish someone had taught you in terms of social skills and social interactions?
Oh, everything! I'm still learning! I just bought 'the hidden curriculum' and other related books.
-What did you learn at school about social skills that you now think is the most valuable?
Well, when classmates exclaimed in annoyance, 'Nobody cares!' I learned not to talk about fascinating subjects unless specifically asked.
-What did you have to learn on your own that you wish you had some help with?
I'm not finished learning, but something about timing and listening and noticing what is going on with other people would help a lot, as well as executive function issues for compensating and getting one's work done. |
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Re: An Autism Anthropologist in Need of Help: Special Education and Autism (Score: 1)
by aniloverl Thursday, February 02 @ 22:13:03 EST
(User Info | Send a Message) | | Hi I'm Ani
What was hardest for you to figure out in social settings?
Getting into conversations is probably the hardest for me. I pick up friends everywhere, it seems, but if a person I know is already in a conversation I never know how to involve myslef in it. I can never find a break to
comment.
What was the most helpful program or strategy that you were taught at school?
I didn't learn anything about Aspies at school except that we need lots of help and are idiots. (I have lots of issues). Best strategy I do in school. I useful strategy I have is a weighted blanket for home and listening to music. Something with a strong beat that is easy to ignore but drowns out all the noise.
What program or strategy was meaningless, useless or just plain annoying?
English class. Everything in High school is about symbols, emotions and lots of reading between the lines. Since I couldn't really understand the characters it was difficult to trawl my way through all the inference. And metaphors, lots of metaphors.
What do you wish someone had taught you in terms of social skills and social interactions?
The biggest thing in Junior High was all the stuff I am learning now,the high-functioning, the gifts I have, getting me into Aspie networks. My school just put all the kids with problems in one room to play games so I spent an afternoon playing checkers with a 10yo and the only other Aspie I knew at the school was a jerk. The conversation thing, mentioned above. I wish someone would have talked to me about dealing with sibs and stuff since my sis is ADHD.
What did you learn at school about social skills that you now think is the most valuable?
I leare=ned how to make friends with similar interests, although that is probably part of growing up and not just being friends with a person because they are the only person around.
What did you have to learn on your own that you wish you had some help with?
I wish someone would have helped me with my anxiety and depression disorders the first few times. No one at my school is trained to deal with suicidal kids and I have been told that. A lot of my friends are on staff so someone was there and a few did a load of reading on AS and depression and helped but that was because they liked me. My best strategy is a weighted blanket (you should get some)
On another note: you should work with parents a lot and believe the kids. my mother was very abusive and often ridiculed me for being an Aspie and not being popular. Keep an eye for for parents who want perfect children.
Thank you
Ani |
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Re: An Autism Anthropologist in Need of Help: Special Education and Autism (Score: 1)
by joangel1977 Friday, March 23 @ 22:51:11 EDT
(User Info | Send a Message) | | I'm the single mother of a 12 year-old son with Aspergers and am also an educator. I've always known he needed help, but he was misdiagnosed and treated for many different things before discovering his true diagnosis. I asked him your questions and this how he answered them. I am adding my input in parentheses.
What was hardest for you to figure out in social settings?
To make (and keep) friends
What was the most helpful program or strategy that you were taught at school?
Can’t think of any.
What program or strategy was meaningless, useless or just plain annoying?
Strong sitting. (It's kind of like meditating, when there was a meltdown. He had to sit cross-legged with hands on knees looking straight forward. No noises, no movement, just breathing. He didn't care much for the therapist who had him do this.)
What do you wish someone had taught you in terms of social skills and social interactions?
How to hold a (socially acceptable) conversation (with classmates either socially or with group work at school).
What did you learn at school about social skills that you now think is the most valuable?
How to control my emotions better. (When he was younger, he would crawl under desk and get into the fetal position or throw a fit. Finally, he noticed how the other students reacted to his outbursts and he is now learning how to channel his "outburst" into more socially acceptable ways. For example, he gets really quiet (still pouts and shuts down) but will mess around with the items on his desk or in his space instead of making a scene.)
What did you have to learn on your own that you wish you had some help with?
To close the bathroom door. (LOL!)
