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.
