It’s called a learning curve, not instant success.
Keep trying! When you evaluate what is working and what is not, each step brings you closer to your goal.
Rebecca J Weaver is a Certified Autism Specialist at Independent with Autism, working to empower individuals with ASD. Need help with mental flexibility? Check out IndependentwithAutism.com for more information.
At the heart of the difficulty giving and receiving advice/ criticism is our view of mistakes. We frown upon mistakes, emphasizing the weakness and even the failure illustrated as a negative, rather than an encouragement to try new things and progress. There is a tendency to view mistakes/ failure as the final product, rather than part of a much bigger process where each mistake directs the next step and refines the goal. This approach to mistakes is the greatest error. Mistakes are experiences that provide information. It is how we use this information that is negative or positive. The occurrence of a mistake allows for observation, reflection, and self-correction. Mistakes can provide a positive experience and a necessary tool for learning. They are a key in developing resilience. If we can reframe the concept of a mistake as a form of information collection, we can assist those with Autism and Asperger’s Syndrome in becoming independent and strong. Our greatest leaps forward come from our courage to take a chance, make a mistake, and learn.
Rebecca J Weaver is a Certified Autism Specialist at Independent with Autism, working to empower individuals with ASD. Need help reframing your experiences? Check out IndependentwithAutism.com for more information. @IWAutism
Rebecca J Weaver is a Certified Autism Specialist at Independent with Autism, working to empower individuals with ASD. Need help creating your success strategies? Check out IndependentwithAutism.com for more information.
We strive to constantly improve ourselves, and have a tendency to use criticism to help others achieve their goals. In our eagerness to point out errors or areas for improvement we often forget the effectiveness of acknowledging what’s working well. When assisting those with ASD it is imperative that we use positive strategies as our primary source. Despite the good intentions of some critiques, individuals with Autism and Asperger’s Syndrome may hold on to the negative aspects of these statements. Rather than inspiring change, criticisms tend to cause individuals with ASD to overly focus on their difficulties. They may become stuck, afraid to risk another mistake. In fact, 10 positive experiences may be necessary in order to erase 1 negative experience caused by criticism. To encourage progress, begin by emphasizing strengths. This will be necessary in order to overcome previous criticisms. And the next step? I’ll be releasing a blog on the topic of mistakes. Check back here to find out more.
Rebecca J Weaver is a Certified Autism Specialist at Independent with Autism, working to empower individuals with ASD. Need help creating positive strategies? Check out IndependentwithAutism.com for more information.
Use your loved one’s interests to help them through new or disliked tasks. eg. Use a sticker chart with his/ her favorite characters to check off today’s tasks.
Note: Check for understanding and ability first. No amount of motivation will work if a task is confusing or too difficult.
Rebecca J Weaver is a Certified Autism Specialist at Independent with Autism, working to empower individuals with ASD. Need help with work completion? Check out IndependentwithAutism.com for more information.
You are shopping with a friend and have already visited several stores he/ she enjoys when you notice your favorite store. You take a deep breath, already enjoying the scents, and start to head into the store. You notice your friend has stopped and doesn’t want to go in. You may feel like your friend is acting selfish. You’ve already gone into the stores he/ she picked. More likely, your friend is experiencing a sensory overload. It may be extremely difficult for him/her to walk through that door, after all the scents are so strong they are even wafting out of the store.
Think of your reason for shopping with your friend. Are you there to do errands? To check things off your list? Or, more likely, are you there to spend time with each other? Understand your friend’s difficulty with that store, and come back to it another time.
Rebecca J Weaver is a Certified Autism Specialist at Independent with Autism, working to empower individuals with ASD. Need help creating your success strategies? Check out IndependentwithAutism.com for more information.
If you are making a request of someone with ASD/ Asperger’s Syndrome, state it in the positive. Say what you want rather than what you don’t want. For example: “Please put your clothes in the hamper” instead of “Don’t leave your clothes on the floor.”
Rebecca J Weaver is a Certified Autism Specialist at Independent with Autism, working to empower individuals with ASD. Looking for better ways to communicate? Check out IndependentwithAutism.com for more information.