Hope this helps. This is still a fairly new diagnosis for us; however, Gavin, his two siblings, and I have learned to work with this for 12 years now mostly on our own and with my education background. |
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Re: An Autism Anthropologist in Need of Help: Special Education and Autism (Score: 1)
by PenelopeMR Saturday, February 18 @ 12:39:06 EST
(User Info | Send a Message) | | Hope this is a bit helpfull..
What was hardest for you to figure out in social settings?
I have always found deciphering peoples intentions and i suppose, what people are thinking and feeling from their body language and tone of voice. This is incredibly disorientating and stressful when I'm in a group of people. I quite often feel like there is a sort of hidden boundary between me and the people i am trying to communicate with when in a group, quite often i find being with one of two or maybe sometimes three people at a maximum is all i can properly handle, and it depends what sort of people they are. I am considerably better at this than i used to be but it is still sometimes a struggle to effectively understand people normally.
What was the most helpful program or strategy that you were taught at school?
I had a learning support teacher who helped me to interpret questions, because interpretation is what i have always found most difficult.
What do you wish someone had taught you in terms of social skills and social interactions?
I wish someone had taught me how to understand peoples actions and what their body language means, and also HOW TO RESPOND. I used to feel completely incapable of responding to a situation properly
What did you have to learn on your own that you wish you had some help with?
How to deal with anxiety that was so bad for me as a teenager |
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Re: An Autism Anthropologist in Need of Help: Special Education and Autism (Score: 1)
by completereject Wednesday, February 29 @ 05:25:29 EST
(User Info | Send a Message) | | Hi and great post. I would like to express that I don't know if my answers are relevant as a 29 year old female with regards to what you are seeking but I felt compelled to give my opinions... I am in the UK and not yet officially diagnosed but only recently come to realise I have an ASD
What was hardest for you to figure out in social settings?
As my brother had asperger syndrome, I was overlooked as in comparrison and despite background knowledge and experience, my parents had considered me Neuro typical. I grew up believing that I was given the repetitive notion instilled in me but now that I am aware of this not being quite so true I would find looking back that the hardest thing in social settings was having an overall awareness that I was different and an awareness that it was not something you could bring up. I did not know how to instigate friendships properly but over time managed to develop a coping mechanism that to the outside world appeared just quirky or different, but it got me by. So definitely making friends was the most difficult in social settings alongside keeping a conversation going.
What was the most helpful program or strategy that you were taught at school?
I found information and things taught regarding how to do job interviews helped to appreciate what was acceptable and expected in a social situation ....I was not aware I had an ASD at the time, however aside from this, It was a memorable tool by default
What program or strategy was meaningless, useless or just plain annoying?
A very good question..the first thing that comes to mind is detention...after all I enjoyed writing lines over and over again in an obsessive way and ultiamately acted as positive reinforcement. I remember getting detention for not being able to express why it wasnt my fault there was grafitti on the table and so i was therefore blamed. I found assembly the worst situation..being huddled together with too many people in one place
What do you wish someone had taught you in terms of social skills and social interactions?
I wish overall that staff and people in general were prepared for ASD's and what to look for instead of being highly skilled at berating those who were different. An awareness explained to you before you got into habits of accepting you were jsut different and didnt fit in , in general.
What did you learn at school about social skills that you now think is the most valuable?
mimicing other peoples behaviour.....school was an overall experience in how not to behave :) I think developing a sense of humour helped me to fit in.
What did you have to learn on your own that you wish you had some help with?
Just simply the fact that I was different and it was acceptable....it would have been useful knowing that at the time in every aspect...
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Re: An Autism Anthropologist in Need of Help: Special Education and Autism (Score: 1)
by GrungeFlannel Tuesday, March 20 @ 03:02:41 EDT
(User Info | Send a Message) | | Why do you dabble in the past instead of the present? And why does that make you a doctor?
OR even a professor?
Don't you know that degrees and certificates don't make people anymore valid in presenting evidence archeaological and also. Why do the most prestegious archaeology magazines make informal judgements on people without a credential or specialization in a feild ?
Do the methods they use to determine and the methods regular people use make them more informed or just more organized in the matter of the study therefore?
