Who happened to be totally full of crap.
She sweetly informed me one day at the Barnes & Noble that her grandson was an aspie. She loved him more than anything, little dear. Oh, poor Billy. He's a little guy. Never grew over 5 feet tall, even though he's already in junior year of high school.
He's so "special." Aww.
And all that stuff's fine, especially from a grandma. Even though I can't stand people getting all condescending toward aspies and autistics in general.
But then she drops this bomb, after hearing that my son was doing behavioral therapy and group learning:
"All that therapy stuff, and the play groups, none of it make any difference."
Apparently, Billy's mother - this woman's daughter - thought differently.
And so do I.
Fact is, I've noticed NJ making huge strides - quantum leaps in behavior - since starting behavioral therapy. I subscribe to the idea that about 85% of what aspies don't pick up intuitively - vocal nuance, eye contact, etc. - can be patiently learned.
And the place to learn that is in therapy, and working caring teachers and parents with an agenda - to teach the kid the stuff he needs to know to be successful.
This amazing report in Scientific American confirms this view - and actually is startling. Because it seems to refute the universally accepted notion that aspies lack the capacity for Theory of Mind - the ability to intuit what others are thinking and feeling.
So we'll continue with therapy, thank you very much. Even though NJ doesn't always enjoy going to a place where there's no SpongeBob and no video games and no pool, we're helping him build the foundation for what I am convinced will be a wonderful, fascinating and, yes, challenging life.
Peace.
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