Autism Spectrum Thoughts on a Sunday Morning

Sunday mornings outside--cool, quiet, with coffee. A good time to think back on the week and student needs, teacher interactions, and parent concerns as I sit in my garden:

Student needs--our boys' desire for thing or solutions...is it the content? Or is it the need to be heard...to be accepted (the process)? As an administrator, I always let a student interrupt me in my office no matter the issue. I think of their hesitancy at times, not knowing how I or someone will respond to their request (for our boys, keeping the relationship positive is key to keeping their ears open) and how many students would rather avoid vs. taking the step to ask for help? Could be minor help or something major. We had a student who was clearly in pain but he wouldn't ask for help or accept it, even though staff saw the pain on his face. A few days later, when he finally admitted he would go to the hospital, it was discovered that he had a significant broken bone.

Teachers repairing a relationship that had gone sour in the past--this is one of my favorite things to witness at my school. When I can sit in the back of a classroom and see the teacher and autistic student smiling while discussing the upcoming election and issues at hand, I tell myself, ok, just sit and listen. I'm doing this more. Just observing vs. jumping in or being an active part of the conversation...Listen to the autistic student. This helps me to keep learning about the differences in all our boys. Just observe. Don't interfere. See the beauty in a positive interaction and how our boys' faces light up! Focus on the relationship with the individual autistic student and the skill-building will follow.