What is a person who studies for 30 years on the methods and techniques make someone with the same background and less experience more suitable when they have a degree? or Certificate? Its just paper my friend. Its just paper. |
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Re: An Autism Anthropologist in Need of Help: Special Education and Autism (Score: 1)
by Wessik Friday, March 02 @ 16:59:53 EST
(User Info | Send a Message) | | I wish things were different as I was growing up. But they were not. I had trouble figuring out when to talk, and when to shut up, and thus I would dominate conversations and drive people crazy. People were too polite to tell me to shut up, so they just excused themselves.
I don't really know if any strategies helped me. I eventually found a logical and rational understanding of social behaviors, most of which is based on interactions with dogs and animals. In fact, I would say that a good method of learning social interaction is learn to get along with and figure out dogs. You' be surprised at how much information will transfer.
For example, directly approaching a dog often leads them to feel fearful if they do not trust you. If you are tense, they'll be able to feel that and they'll feel tense themselves, and probably bark or try to bite.
Approaching a human too directly will also make them feel uncomfortable. Humans don't like people to be too direct, because it is felt as an incursion on their "territory". If you look someone directly in the eye, they will feel threatened, unless you already have their trust and permission. How do you get permission? A neurotypical nows how, but since I had asperger's syndrome, I had to follow a stop-gap approach. Basically, when I felt comfortable looking someone in the eye, I would, and if I saw a negative emotion on their face, I would slowly look to my left.
Alot of this stuff works with dogs and with humans, or at least is similiar in nature.
I don't think anybody could have taught me anything about social skills. They were always telling me stuff in terms of absolutes, and it just doesn't work. Understanding human behavior in terms of evolutionary instincts and reasons helped me emmensely. |
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Re: An Autism Anthropologist in Need of Help: Special Education and Autism (Score: 1)
by Aspinator Friday, March 09 @ 02:47:33 EST
(User Info | Send a Message | Journal) | | I thought I would respond. I am a 56YO man and when I was in school, there was no such thing as Special Ed for high functioning autistic people. Looking back I see I used alot of unhealthy coping mechanisms to get accepted (using drugs and alcohol). I guess my most perplexing childhood memory (and still today somewhat) is why people didn't accept me. I feel we autistic people must give off some vibe that others can pick up on |
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Re: An Autism Anthropologist in Need of Help: Special Education and Autism (Score: 1)
by Sorenzo Sunday, March 25 @ 09:13:34 EDT
(User Info | Send a Message) | | What was hardest for you to figure out in social settings?
When I went to primary school, some of my classmates weren't very nice to me. I kept trying to make them like me even though I didn't like them. I couldn't turn them down or ask them to leave me alone because I was worried about, as strange as it may sound, not having any allies. I felt that I needed the alpha male's protection. I may have literally thought they'd try to kill me if I didn't hang out with them. I have no idea why I assumed this was the case, except to say that unpopular chimpanzees tend to get killed and I didn't realize at the time that we weren't chimps.
I never figured out how to talk to girls. My parents raised me to be a gentleman, and my autistic mind interpreted that to mean I shouldn't bother them by trying to talk to them, so my social development stopped around the time I turned 10.
What was the most helpful program or strategy that you were taught at school?
I had an epiphany: I don't HAVE to care about what morons think of me. I was stronger than the rest of them combined, and I could just stay indoors all the time in case they did decide to gang up on me. That relieved a ton of stress, and allowed me to stop trying to make people happy even though they didn't respect me. Saved my life, possibly literally.
I guess, in a sense, I realized I wasn't actually in any danger and thus I could do whatever the heck I wanted, socially.
I still don't know how to talk to girls without bothering them though. Fortunately I'm no longer cooking up depressed, paranoid fantasies about them conspiring against me. Though only when I'm on antidepressants, of course.
What program or strategy was meaningless, useless or just plain annoying?
I didn't get diagnosed in time to experience whether there were any programs available for me. I assumed I was normal, and everyone else was crazy or mean.
What do you wish someone had taught you in terms of social skills and social interactions?
Not to repeat myself: I wish someone had taught me how to think of women as normal human beings. It never occurred to me that I was allowed to talk to them, and I didn't understand why other males were.
