Autism is a Burrito (Part II)...

At first glance, the "burrito analogy" may be a tad "overcooked," (pun totally intended), but I believe it is necessary.

You see, as a school psychologist, I've been involved in hundreds of assessments where the end result dishes out a label (aka, a diagnosis, or "educational classification"). The responses to this process are as wide and varied as the labels themselves.

However, with the diagnosis of autism, you can almost hear a pin drop. Every time.

Why?

Because the word "autism" means so many different things to so many different people. The silence is confusion.

I have witnessed too many blank stares, tears, and anger to ever accept the label as it is. The label is confusing because autism is confusing.

It doesn't have to be. We know enough about autism to overcome the potential "shock and awe" of the label game. We also know enough to be dangerous. Autism is complicated and just spewing out a ton of information doesn't always help.

Enter the burrito.

In Part I, I introduced the burrito as analogous to autism. Why? Because of all the layers involved and I clearly think too much about food. Let's dig in:

1. The tortilla. The outside. Children with autism basically look just like every other child you'll ever meet. This is part of why autism is confusing. There is no visible, physical evidence of the disorder.
2. The sauce. This is the child's temperament. All children come to this world with a "built-in" temperament. Children with autism are no different. They may be "hot" (aggressive, boisterous), "medium" (adventurous, curious), and "mild" (sensitive, introverted). Understanding temperament is extremely important when considering intervention and approaches.
3. The fixings. The fixings are all the little quirks and traits that contribute to the child's overall personality. If you thought children with autism lack personality, you are mistaken. They have all "the fixin's!"
4. The meat. At the core of autism, you always find: 1) Elevated Anxiety, 2) Low Functional Communication, 3) Low Quality Social Skills, 4) Restricted Interests, 5) Atypical Sensory Experiences.  Each of these 5 areas are not always dramatically present, but these attributes are at the center of the autism burrito.

It is of paramount importance to understand the following: To effectively address any of "the meat," you cannot ignore the fixings, the sauce, or the tortilla. If you separate these layers it can get messy. Treatment should always consider how the child is perceived in his/her environment (tortilla), their temperament (sauce), and personality (fixings).

For example, if there is no accurate perception of the child's needs, teachers, relatives, and peers will not change their attitudes or behavior to accommodate. If the child's temperament is "slow-to-warm-up," or perhaps, "avoidant," a rigid behavior-based program will get ugly. If the child's personality is not acknowledged or defined, what quality-of-life-based decisions can we make?

Be prepared for surprises. I have spent enough time around "the spectrum" of functioning to tell you this: Our methods are limited, not the children.

I have been hunkered down in ABA-based settings, Floortime settings, School settings, and I've been pleasantly surprised by a skill, a word, a phrase, that apparently came right out of the blue!

Don't focus on the platter. Focus on the burrito. There are a lot of pretty serious "camps" when it comes to the treatment of autism. There is absolutely nothing wrong with a variety of disciplines trying to help children reach their potential. It becomes a problem when these disciplines are overly rigid with one another and completely ignore each other's contributions.

Menus are informative. We like menus because they tell us what to expect. Assessments and evaluations are like restaurant menus. As a psychologist, I understand there may be a tendency to place an "over emphasis" on evaluations and assessments when it comes to autism. That's a problem. However, it is also a problem to completely ignore assessments or evaluations. Think of assessments and evaluations as a menu. Menus never predict your satisfaction, but they can provide you with direction.

Burritos are filling. Autism is going to take up a lot of space. It can be hard to digest. In fact, autism takes a lot of time to process. Our ability to adjust (or in some cases re-adjust) our mindset towards a "marathon" state of mind over a "sprint" state of mind is very important. The fact is, there are no "quick fixes" to the struggles autism presents. This is our current reality. It is an important step to accept that reality.

Freshen up. Take the time to take the time. Even marathon runners have to stop at 26.2 miles. Nobody is asking you (as a parent, or as a teacher) to take this all on by yourself. Arrange a break. Do not accept the perception that you have to maintain a perfect steady progress all the time. Autism is part of the human experience.

Share the goodness. I love burritos! I love to share them and spread the love! Share your experiences with autism! Share your successes, your failures, your hopes your regrets! Chew on the issues with a friend! Nobody needs to go at this alone, and it is so refreshing to hear another person's story.

