Functional Skills for Children with Autism

 

I do not recommend you buy this book.

 

And I will tell why I do not recommend you buy this book.

 

After I mention some of the good points I read in the book. In case you want to check it out of your public library, like I did.

 

The author, whom I will refer to here as 'Functional Mom' gets credit for writing a book – her third, in fact. Perhaps some of you have read her books - ?  Please feel free to share your opinions in comments.

I also encourage you to visit Functional Mom’s website also (www.hername.com). There you can learn all about how famous she is for presenting on autism and about her other books. She has a page called ‘blog’ – of which the top two entries are dated in March and May. Just saying.

The title of this book was an immediate draw for me. I.am.so.into.function.

Like, can he DO IT?

The subtitle is even more seductive to  life-occupation-performance-me:
10 Essential Abilities Every Child Needs and Deserves to Learn.

To her credit, Functional Mom mentions OT.   A lot.

And mostly in a positive way.

Functional Mom gets credit from me for ‘getting it’ regarding teaching her son with autism what he needs to, you know, function, in life.

And to be so, uhm, succinct – only TEN skills and your child will be covered for life. Here are the 10 skills, each leading a chapter: Sensory Processing: Making Sense of the World; Communication; Safety; Self-Esteem; Pursuing Interests: The All-Important Art of Having Fun; Self-Regulation; Independence; Social Relationships; Self-Advocacy; and Earning a Living. Well I’d say that about covers it. Life. Just saying.

Here’s where I agreed with Functional Mom:

Research shows us that alternative forms of communication – whether sign language, a picture symbol system, a text-based communication device, or another approach – can actually help a child develop speech. p. 34

Here are a couple of new insights I gained from reading this book:

Use of the term “monochannel”. This refers to a child’s ability to process only one sensory input at a time. (Process roughly defined as ~ receive and respond-to appropriately.)  I thought that simplifying sensory input or decreasing input for a child with hypersensitivity to is pretty common knowledge. Perhaps not. Monochannel seems to accurately describe a very limited ability to respond to one’s environment or other persons.

In the same chapter on sensory processing, FM describes the visual distortions experienced by persons with autism. “Many children are overly sensitive to light.” p. 13  She quotes from another book by Donna Williams.

In Like Colour to the Blind, Donna describes what it was like when she put on tinted glasses (Irlen Lenses), that all of sudden the colors and patterns in the room actually became the window, the curtains, the furniture, and so on. p. 14

    “Wearing tinted glasses may help as well for some children.” p. 15

Wearing sunglasses seems like a simple, inexpensive and worthwhile trial for any child showing autistic behaviors.

I would try it.

I would have also made that last quoted sentence a “Practical Tip” in this book – highlighted and boxed at the top of some pages.

Because otherwise, I found her “Practical Tip”s to be poorly worded and so general as to be unpractical.

When considering your child or student in his environment, or when you are doing a functional behavioral analysis because of challenging behaviors, take into account factors such as the clothes the child is wearing, the light and noise level, and how people are physically handling and touching him. Practical Tip on p. 12

I blame Functional Mom’s editor.

Another not novel Practical Tip: “Starting good habits when young is useful for the long run.” p. 117

FM’s many references to her son with autism give credibility to her efforts to understand the best methods for teaching him. However, her work is caught in the time warp  of reflecting on techniques used over 20 years ago and at the same time admitting her son has not accomplished many of these life skills and he is now an adult.

She ends the chapter on sensory processing with: “A knowledgeable professional can provide therapy and make suggestions for how to help desensitize your child throughout his or her day.” Thankyouverymuch.

Perhaps my primary dissatisfaction with this book is that it did not meet my expectations based on the title, cover and chapters.

FM provides almost no reference to biological (anatomy and physiology) to explain the methods or gains from the methods she purports. In this book she is especially proponent of a particular method of communication without giving much information about the cost and appropriate subgroup this method might benefit. Unlike sunglasses, I find a recommendation like that too broad for a publication – perhaps better suited for a blog.