Consequently, I wish someone had taught me how to get women to talk to me.
What did you learn at school about social skills that you now think is the most valuable?
Unfortunately, I never learned any social skills in school. I couldn't barely finish a sentence until I got past high school.
What did you have to learn on your own that you wish you had some help with?
I had to learn nearly everything alone, which accounts for the fact that I've only ever learned things that I could learn while being alone, notably not how to talk to women. I've spent hundreds, perhaps thousands, of hours practicing speechmaking. (Just to eventually realize people hate it when you try to give a speech.) It's even become a bad habit. I can't think something without saying or typing it. Makes for very orderly thinking, though, as you feel like a fool if you think something stupid and then have to hear yourself say it afterwards.´
I'd be happy to answer more questions. If I'm not writing the answers down, I'll just have to say them out loud. I am beginning to wonder if I'm crazy. |
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adidas f50 adizero leather (Score: 1)
by soccershoes1 Wednesday, March 28 @ 04:04:42 EDT
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Re: An Autism Anthropologist in Need of Help: Special Education and Autism (Score: 1)
by Jedipinkkid1138 Saturday, March 31 @ 11:22:40 EDT
(User Info | Send a Message) | | I wish I was diagnosed much, MUCH earlier, for Asperger Syndrome! Because, I was diagnosed on the 5th of this month (March), and I'm 18!! I just wish my parents would've gotten me tested earlier! Now I have to worry about gettin treatment & taking an ADHD medication, or something? |
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Re: An Autism Anthropologist in Need of Help: Special Education and Autism (Score: 1)
by shulamith Tuesday, April 10 @ 18:48:22 EDT
(User Info | Send a Message | Journal) | | For me, processing is a problem in most settings. As an issue, I think this difficulty, whether auditory processing or general processing, is "comorbid" (don't know a better word) with autism. That makes social scenes difficult because I have to pretend i know exactly what someone said when i only caught about 60%. There is really no therapy for this- at least none that i could find- and it was not addressed in school at all. |
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Re: An Autism Anthropologist in Need of Help: Special Education and Autism (Score: 1)
by shulamith Tuesday, April 10 @ 18:55:34 EDT
(User Info | Send a Message | Journal) | | The social program that was most meaningless- everything i learned either came from programs in elementary school or from what i figured out trial and error or from talking to peers- was boardgames. These are supposed to help social interaction, but very few people still play them, so they are not relevant therapy.
The most valuable social skill knowledge i have is that to fit in, teaching autistic kids manners is less important than helping them just relax and be casual socially. If you have the right demeanor and are sending out the appropriate body language and tone, it will work better than being perfectly polite but stiff as a board. We also need to learn how to carry ourselves, and maybe even how to playfully "mock" or "rib" people, or even swear occasionally, since this is what many NT's do with their friends.
Basically, we need to be taught to observe others' behavior and decide for ourselves what to replicate based on our personal values vs. our desire to fit in. You can't learn this stuff in a classroom, only through experience. That's why we also need sympathetic NT's to let us "shadow" them socially or to chat with us for practice. |
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Re: An Autism Anthropologist in Need of Help: Special Education and Autism (Score: 1)
by Jhn Friday, April 13 @ 12:15:35 EDT
(User Info | Send a Message) | | Answers from one male Aspie's personal perspective:
What was hardest for you to figure out in social settings?
How to deal with large unstructured social gatherings. People one on one or on small groups--that I have learned. If there are specific roles--especially leadership roles, those are master-able. Parties, cafeterias, chit chat in an auditorium before faculty meetings, gossip sessions? In well over forty years I haven't figured out how to cope in a large unstructured social setting consistently. If I am lucky enough to have developed and retained a tight knit support group, it doesn't always (but still often does) end up with me withdrawing from social contact.
What was the most helpful program or strategy that you were taught at school?
Honestly--no externally applied educational strategy worked for me and lots were tried. Of course I went to school long before Asperger's was identified and studied. Formal education by in large has not been effective in my actual education. Self directed learning generally took me far beyond core curriculum as far as subject matter, yet OCD and Aspergers left me far behind in organizational, fine motor coordination, social skills, and basic encoding/decoding skills in math and writing. Most approaches used were aimed at remediating the wrong things. My background knowledge often exceeded that of my teachers--and my ability to perceive holistically almost universally did. Yet the remediation focused on building isolated skills surrounded by insultingly inappropriate material.
