Be my coach. Like the coach of an athletic squad, you can help me improve my performance through careful observation, constructive criticism, guided practice and getting me in the game. The difference is that while everyone else seems to know the basic rules of the game, I’m playing with different equipment by a different rulebook. I need explicit direction. I need word-for-word scripts. I don’t know how to shake hands, carry on a conversation or read the cues that tell me it’s time to move on. Temple Grandin, an accomplished engineer, professor and author with a Ph.D. in Animal Science from Colorado State University is one of the most celebrated individuals with Autism in this era, and she describes the social challenges this way: “Figuring out how to interact socially was much more difficult than solving an engineering problem.” (Sedran 2006)[i]
Translate intuition into cognition. People with Asperger’s have capable intellects, and can process a great deal of information quickly if we know what to look for. If you can help us by reflecting on your intuitive perceptions and decisions, we can learn how to observe what you perceive. This distinction is critical. For example, I studied communications in college and was liberated by the concept of non-verbal communication. The coursework gave me a long list of postures, behaviors, expressions and intonations that meant something. Rather than the inscrutable “sense” that others relied on, I could count the number of folded arms, check the amount of facial responses, review the general level of energy in the room and adjust my speaking or teaching accordingly. As a teacher, I need you to watch me flounder a bit in a conversation, then intervene with quick feedback to dissect my struggle. I have learned that comments and postures that scream to my wife or colleagues are lost on me. However, once I learn the cue or clue, I can usually remember to watch for it in the future. Your coaching can help me grow from oblivious to observant.
Set me up for success. When forming groups, initially put me with students who are more patient and tolerant. Be cautious about letting students select their own groups. You might even consider coaching the rest of the class on how to give me explicit feedback to help me stay in bounds. Since peer approval is important to me, give me opportunities to be socially successful by telling me explicitly how to initiate, continue or terminate interactions. Redirect me when I don’t get it right, and reinforce me when I do.
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