Special Sauce. I will never forget the parents I've worked with that just stare at autism, breathe it in, and push forward. This is special. This is the sauce that might make the burrito just a little more extraordinary. It is sacrifice, it is love, and it is a sense of humor. I'm actually not sure what it is, but I know it when I see it. It is something special.


That's a wrap.

If you or someone you know would like to know more about autism and autism advocacy, feel free to contact Dr. Springer.

Autism is a Burrito (Part I)...

Autism is a Burrito.

Don’t get me wrong, I take autism and those affected by autism very seriously. I dedicated my graduate studies to the applied research of treating the symptoms of autism in school settings. Throughout my graduate experience, I sought employment in early intervention programs and clinical settings specializing in the treatment of autism. 

Along the way, I also picked up on other curious and high-incidence childhood issues such as bullying, ADHD, and conduct problems. 

I began to gain state and local attention for my service in special education supporting parental involvement in school-wide efforts to prevent bullying. Around the same time, my graduate professors provided me with an incredible amount of exposure and experience by creating and contributing to the Superheroes Social Skills program. They allowed me to participate as a multi-media coordinator, author, and illustrator. This program is now widely distributed to a variety of settings and continues to receive national acclaim. On the opening pages of the Superheroes Program, we dedicated all of our work to the children and families affected by autism. 

So, when I say, “Autism is a burrito,” I guess I want you to humor me. I also want to get your attention. 

For anybody remotely familiar with autism and/or autism advocacy, a single puzzle piece has become the symbol for autism. While I love and appreciate the puzzle piece, I think it’s done it’s job. I think the majority of people now know that autism is puzzling. I think the majority of people understand that we need more pieces of the puzzle to help those affected by autism. 

So, good job, puzzle piece! Keep up the good work! 

Now, I’d like to introduce the burrito. My "burrito analogy" will be explained in two parts. 

Part I:

The burrito comes in all shapes and sizes. The contents of the burrito share some general ingredients, but there is no specified order to this content. The content is actually pretty random. It all depends on how the burrito was made.

The most fascinating part of the burrito is that it has layers on the inside! Here’s the basic structure of a burrito:

1. Tortilla. This is the “outer layer.” The tortilla is unique and holds all of the ingredients inside. The tortilla can be hard or soft. Sometimes it is fried. (You can never tell what's inside the burrito by just looking at the tortilla.)
2. Inside the tortilla, there is usually some sort of sauce (e.g., spicy, medium, mild).
3. Also inside the tortilla are some “fixings” (e.g., cheese, guacamole, rice, beans, tomatoes, etc.) 
4. Finally, deep inside the tortilla there is usually some sort of meat (Chicken, Beef, Pork, Fish)

The structure of the burrito is very important. If you try and take apart the burrito’s layers separately, it gets messy. Burritos are designed to be consumed as a whole. Burritos are more satisfying when you take them on as they are. 

Once you’ve accepted the burrito’s contents, prepare yourself to enjoy. The burrito may surprise you! Where you thought there would be more lettuce, you find tomato. Where you thought there would be more cheese, you find sour cream. Burritos are jam-packed with surprises! Never judge a burrito by the first bite (pun sort of intended). 

Some folks will tell you that the burrito only belongs on certain platters. That’s just not the case! Burritos can thrive with multiple sides such as pico de gallo, rice and beans, chips and salsa, you name it! Burritos just need to be accepted and then, the platters can be organized accordingly. 

This doesn’t mean that burritos don’t require care and a lot of preparation. It is important that we prepare the burrito and those that will work with the burrito. For instance, don’t label a burrito as “spicy” if it’s contents are mild. Provide a clear menu with stated facts and observations about the burrito. Avoid defining your burrito by a single ingredient. Instead, be clear that there are a number of flavors that contribute to the burrito. Experts may offer their opinions, but don’t let them dictate how you enjoy the burrito. 

It must be noted, however, that burritos are not for everybody. Burritos may be an acquired taste. You must understand that the burrito is a very large meal and requires your full commitment. Not everyone should be required to enjoy burritos, but they should at least tolerate the fact that burritos exist. Burritos are real and burritos can be complicated. 

