When we don't understand children with autism, we create a toxic environment for them, and we must understand their behavior to help them.
So providing an environment sensitive to the needs of students with autism benefits all students.
In her report, published by the American magazine Psychology Today, Marcia Eckerd said that school can be a toxic environment for most children with autism, as teachers often try to bring the behavior of autistic children into line with the stereotypical expectations of normal children.
Thus, the more a child with autism looks like his normal peers, the more likely it is that school intervention is more successful, but this is not without inaccuracies.
The writer explained that disruptive or atypical behavior is often described as breaking rules, a way to attract attention, rudeness, or simply abnormal behavior.
Children with autism are often taught that what they feel, think or do is wrong and should do what they are told instead.
This method of education can have a lasting effect on a child's self-esteem, confidence, and even how they stand up for themselves.
Many interventions address externally perceived behavior, without understanding the nature of the autistic child (Shutterstock)
According to a study published in 2017, “77% of high school students with autism play a very limited or no role in post-secondary planning, compared to 47% of students with intellectual disabilities, and 27% of students with autism.” all kinds of other disabilities.
The author stated that many interventions address perceived behavior from the outside, without understanding the nature of the autistic child.
But behavior is the tip of the iceberg that does not show the sensory, social, emotional, motor and cognitive problems that a child with autism goes through.
A child who "acts inappropriately" may be responding to internal frustration, overstimulation, anxiety, or distress.
Pedagogical methods often focus on eliminating "acting" behavior rather than recognizing the source of the child's annoyance.
We need to support these children, not deal with them with a single mindset whose primary goal is to correct behavior.
For example, children with autism sometimes refuse to do a certain task even if they have successfully completed a similar task before.
We hypothesize that this problem is related to attitude and motivation, which can be very different for children on the autism spectrum than it is for normal children.
The productivity of children with autism is variable, influenced by their mood (Shutterstock)
The author pointed out that the productivity of children with autism is variable.
If children are tired, hungry, not feeling well, or have a problem early in the day, they may not be able to use the skills needed to do the task at hand.
In the worst case scenario, this can be a traumatic experience for them.
It is possible that if the teacher allows the child to do something else or take a break, no shocks will occur.
The same problem can occur in understanding how children with sensory or social overload respond.
The writer said that facilities and changes are possible and not necessarily expensive. It is possible to create a sensory or adaptive profile that predicts problems and strategies for success. What is necessary is openness and willingness to embrace systemic change. And the most important thing is to realize that educating neurotic children in the same way we teach normal children is a recipe for failure, both for the school and for the student in particular.