Attempts at extrinsic motivation are often very misguided. Aspies want to learn and often learn well--tap into this natural drive.
Raising my own children, (some of whom have degrees of these tendencies) I found it useful to give them information they want and to guide them into the idea that learning about people--learning how to deal with them, and help others improve was a worthy intellectual challenge. Forgetting punishment and reward ideology worked--these things didnt' work for me, why would they for them?
Rather motivate naturally. "That gallon of milk is to heavy for you." (to a three year old) three year old carries--no prevention or punishment necessary because dropping the milk is a potential learning experience.
If the adult stays calm and the kid and the adult clean the milk together, trust is built rather than destroyed and the kid (aspie or not) figures out two things: 1) This was too heavy for me. (learns through experience reinforced by language and action of mentor) and 2) I can trust this mentor without challenging everything.
This 'learn for yourself and bear the physical reality of your actions with mentor support' approach works if the parent or teacher makes this teaching and discipline method a consistent part of life. Coupled with this--encourage the tendency to take an academic subject and wear it down to the bone. That's learning motivation you can't match.
Encourage the shifts from focusing on space exploration exclusively to suddenly being interested in trapping and hunting exclusively. You can still teach the other subjects if you show how learning them helps further the goal of learning the subject your Aspie pupil is currently obsessing about.
While some of my five kids are still a bit socially awkward, (not all of them--not all had Aspie tendencies) they are universally polite and able to function (some, like me still haven't learned how to deal with unstructured groups normally). Each one of them, also has managed to get a full ride at a top 20 in the U.S. university.
What program or strategy was meaningless, useless or just plain annoying?
See above. Almost all of them--particularly anything that focused on skills for skills' sake or that used material that to a young teenager who was very bright seemed insulting in its simplistic language and portrayal of the universe. Be sure that you are not denying gifts while attempting to fix weaknesses.
What do you wish someone had taught you in terms of social skills and social interactions?
First, that I was right in thinking the rest of the world perceived social interaction and even general concepts in ways vastly different from the way I do.
I received training and drilling on social norms: posture, looking people in the eyes, hygiene, bothering to do school work when I had mastered the concepts, etc.--but with an air of exasperation at times--why are you being so stubborn? And always coupled with, I know how smart you are, but no one else can see it if you aren't willing to show it to them. My response tended to be--If they aren't smart enough to tell who I am and what I can do, that's their problem.
Knowing the reason for the differences may have helped me quite a bit.
Second, knowing the principles of cognitive behavioral therapy would have helped a lot. I figured them out, and was happy to learn later that they had been codified and were used in psychology. In this instance I'm not talking about learning a specific skill, but being given the tools to self apply CBT principles to social behaviors in order to bring oneself to a greater ability to interact with the NT world.
What did you learn at school about social skills that you now think is the most valuable? HA! At school?
I became a teacher because in my view so many people get it completely wrong (at least they are consistent) when it comes to special needs kids on any portion of the spectrum.
Perhaps at college--but this was self guided rather than intentionally taught social skills.
What did you have to learn on your own that you wish you had some help with? All of the above--including identification as an Aspie. |
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Re: An Autism Anthropologist in Need of Help: Special Education and Autism (Score: 1)
by EstherJ Wednesday, May 09 @ 16:16:41 EDT
(User Info | Send a Message) http://empoweredoutlier.blog.com | | I don't know if you are still taking answers, but I am responding anyhow.
The hardest thing for me to figure out in social settings is inferring how people are feeling, the mood, how my actions come across, and what others' actions mean. It's like I am blind to these things and know that stuff is happening but don't know what, or why, or how to respond.
Thus, the status quo changes, or people feel or think something, and I miss it completely, and run into problems later. It's like, I never get the social memo. It's a very isolating feeling - I am really the only real person I know.
There was no real helpful program or strategy at our school. Besides, no one knew I had Asperger's.
A strategy at our school that was annoying and decidedly unhelpful was the limit on test taking time - no matter what.