Burritos can also be messy. It is a good idea to “freshen up” after spending some time with a burrito. There’s no need to feel guilty about getting tired of burritos. It’s important that you let folks know that you need a break from burritos every now and then. In contrast, some folks can become obsessed with burritos. (This only results in bloating and an excess of hot air.)

It is also a good idea to enjoy burritos with folks that like burritos, too! Take time to get to know other folks that understand burritos. Let them tell you all about their favorite varieties! Feel free to share recipes that make burritos better! Share your thoughts on the various ingredients!

Now, it has been my experience that some of the most wonderful burritos come smothered with a special sauce--Something extra! You can enjoy burritos just as they are, but when folks add their own little something extra--lookout! The burrito can exceed your wildest expectations. 

(Up Next: "Part II" Now that you're hungry, listen-up...")

IEP's and the Meaning of Life...

There are a couple of questions nobody ever asks me and I wish they would. The first one:

"Hey Ben, what is the meaning of life?"

To which I would respond: "Next question."

The second one:

"Hey Ben, what the heck is Special Education all about?"

After spit-spraying Diet Coke at the surprise of this question, I would thoughtfully respond in the following manner:

Special Education is a free and public educational service for children ages 3-22. The services are funded in large part by State and Federal agencies thereby requiring considerable State and Federal oversight. 

State and Federal oversight typically translates into TONS OF PAPERWORK. 

But that's okay, because Special Education is important. You see, in theory, Special Education is supposed to provide meaningful access to a free and appropriate public education for children with disabilities.

When I say "disabilities" its important you know what I mean: Real human beings connected to real human families that face real human challenges on a day-to-day basis. That's what I mean. 

Back in 1972, folks got hip to the fact that kids with such challenges shouldn't be denied access to a free and appropriate public education based on their disability, their challenges, or their lives. In 1972, you could be very proud of our fine government for this recognition. It was and is a big deal. 

Fast forward 40 years and here we are. Special Education--as we know it--has only been operating for about 40 years. In that 40 years, a TON of research and a TON of monitoring has taken place. The research and the monitoring has revealed good things and bad things. 

Wanna know what the research and monitoring are still on the fence about? Wanna know what still has no conclusive evidence of its effectiveness? (And in some studies, very little effectiveness at all?)

Individualized Education Plans/Programs (IEP's).

Yup. It's true. That all powerful document that keeps special educators up at night? That document that all special education coordinators keep training and training and auditing and auditing?

It's kind of a wash.  

So, what? What does an iffy document have to do with Special Education?

Everything. 

Literally, everything in special education is funneled through that document. The free and public access to an appropriate education for a child with a disability is completely and utterly reliant upon that document. 

There you have it. Special Education is a wonderful social support service for children and their families that is completely beholden to a document with "iffy" effectiveness, reliability, validity, etc. 

I'm no whistleblower. Those of us in Special Education have known this for years. IEP's are the one thing that we would all just like to do without. Don't get me wrong. We want to make goals and we want to monitor progress, but we want a more efficient way to do it.

That said, I'm not one to worship the problem. I'm one who likes to work with what we've got.

If you or someone you know wants help navigating the special education process for their child, contact Dr. Springer for consultation and advocacy services right now.

Special Education is a wonderful thing. Don't let the stack of papers slow it down.

Bullying and The Hunger Games...

I'm gonna be honest, I have not read the Hunger Games Trilogy, okay. My wife is currently reading it and I enjoy her abridged accounts. Once she finished reading the first installment, we decided to go see the movie.

So, my disclaimer to you die-hard Hunger Game book-readers: I'm a poseur.

That said, I totally dig the story and really, really liked the movie. If you're like me, and you didn't know much about The Hunger Games prior to it's blockbuster status, its a tale of kids in an post-apocolyptic America. The kids (and the rest of the country) are being seriously oppressed by "The Capitol," (see also: The Man).

The most disturbing part of their oppression? Every year a group of kids are selected to participate in The Hunger Games and they must fight to the death.

That's messed up, right? Right.

It made me wonder a couple of things.

For the past few years I have been working in public schools and I noted well before the blockbuster movie arrived, that a lot of kids were reading these Hunger Games books. I thought it was curious, but never paid any mind.

