What do you do when you’ve tried everything?
You’re a good parent. You noticed that from an early age your child was a little quirky. So you made the rounds of doctors and therapists, anxiously cooled your heels on waiting lists, and finally received a diagnosis: Asperger’s or high functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). It was tough to swallow, the dreaded autism label, but at least you’d identified the problem.
So then what? Your doctor provided you with information, websites, and books. You liked the idea of social skills groups but couldn’t find one which was a good fit. You tried ABA, and it did help, but it didn’t quite seem to address the big picture. You don’t feel comfortable giving up … surely there’s more you can do? And you’re starting to think about the long term: if your child is continually rejected by peers, how long will it be until bullying begins and depression sets in? And how can a child who finds it so hard to be organized for school hope to live an independent life as an adult?
It’s time for Social Cognitive Therapy – SCT. First, SCT relies on the fact that these kids are smart. They’re social too, or at least they want to be but they don’t know how. SCT teaches them a whole new way of thinking that they didn’t know existed. It shows them how the social world works: HOW they’re expected to behave, yes, but more importantly WHY.
Think of the social world as a tree (http://www.socialthinking.com/what-is-social-thinking/social-thinking-social-learning-tree). A tree needs strong roots to support its trunk and branches, and only then can healthy leaves flourish. Typical kids are born with a strong root system so their leaves grow naturally. But in kids with ASD or Asperger’s, the social roots are incomplete, making it hard for leaves to grow. Other therapies focus on growing the leaves, but gardeners don’t water the leaves. They fertilize and water the roots, and that’s what SCT does. These smart kids desperately need to understand the theory along with the practical side, so that their eyes are opened and it becomes second nature.
My husband says SCT is like teaching social skills as an academic subject. I guess that’s true in a way, but it sure is fun. There are games, activities, role playing, but all the while learning how to get along in the world: what others expect of us in different situations, how to have a conversation, how to figure out what other people are thinking, and the consequences of behaviour on relationships. It’s all deceptively simple and incredibly effective: Teach the kids to understand unwritten social rules, and suddenly they’re able to figure out for themselves how to transfer the skills to other situations.
If SCT is so great, why haven’t you heard of it? I don’t really know the answer. SCT has scientific research to back it up (http://www.socialthinking.com/images/stories/pdf_files/social_thinking_published_jadd_2007.pdf). It’s offered across the US, and I’ve heard of therapists in BC and Newfoundland, but Ontario seems to be trailing behind. I really wish the government and other providers would catch on so that we could help these kids. They’re so bright and have tons of potential … let’s transform their lives!
Stacey Cornberg holds both a B.A. in Psychology and a B.Ed. from York University. While serving as an elementary classroom teacher in the Toronto District School Board, she was actively involved in identifying and supporting numerous children with autism and other special needs.
Passionate about helping these unique children, Stacey began studying Social Cognitive Therapy (SCT), incorporating the materials and methods of Social Thinking®, and pursued related professional development in Boston. In addition to being married with two young children, she now runs a private SCT practice in Thornhill, serving clients from kindergarten to high school.
Image credit: Ciprian Ionescu
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