| p>A little girl, about 1 year old, is standing next to a | | | | boundaries to being guided, so that the relationship |
| coffee table when she decides that she wants to step | | | | between parent and child, for instance, breaks apart at |
| off and make an attempt at walking. She immediately | | | | a very early stage. Why do those with autism put up |
| falls to the ground. One of two things can happen at | | | | these boundaries? It is not because of anything the |
| that point. A parent or caregiver can see this attempt, | | | | parents did wrong; instead, it's because of a |
| and step in to encourage the child to keep trying; or | | | | neurological disorder that the individual has. Research |
| they can allow the child to try and figure out how to | | | | has shown that the pathways between the different |
| walk on her own. Imagine how much longer it would | | | | parts of the brain function at an increasingly decreased |
| take this infant to learn to walk without the support of | | | | rate in those with autism as opposed to a neuro-typical |
| a loved one to encourage her along! | | | | individual. As a result, the individual with autism has |
| One of the primary concepts in the remediation of | | | | experienced many failures in understanding social |
| autism is that of guided participation. In the example | | | | relationships. Why is this? Those with autism are |
| above, two critical people needed to be involved in | | | | unable to process social interactions at the same rate |
| order to ensure success: the parent guide and the child | | | | as a neuro-typical individual, and therefore miss many |
| participant. This child was therefore involved in a | | | | critical elements of social development beginning as |
| guided participation activity. Think about your own life | | | | early as infancy. When interactions fail, move too |
| for a minute. What skills, talents, and discoveries did | | | | quickly or involve too much processing, success is |
| you develop through a guided participation relationship? | | | | minimal and interaction with others less appealing. Who |
| When you think about some of the more challenging | | | | wants to keep reentering situations in which failure isn't |
| things you have achieved, a parent, coach, or teacher | | | | only a possibility, but most likely a reality? |
| often guided you. As a result you were more | | | | Upcoming articles will reflect further on the concept of |
| successful than if you had tried to figure it out on your | | | | guided participation, what you can do to begin building a |
| own. | | | | guided participation relationship with your child, and |
| In order for an individual with autism to achieve | | | | critical things you can do to ensure those interactions |
| success, he or she also needs to be a guided | | | | will be successful. |
| participant; but often these individuals will put up | | | | |