Once I found out the premise, it made me think: "Why would kids like these books so much? It's about kids killing each other to survive? Forced to do things they hate? Forced to find an identity in a crumbling and oppressive world?"

Very quickly, my mind turned to the research I conducted for my Master's Thesis at the University of Utah: Bullying.


Kids like reading about the Hunger Games because they can RELATE to the character's situation on a pretty profound level. Thus, the premise of the books isn't disturbing, but the level of relatedness they portray is.

The kids in the Hunger Games are pitted against each other while adults and peers stand idly by. After surveying the research literature surrounding bullying, you would be hard pressed to find a more appropriate metaphor.

Bullying is a form of coercion that serves any number of functions for the perpetrator: Power, control, survival. Victims of bullying fall prey not only to the perpetrator, but to those that stand, watch and accept it. Peers and adults basically allow this to happen. It is...permitted.

Before sending your child into a version of The Hunger Games, contact Dr. Springer about how to prevent bullying on a school-wide basis and how to teach your child to respond to bullying.

Thank you, and may you manipulate the odds in your favor.

Got Social Skills?

What are social skills?

Experts will give you really cool and technical definitions like: "Social skills are specific sets of behaviors shared between individuals for a mutual benefit," or "Social skills are behaviors individuals use to navigate social initiations and responses," or "blah, blah, blah..."


I've read hundreds of articles and spent hours assessing and instructing social skills development. I'm not sure that makes me an expert, but my definition of social skills is a tad different. To me, social skills are:

1. Self-awareness
2. Knowing how to "fake" or "pretend"
3. Taking turns

I know what you're thinking, "These sound like skills for preschoolers!" and you're right. Remember the saying, "Everything you need to know you learn in preschool?" It's a pretty accurate statement, (not about filing taxes, but definitely about social skills!) The strongest social skills development takes place from birth to around 5 years old.

Even that tiny, iddy-biddy infant is learning steps 1-3.

What's always been interesting about researching social skills is that hardly anybody actually sits down with our little rascals and teaches them social skills. Most little kids just learn these skills quite incidentally with very little guidance. It's pretty amazing.

This leads us to believe that skills like "self-awareness," "pretending," and "taking turns" just sort of happen.

While this is a fascinating phenomenon, it can be troubling for children and families struggling with complex neurodevelopmental disorders like autism or ADHD. A large majority of these children lack self-awareness, the ability to "fake-it" and have a real hard time taking turns (not only with toys) but with conversation. For many of them, these skills aren't "just happening" and don't ever seem to "click."

On top of all that, the impact of these concerns tend not to surface until well after the ideal developmental window (birth-to-5). The result is that you have some preschoolers and kindergartners having a really hard time at school. Their interactions with peers and adults become quite strained at an early age and basically set the stage for their entire schooling!

I am always surprised at how little emphasis is placed on social skills development in schools. I know a lot of folks that can read, write, and do arithmetic but they cannot interact socially. This impacts their desires for intimacy, their status at work, and more.

Okay, so now what? What do you do?

First: Prevention is the best medicine. You're going to want to advocate on behalf of kids everywhere that self-awareness, pretend-play, and taking turns gets taught at home and in preschool settings.

Second: Kids that continue to struggle during the preschool years and beyond NEED social skills instruction. Serious social skills instruction that includes motivating and entertaining components with a strong emphasis on using the skills in a meaningful way (to both the child and their environments).

Third: Contact Dr. Springer. Despite what the internet offers you, there are literally only a handful of effective methods that help children learn the skills they need to navigate the social world. Dr. Springer can consult with you by conducting a needs assessment for your child and can help direct school personnel in adopting practical methods that support social success.

What do you want from your child's school?

This is a reasonable question. I think most folks would respond by saying something like, "A good education, good teachers, safety, etc."

Simple enough, right?

I'm not so sure. For instance, what's a "good education?" To one parent, it might mean learning all the classics in literature, useful mathematical algorithms and concepts, appreciation of the arts, and the ability to write and communicate thoughts and arguments effectively. To another, it could mean child care, food, and play.

It's quite amazing that there is no unified definition of what a good education entails. We're all left to interpret that for ourselves, and if we're lucky, we share the interpretation with our educators.

The interpretation becomes even more nebulous and convoluted when your child has special needs. Be it developmental, behavioral, emotional, or social, the education of exceptional youth does not share the same trajectory of other children. Thus, the definition of  "a good education" potentially diverges here as well.

