Today we had a visit from some folks from the Friend 2 Friend Social Learning Society. Among the aspects of their presentation that I appreciated most was how clearly they made the point that ALL of us, all of our brains, are very much alike but also unique. I think most students there would have heard and talked about a similar message before, but I’m sure all of us could do more to get to know and understand each other better.
To that end, they left us with a very practical tool in their 7 friendship tips. While the tips may have been created with certain needs in mind, they provide good advice for all of us to use in all of our friendships & to help build our communication skills. I’m wondering what thoughts or question others might have about today’s presentation, about how our brains and experiences are different, about how to practise self-regulation when we’re over-stimulated (or under-stimulated), or about friendship in general. Your replies would be welcome.
Are all autistic kids the same or are they very different.
All PEOPLE are different. If no two people are the same, then no two people with brown eyes are the same. No two people with blonde hair are the same. No two people from Canada are the same. No two people with autism are the same. No two people with a cleft palate are the same. That was one of the points from the presentation I appreciated most. I’m glad you asked about it.
I’ll read d a book for answers
It would be great if you would share with us what book you read. It would be even better to know what questions you were wondering about.
the class was about some autistic affects for hearing tasting smelling touching and seeing. we used the 7 ways of being a good friend and notice other peoples differentiates and they gave us cool glasses they let us have.
Was the presentation only about people with autistic brains?
What I Think Is Important About The Presentation Is That Autistic People Are Challenged When Communicating,They Have Problems Understanding Social Situations And They Get Very Interested In One Thing And Can’t Concentrate On Other Things Because Of Autism But Just Because They Have Autism It Doesn’t Mean That They Can’t Be Talented With Lots Of Things.
I think it is dangerous to put people into groups and describe them in ways that don’t account for their differences. Many of us have passionate interests that consume all of our attention.
I appreciate your last sentence. How would it be different to describe ourselves that way? What might change for each of us if we thought of ourselves as people who can have (or develop) many different talents?
And What We Learned Is That Autistic People Can Be Very Sensitive To The Five Senses And How They Are Challenged In Social Situations.
Do you have some things that bother you a lot while they don’t bother others among your friends or family? Can’t anyone have particular sensitivities?
today friendship presentation was about what autisum was and the five tips for friendship
what i thought was interesting from the friendship activity was the animation
I also enjoyed the different animations. What did you think was powerful, interesting or important about them?
I think it,s unique that everybody is different
If everybody is different, isn’t that a way that we are all the same?
I think that the presentation was useful for us to know what it felt like.
Also from yesterday u should tweet about the safety thing.
What did you discover about how something felt? What was that?
Have a look at our twitter feed. I would be happy to post another tweet if you will help with writing it.
I think this conversation was important because some people just could not even care less about friendship so i hope that conversation spoke to them.
I also hope that the conversations we had in the Library on Monday were helpful. I’m not sure that there are many people on the planet (if any) who don’t care at all about friendship. I do think that it can often seem to us like others don’t care about the things we care about. Maybe that has more to do with our willingness & ability to find out about others than their level of interest.
this presentation was important because i think we should use self regulation more
it helps us calm down. also the 7 friendship tips are really fascinating
You and many others these days are realising the importance of learning about being able to recognise and modulate our own levels of energy and alertness through self-regulation. Let’s keep thinking, reading & asking about it.
All autistic kids are different in many ways
I’m not sure exactly what differences you are referring to. Have a look at some of the other comments here. We’ll share some more ideas in class.
Our Friend2friend program was about autism. Why I think autism is imported because people who have autism is very sensitise with smell, taste, touch, see and hear. Why I think autism is inserting it’s because autism is like a super power of hearing, seeing, touching, tasting and smelling.
I’m going to disagree with you a little. While that presentation was made by a group with special interest in autism and many parts were created by people with autistic brains, I think the presentation was about people, communication and friendship – for everyone. I love that you repeated the line about super powers though! What can seem like a problem when looked at one way can be a strength when looked at another way.
But we all are different in a lot of ways
So, in what ways is it especially helpful to notice or be aware of such differences? Did the presentation prompt you to think more about our differences? Do you have new thoughts about ways people are different or the importance of recognising differences? I’d like to know more.
everybody is special in different kinds of ways and that is just so interesting
I agree. As we remember the importance of appreciating differences (and it is VERY important), I think it is also valuable to think about our sameness. I am reminded of our novel study earlier this year, Wonder. Some differences are easy to see, if maybe not as easy to appreciate. If we can recognise how we are the same, we might not so easily let our conflicts get overblown.
I think that the presentation was important because it helped us understand people different from us.
What helped you see someone who is different from you in a new way?
I think it was learning about kids who are extra sensitive then others by there five senses.So the lady who works there told us about her son and another kid. (i am sorry i forgot his name)The kid was a kid who is different from a lot of other humans and her son was like he had like super powers cause he could smell stuff from far away, and can hear souse from far away and it is super cool.
Describing a difference as a strength helps change our way of thinking doesn’t it? And maybe it helps us realise that strengths can also be problems. I had a friend in school who had perfect pitch, which was a big help for him with the music he made, but it also made it hard for him to listen to some kinds of music or some instruments. His strength sometimes seemed like a curse.
on Monday we had a friend2freind presentation it was about autism and what it is like to be autistic.What i thought was really interesting about it was “there are different types of autism”.
I’m glad you found it interesting to learn more about autism and some things about the experiences of some people with autistic brains. It is important that we are aware of the variety of experiences, challenges and strengths people have. It seemed to me that the presenters were stressing the vast differences in and among ALL people, including those with autistic brains.
I think being a friend doesn’t mean just being nice or playing with him/her, you also have to accept that some people are different and have special needs like people with autism. People with autism are sensitive and sometimes don’t understand things like we do.
I think you are right, and being aware of the kinds of sensitivities that a person whose brain is autistic may have is going to help us understand others better. But I really like the idea that being a person’s friend requires a deeper level of acceptance than simply being polite. Maybe you are getting at a distinction between being a friend and merely being friendly.
The Friend2Friend program really changed my perspective on how I look at autism. They gave us an experience of what it was like to be in an
“Autistic Brain,” it was really amazing!!! They also showed us something called, “The Seven Friendship Tips.” I loved it so much that when I got home I told my family and friends all about it. I think that it is a very good thing to be a part of, and I hope it will be something that people decide to take part in.
I am glad the program prompted so much thought! Have you read the book in our classroom library called How To Talk to An Autistic Kid? You might find it interesting. The more among us who appreciate the wonderful differences around and among us, the better I think our lives will be.