to ask you to PLEASE teach your children about autism

[CrochetBelle]

Apparently 'autistic' is now being used as an insult by teenagers - who really should know better.

Do your children know what autism is? Autism is not 'sitting in a corner rocking'. Autism is not 'Sheldon Cooper'. Autism is a whole spectrum and affects people to varying degrees. It does affect people though. There is no such thing as mild autism.

Schools are continuously waving the 'autism accredited' flag these days, with mandatory training on ASD. Don't get me wrong, that's great progress, but when you ask them what they are teaching the children? Nothing.

There is a whole host of accurate, reliable information out there about autism, and what it means. Please make sure your children are aware. Ignorance is no excuse.

maybe teach them to just not be disablist. there are other terms like retard and spaz that need to be stamped out as well/

It originates from 4Chan I think. I don't think they care much what their mothers think.

Yes. It is used a general insult.

I asked ds's previous school if Ds could do a little talk for his classmates to enhance their understanding but they refused. Instead the other kids wound him up so much he reacted badly & was suspended.

I think children know more about autism than you think. A lot of them will have an autistic child in their class, who has a ta with them. They watch their behaviour and are often affected by their behaviour. My son often tells me what an autistic child in his class has done that day. Knowing about or being trained about autism will not stop children being horrible and using those terms. I wish it would. I honestly do, but being realistic here, children have always had a need to use offending words at other children. As the poster above said, the term spaz was being used 20 or 30 years ago. And why should children be trained about one particular condition, what about diabetes, heart conditions, lung cancer, kidney stones, asthma, sleep apnoea.. .the list goes on.

Alexander that’s a shame. DD1’s friend H & her Mum spoke to the class about H’s Aspergers when they were in Y2 and she found it helped a lot.

I agree but the general public also need educating about it
, autism does not make people a little quirky or mean they will have a special talent every individual who has autism is different.

I'd seen the positive effects it had for dd when the senco at her school suggested it. It really helped her social relationships.

When dd was 5 one of the children in her class was diagnosed with asd. The school, in consultation with his parents, told the class all about asd. They grew up with that knowledge and, now 12, completely accept him for who he is and have supported him throughout the years at school. It’s no big deal to any of them (A has asd, S wears glasses and J has a birth mark) and they get that he needs something different sometimes. For me this is how it should be handled.

The trendy new insult for teens,when I was growing up it was gay, but that seems to have died off now. Unfortunately I don’t think educating will work. But autistic probably won’t be used as an insult in a few years time.

Knowing about or being trained about autism will not stop children being horrible and using those terms. I wish it would. I honestly do, but being realistic here, children have always had a need to use offending words at other children. As the poster above said, the term spaz was being used 20 or 30 years ago. And why should children be trained about one particular condition, what about diabetes, heart conditions, lung cancer, kidney stones, asthma, sleep apnoea.. .the list goes on.

Where to begin?

So because the word "spaz" was being used 20-30 years ago and "all kids do it," then we should just let it continue??

Perhaps rather than say "gee,we don't teach them about other medical conditions, so why just autism?" we could say "Let's start by teaching them about autism, with a healthy dose of how NOT to be disablist, how to be kind, and then move on to other conditions, illnesses, etc.

God forbid we expect parents to pass on decent values to their children.

maybe teach them to just not be disablist

I agree with Samcro. Keep it simple.

A sixth former at ds's old school sent a questionnaire about autism for his EPQ to the whole school. In it he asked what people associated with the word autism. One of the options was the word retard. It really upset Ds who was 12 at the time as that's when he started being called regard as well as "autist"

Children don’t need to use offensive words. Just like spaz or spastic when I was young, parents can educate their children not to use them. I never did (for all my faults) - and I wonder if it’s because there was a home for ‘spastics’ as they were then officially called, so I saw a lot of people suffering and knew what the word really meant. I think autism could therefore be talked about and it might help their use of words.

When I first started teaching ‘gay’ was the insult de jour (also about anything, e.g. a detention being issued - ‘that’s so gay, Miss!’). I never tolerated it and subjected every child who used it to a long boring explanation of why they were being homophobic by using the term. It has died out in my experience - I think as attitudes to gay/trans etc have shifted significantly in the last decade or so.

@Tabby Mumz
And why should children be trained about one particular condition, what about diabetes, heart conditions, lung cancer, kidney stones, asthma, sleep apnoea.. .the list goes on.

Because they’re not being used as an insult?!
And as other PPs have pointed out being around an autistic child does not mean they understand it, so your point is irrelevant.

I’d recommend the book ‘the reason I jump’
Honestly, asd is on the rise sooo much- even if there’s not currently a close member of family with ASD you are very likely to have one in the coming years.

Well another boy who is diabetic had a while day devoted to diabetes awareness & fundraising with a talk about his condition etc etc.

zzzzz you clearly haven’t been on 4chan

there was a home for ‘spastics’ down my road*

The trendy new insult for teens,when I was growing up it was gay, but that seems to have died off now. Unfortunately I don’t think educating will work. But autistic probably won’t be used as an insult in a few years time.

I'll be sure to tell my two autistic children not to worry then - their medical condition is only likely to be considered heinous for a few years by their peers. Thanks.

A lot of them will have an autistic child in their class, who has a ta with them.

Yeah, ta's for autistic children are sooo commonplace afterall.

Samcro - "maybe teach them to just not be disablist"

I agree with that ^^ too.

GingerIvy Yep, that damage done in those 'few years' will just disappear when they move onto something/one else. Character-building, innit?

"maybe teach them to just not be disablist"

Well, that would be ideal, wouldn't it? Such a shame that some people are happy to sit back and say "oh well, kids being kids,they do that...." instead of, you know, parenting....

Jumping on posters who are attempting to discuss the issue and posting faces really doesn't help.

I agree that disability awareness is key. Many young people with ASD won't be diagnosed or may have the wrong diagnosis such as ODD or attachment difficulties.