I took a second look at the Edwards pictures after one of you complimented my moustache. I really must check myself in the mirror more often. Facial hair of any kind bugs the hell out of me. A couple years ago, I had the chicken pox and I couldn’t shave for three or four weeks. It was awful. I looked like a yeshiva school dropout. My problem is that my five o’clock shadow is more like a three o’clock shadow. Note to self: start carrying a razor with you for those evening engagements.
NPR has a story about a summer camp for kids with Asperger’s Syndrome. Asperger’s is a mild form of autism that is usually characterized by high intelligence and a minimal ability to recognize social cues. The camp is supposed to teach these kids how to socialize and “fit in.” Listening to this, I started wondering if this was a subtle effort at encouraging conformity to a set of social norms, whatever those are. I can sympathize with a parent’s desire to have their kids spared the teasing and ostracism that frequently accompanies being “different.” Yet I don’t necessarily think we should discourage these kids from expressing their true personalities, either. A lot of Asperger’s kids grow up to be brilliant thinkers with unique insights on the world around them. We should be nurturing that kind of growth and reminding these that while it’s important to recognize the thoughts and feelings of others, it’s also okay to be a little different.
Role models I’ve heard of and I’ve met with Asperger’s have often credited teachers and professionals for teaching them how to interact with others in ways that eluded them. Also, I’ve seen many students with this and other autism spectrum disorders frustrated by conversations because they do not innately pick up on social cues. Teaching children (any and all) what they do not know (intellectually or socially speaking) provides them with a tool that they can use or disregard as they see fit. Perhaps you know more than I do about this particular camp and why its methods are subject. If not, I would disagree with that they are “enforcing social norms” by teaching skills others take for granted.
Asperger Camp
The 19th Floor NPR has a story about a summer camp for kids with Asperger’s Syndrome. Asperger’s is a mild form of autism that is usually characterized by high intelligence and a minimal ability to recognize social cues. The camp…
Maybe it partly has to do with how the camp advertises itself. Is the camp selling itself as trying to specifically help kids “fit in”, or is it trying to help kids develop communication skills (which are, it goes without saying, important for everyone to learn)?