I have mathematical ability and talent, however, I have to take my time on math tests because I process slower than the average person, and because I have sensory issues that distract me. In high school, it was horrible, because they assumed that if you couldn't do it in the time, you didn't know it. No exceptions. Now, in college, if you need extra time, you go to student resources and explain it and they make allowances. I personally need allowances such as a quiet room - I get overstimulated during tests, and was bullied because of it. I also at times, need extra time. Had my school been more flexible, I would have learned more and done better.
It's not that I wish someone had taught me anything special, I just wish that they had understood that I wasn't this way on purpose, and that I didn't understand my issues. I wish someone had seen that I had a problem and helped me instead of making it a moral issue or judging me, or picking my social actions apart but giving me no real support, It doesn't help for you to tell me to not do x, y, or z, that only restricts me being myself. I need tools to use, and too many educators cannot recognize Asperger's when they see it, and cannot give help outside of "shoulds" and critiquing character. That was the most harmful thing to me. I wish someone had taken me aside and showed me that it wasn't my fault that I was struggling, and then helped me find real answers.
I'm still learning not to beat myself up for my social problems.
What I did learn at school that is valuable, is to watch and observe before jumping in and commenting. I used to act without thinking, but now, I watch, observe, and at times, mimic in order to get somewhere. It saves me from embarrassment and people think there's no issue. I learned my observation skills at school.
I had to learn all of the above on my own. I had to learn all the social rules, hygiene rules, and my observation skills. I wish someone had taken me aside and coached me through it, instead of just letting me fend for myself, hit and miss. I think the thing kids need the most is a coach who will work with them - we with Asperger's can learn, we just need a guide.
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Re: An Autism Anthropologist in Need of Help: Special Education and Autism (Score: 1)
by Art-sung Monday, August 27 @ 20:50:01 EDT
(User Info | Send a Message) | | Hello Jerry,
I am interested in your insight and experience. I am currently undertaking a MPhil. on the Experience of Tertiary Level Students on the Spectrum at Griffith Uni. in Australia.
Looking forward to hearing from you!
Grant South [AS/HFA] |
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Re: An Autism Anthropologist in Need of Help: Special Education and Autism (Score: 1)
by SpectrumWarrior Monday, September 10 @ 00:31:34 EDT
(User Info | Send a Message) | | What was hardest for you to figure out in social settings?
I wasn't really aware of my social awkwardness till I was almost 30. I knew I always seemed different, but I flew under the radar and believed I would become normal if I kept trying and forcing myself to be around people. Now that I've realized it's because my AS I understand the social confusion. As a child I would wonder to myself why people thought it was ok to treat me the way they did. These supposed Christian Americans were neither fond of forgiveness nor equality. They loved to advertise themselves as being both, but rarely practiced either.
What was the most helpful program or strategy that you were taught at school?
Smoke pot to fit in and self-medicate for depression and also to act like I was sleeping in class. I actually learned better that way, I could listen to my teachers rather than observe NT's mysterious behavior. I would occasionally catch people off guard when I would test better than many of my class.
What program or strategy was meaningless, useless or just plain annoying?
Forced association with neurotypicals. The forums paint a clear picture, AS social problems are not inherent. We can function in society just fine, it's the discrimination that holds us back. We're not the problem, they are. In their defense, they're too ignorant to realize it.
What do you wish someone had taught you in terms of social skills and social interactions?
This is a loaded question for me. Everything I am today is derived from that perseverance to overcome adversity. I learned their ways by enduring humiliation and hoping my persistence would pay off by eventually becoming "normal". In reality this allowed me to achieve a measure of success by serving in the military and experiencing combat, how is this good you say? The confidence from knowing I gave more of myself than any who ever told me I was less than they ...and my VA disability check means I no longer have to put myself at the mercy of society.
