The latest lecture we had was on Autism Spectrum Disorder. What really hit home with me was the activities we played, revealing how everyday interactions can be very difficult for those who are autistic. Idioms, for example, cloud communication as people with autism tend to take statements at face value. From the usage of “face value” you can see how I enjoy idioms and use them in every day conversations. We all tend to. However we are blocking the understanding of people we can possibly be speaking to. It is not unlike English Language Learners. If someone were to say to me “avoir la chaire de poule” I might hear something about chicken and get a little hungry.
So when we are in the front of classrooms, and we bring who we are to the profession, how easy will it be to continue this pattern of speech? To continue this disconnection we have between us and students with autism? Just something to think about.
I will admit this was the subject out of all the exceptionalities and equity issues we have discussed that I am the least comfortable with. I do not know a lot about the subject of autism and I am a little embarrassed about it. However it was great to have a lecture on the subject and I’m definitely going to read more on the subject. You should learn something every day, right?
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