Autistics need intellectual stimulation not love and nuture

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I think the Autistic community should focus on making sure that programs for Autistic children and adolescents provide a challenging curriculum and that we place high academic expectations rather than positive reinforcement in a conscending form. Gold stars are nice, but they won't prepare Autistics for the working world and worse, they create a value system. Anyone have ideas about how we could ensure that Autistics receive a quality education and academic encouragement? Any programs or therapies that should be eliminated?

No way, at my work they give us gold stars instead of paychecks. They are so shiny!! !

The world operates on a value system. If you want them to be prepared to face the world they should get used to it as soon as possible.

Agreed.

Those children on the autism spectrum who have no intellectual impairment are usually treated as if they are slow learners and when we do that we lose them. Most high-functioning children are actually very bright and crave information and intellectual challenges.

They are usually better served by being placed in advanced programs rather than to be given pats on the back and gold stars.

When I was a child, the only love and nurturing that I wanted was hugs and kisses in times of emotional turmoil. I didn't care for the praise and the gold stars. I also wish that I was mainstreamed in Elementary School. I've always liked the regular curriculum better than the stuff that I was taught in Special ED. When are the schools ever going to get this? I loved the stimulation that I received in my regulas classes. The schools should be clueing in by now. When I wanted affection, I asked my mum for a hug. I didn't ask my Sped teacher for a shiny star and a whole bunch of unneeded or unwanted praise.

I was always able to drum up books and such to read to fill my brain, but I like to think if I was more socialized I wouldnt have spent my high school using people like chess pieces for my own amusement.

i personally feel the need for emotional reassurance more than anything. I can't say if this is related to autism or not.

I think i learn best when i am not pressured to. Or at least that is the way i absorb things best. I don't find it easy to remember stuff i don't find interesting.

They need love and nurturing and intellectual stimulation. Nothing replaces love and acceptance of family and without that, it's difficult focusing on intellect. Love, support, safety and nurturing are the most important things. They make all other things possible!

What I meant by value system is that they will rely on rewards to perform everyday tasks and if it is done in a mainstream classroom it will only draw attention to the Autistic child's differences.

Furthermore, children's self worth is very much determined by how other's view them. As a child, my parents put me in every conceivable form of therapy they could find which of course used this approach of nourishment and positive reinforcement for perforoming seemingly simple tasks. As a result, I had it ingrained in my head that I needed to be improved so therefore I must be defective and the positive reinforcement didn't help my confidence either. (If arithemetic was such an amazing feat, what would multivariable calculus be like?) I developed a low self esteem and a "who cares" attitude regarding school which is strange because my parents engaged me in intellectual discussions as a child. I have vivid memories of my mother telling me about the fall of the Soviet Union as a three year old. But once I was labelled, everything got dumbed down for me.

I feel if my parents had enrolled me in GT and enrichment classes and told me they expected straight A's and they expected me to get into Harvard, I would have developed a higher self worth and a stronger work ethic.

No one likes when someone tells them what to do.

Personally, the value system works because that's how the world works.

In our world it isn't how well you do the job, its how well you do the job to make money.

As much as I have always struggled in my life for intellectual stimulation, what you suggest will get people nowhere.

I agree they need love but it should come in a respectful rather than a condescending form. Children should be praised for their accomplishments but only when it means a great deal to them.

In the real world, you aren't going to get a cookie and love when you do something the right way.

Pandoras Box
I was exaggerating, but high expectations would have gotten me further than meaningless praise.

You have to look at things realistically.

Pandoras Box
I just think Autistic children should be treated like anyone else. They should have the same academic expectations placed on them and Autism should be not be an excuse for bad behavior. My parent's attributed all my bad behavior on Asperger Syndrome or ADD and this led me to believe I was diseased and genetically programmed to act that way.

Ok, how about this? All public school for all students should be taught by a know it all teacher who whips the students every time they get a wrong answer. This will prepare them for the real world, where sociopaths have the most success in the job market. I think that's a brilliant plan. It would get work done.