I have come to realize that these experiences as an outsider on the inside has lead to a greater understanding of psychology, sociology, philosophy, culture, and other anthropological insights like evolution and evolutionary psychology. This sounds better than it is I promise. To learn in this manner came at a cost, the cost of my ego, my pride, my self-esteem. I was humiliated so much, why did I endure? Why did I go back and ask for more? I know why, it's because I believed in the message of Jesus. If these people I sought to belong with believed this man was the greatest ever than I should aspire to be like him. I turned that cheek so many times... but, I learned. I have come to realize however that the divinity of Jesus is most likely propaganda. He was simply an extraordinary man whose inherent abilities were beyond that which could be reasonably explained at the time. He probably believed in the delusion of his own divinity, he was probably one of the first aspies.
I would never want someone to have to learn things the way I did. Most simply couldn't endure that humiliation ...suicide was a constant danger. Now, though, I aspire to prevent others like me from suffering at the hands of this misguided society.
What did you learn at school about social skills that you now think is the most valuable?
People are slaves to popular culture media. The bible in its day, the television in this day. Do not trust them, but do not forget their ignorance is instilled and indoctrinated. Never trust a person that believes in a "god" for surely delusional thoughts take harbor in their mind. Eagerly would they betray you to protect their delusion of divinity, as has been historically demonstrated.
What did you have to learn on your own that you wish you had some help with?
Everything besides mathematics. I learned more after I dropped out of school and self-educated than I ever did in school. Most people though, neurotypical people especially, don't like it when a different person is naturally more "gifted" than they. So misguided are they that competition pervades every conscious thought to the point they will actively, albeit unconsciously, suppress the success of others. So long as aspies aspire to be like NT's we will always sell ourselves short. That's not to say there's no hope for NT's, they can be taught, but, it is up to us to figure out how to get through to them. This, I believe, is not just an evolutionary imperative, but an inevitability. |
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Re: An Autism Anthropologist in Need of Help: Special Education and Autism (Score: 1)
by TedMart Monday, February 18 @ 09:06:47 EST
(User Info | Send a Message) | | I'm not sure how old this post is, or whether you are still seeking input, but here ya go;
I am 49 and only recently discovered my place on the spectrum. I have no formal diagnosis and don't intend to get one, although I am beginning to realize that my parents and teachers may have suspected something back in my grade school days.
I believe I fit the Asperger's diagnosis (166/200 on the Aspie quiz, 35 on the Autism Quotient test), but again, as this is all new to me and I do not have any experience with specialized treatment for anything, I will try to answer your questions as best I can.
What was hardest for you to figure out in social settings?
The most difficulty I have in social settings IS that my brain seems to want to shut down, and I must make a strong effort to remain aware of what is going on around me such as a conversation, who is in the room, is there a group focus of something (One person speaking to the room, etc.). It becomes exhausting and I usually find a way out quickly.
What was the most helpful program or strategy that you were taught at school?
It seems that in the fourth grade right after my parents divorce, I went 'silent' in school, I don't think they had any idea of what to do with me and so I spent a lot of time keeping the guidance counselor quiet company in her office.
What program or strategy was meaningless, useless or just plain annoying?
I don't believe there was any strategy, but I might be wrong. Mostly my teachers tried to "snap me out of it" by using me as an example of a badly-behaved student.
What do you wish someone had taught you in terms of social skills and social interactions?
I wish someone had tried to teach me to distrust people more. I have suffered greatly due to my naive concept that most folks are not out to take advantage, when in fact it seems to be Human Nature to try to get ahead by pressing any advantage you may have over another person. So I wish someone had taught me about the concept of competition.
What did you learn at school about social skills that you now think is the most valuable?
Acting, performing, pretending to be exactly what others expect me to be. It's a form of camouflage I guess.
What did you have to learn on your own that you wish you had some help with?
I wish I had some help with the things the NT world considers important. If I had been convinced at a young age that, no matter what I thought was important, I must always keep in mind that the world is dominated by a group who thinks THESE things are important :( such as Money, or Social Status, 'any given perception of reality that is fashionable at the moment rather than the actual reality', etc., etc.) I would have not made so many obvious mistakes getting through the world as I have.
There should be a list compiled of "Things That Are To Be Paid Attention To" whether we see any value in them or not.
Good Luck with your project! I am sincerely grateful that this entire subject is finally getting some much needed attention and I hope your concern for and effort at making life a little smoother for those outside of the NT world does actually help, and that perhaps the NT world itself may gain some insight and understanding. |
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