It is important to keep in mind that seeing the world from a different perspective is not inherently a bad thing. Great designers and inventors, scientists and engineers see the world from a different perspective. We are thankful that they do because of the contributions these different perspectives have made to our world.
We certainly want children with autism to be able to improve communication and social skills to be able to interact with their environment because that is where they live. The environment can be modified and the child with autism can receive accommodations to better bridge the gap between where he is and where he needs to go.
What is dangerous to me is the attitude that we must "fix" the child with autism. We need to be careful that we are making decisions for a child with autism that will help him better reach his potential while being fully aware that each child is an individual with different gifts and talents.
If a child is unable to communicate effectively we need to help him develop the skills necessary to communicate. We do not, however need to teach him what to say. The same is certainly true of social skills. A child with autism has to be able to navigate the world with behaviors that are considered socially acceptable for his culture. He does not have to be a clone of every other typically developing child.
The world from the perspective of a child with autism may be a different one but it is no less valuable than that of his typically developing peer. As we strive to help children with autism be successful in our educational system and the world as a whole....we need to always remember to treasure the differences that make each child an individual masterpiece.
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