You can see now that the reasonable question of "What do you want from your child's school" may not have a simple or reasonable answer for everyone.

This puts educators of all varieties in a serious pickle. The burden, it seems, is on them to take a very dated model of education (i.e., grade levels, test-assess-test, evaluate, and report) and have it apply successfully to all children that walk in their room.

When I attended my first parent-teacher conference in the role of the parent--I'm going to be honest--there was only one thing I wanted to know. Of course I was happy to hear that my daughter's reading and writing were up to snuff, but I just wanted to know if she was happy. That's all I wanted to know. You see, for me, if my daughter was happy, I knew she could approach reading, writing, and arithmetic at her best. If my daughter was happy, she would be open to the fun and exciting learning environment of the classroom.

It's pretty amazing what kids can do when they're happy.

It sounds all fluffy and fun, but happiness is serious business. Unfortunately, while an impressive amount of research exists on how happiness (aka psychological well-being) affects test scores, performance, relationships, future success, and motivation, our educational system ignores it completely.

Educational psychologists Thomas Kehle and Melissa Bray of the University of Connecticut address this paradigm in detail and even provide a theoretical framework to improve not only your child's education, but your child's quality of life. They even provide a clever acronym for their theory. They call it "R.I.C.H. theory." (Think enRICHment over GETTING rich).

Next time you see me, we can talk about the ENTIRE theoretical mumbo-jumbo. For now, just take a few minutes of your day to think about what R.I.C.H. stands for:

Resources. Your child should be taught how to identify and access resources specific to their age and developmental level.

Intimacy. Your child should be taught how to navigate relationships successfully enough specific to their age and developmental level.

Competence. Your child should be taught achieve academic competence across all academic areas.

Health. Your child should be taught how to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

These four areas have all been found as the pillars of a happy, high-quality life. If every child knew how to access resources, maintain intimacy, achieve competence, and remain healthy, they'd be happy.

Now, if you're happy and you know it, clap your hands!

If you're not, contact Dr. Springer for more information about helping your child succeed at school and in life.

Stuff to know about ADHD...

Do me a favor. Just for fun. Next time you're in a conversation and somebody brings up "ADHD," I want  you to say this when its your turn to speak:

"You know, ADHD is just the tip of the iceberg..."


Try and be smug and clever when you say it too. Why? (Because its sorta funny when you act smug and clever). AND, that statement is the truth. You are going to spread the truth about ADHD.

You see, the common symptoms of "inattention" or "hyperactivity" or "both" aren't even really the most significant part of the actual diagnosis. They're the byproducts of something much more troubling and concerning. They're the result of an impairment in what is known as "executive functioning."

Not to mention, I don't know a single child ranging in age from 3-17 that doesn't struggle with "inattention, hyperactivity, or both." Those symptoms can also just be kids being kids.

ADHD is a real neurological impairment with real neurological underpinnings. I guess that's why it sorta bugs me when folks talk about ADHD so flippantly. You don't hear folks talking about Autism or Depression like that.

But lets not get distracted. Let's go back to your conversation.

After you smugly deliver the "tip of the iceberg" comment, someone will say: "What do you mean?"


To which you reply: "If you're really talking about ADHD, inattention and overactivity are the least of your concerns. Those symptoms are just the expression of an entire series of cognitive processes gone haywire..."


Your conversation will most likely end abruptly at that point. Because the rest of the explanation is sorta boring.

But hopefully you get the point. For a such a commonly used label and/or description, ADHD is barely understood by those that NEED to understand it (i.e., kids, teachers, and parents).

ADHD is a big, fat indicator of a neurological impairment that produces impairments across each of the following areas:

1. Self-regulation (e.g. filtering what you think to what you say, checking work, etc.)
2. Organizing behavior across long periods of time (e.g. at work or at play, staying the course).
3. Inhibiting impulsive behaviors (e.g., hitting, yelling, etc.)
4. Planning, setting, and achieving goals.
5. Internal motivation.

Plan your intervention to address 1-5 and you'll see improvements in inattention and overactivity.

And that is stuff you should know about ADHD.

(Need help planning interventions to address these issues? Contact Dr. Springer)