This book reads like 10 high school term papers from the same student. Not.much.depth. LOTS of quotes and references from well-known authors with autism. With each and every reference, she fully states the person’s name and the book title.

I blame Functional Mom’s editor.

The many references to other authors and the resource list at the back might make perusal of this book worthwhile for some parents.

Functional Mom uses the word “should” too much for my taste. Telling readers what they should or should not do is far too dictatorial and an anathema to my credo for giving parents a chance to make their own decisions regarding their children.

“People with autism have to learn these subtleties” (of culture or idioms). p. 40

“Behavior is communication, but we are not always so good at picking up on what the message is.” p. 5  All very fine, but when behavior is explained in the same context as the result of sensory processing impairments – what she is saying is that without language, the level of communication is very low (expressing discomfort or satisfaction). But she doesn’t actually say that.

I think this book has huge potential for confusing the reader.

Functional Mom and I don’t see motor development the same way. She reports from an autistic adult: “having trouble planning deliberate physical movements, a challenge which is shared by many on the spectrum.” p. 5 Sorry. There is so much wrong with the message in that sentence….volumes on motor development….I would oppose with the following: therapy should be geared toward repetition of movement without thinking about it (vs. deliberate).

She has her sensory systems confused, too. Under body awareness (proprioception with a little vestibular mixed-in) is a story of someone without temperature sensation – a tactile function.

Functional Mom and I don’t agree on how self-esteem is achieved. “Although good self-esteem is a necessary trait in life, rarely does it get mentioned in any curriculum geared toward children on the spectrum.” Self-esteem develops from achievement and is not easily measured in anyone. Self-esteem is a psychological construct. How does that fit into a teaching curriculum?

“A big problem area for many on the spectrum is their lack of organizational skills.” p. 114 [Definitely a cognitive issue.]

“Everything we do in life takes planning and organizing, and should be taught to everyone.” p. 116 [Not always or exactly teachable skills.]

We were told our son was severely autistic, that he was retarded…..No one explained that if his sensory process was out of whack, that could be why he was not learning.” p. 2

“If a child does not appear to understand what you are trying to teach him, do not assume mental retardation.” p. 27

“Children with autism are often misjudged by their erratic behavior ……we conclude that most autistic children must be retarded” p. 34

Functional Mom makes reference to retardation several times in the same way as depicted in the sentences above. As if a diagnosis of mental retardation is more-bad than a diagnosis for being on the spectrum.

I believe the inference from these sentences is that she believes being retarded is worse than being autistic. Looks like she is explaining a “special class system” for who is higher or lower on the class scale.

I think Functional Mom’s expressions in this book reflect a denial on her part that many persons on the spectrum are mentally retarded.

MR means one learns slower than most of the population. Because there are many (physiological or organic) causes for the neural dysfunction that results in MR, learning slowly is not defined by the cause of learning slowly. Sensory processing disorders that interfere with learning can cause a child to learn significantly slower than his peers.

Most children identified as autistic learn slower than their peers.

Language is the primary means for measuring intelligence. The earlier language is learned, the greater potential for identifying the rate of cognitive learning – as either slower or in keeping with one’s peers. 

With a vast amount of support and adaptation and still learning skills typically learned in childhood as an adult, the initial labeling given Functional Mom’s son was accurate.

I interpret her book as a treatise expressing her denial of the very first diagnosis she was given for her son.

I just can’t recommend her book to other mothers.

 Other Books I Have Reviewed 

Comments

[Ecki]

The biggest problem as far as teaching Kayla is that she is both MR and autistic. So not only is trying to get her engaged to learn anything a problem, it also takes her so much longer to learn. It's frustrating.

I've found Steps To Independence (Baker & Brightman) very helpful in teaching Kayla daily living skills. It's pretty much an ABA approach to things, which should work well. (I say should because with some things I just can't get MYSELF motivated to work on).

[The Barbara who lives here]

Thanks so much for a different book recommendation, Ecki. Very helpful to other readers. ABA is an effective method for some teaching for some children and their parents.

I hope you can find some relief from your frustration via working on those things that YOU CHOOSE.

[Danette]

Thanks for the review... I saw this book in the bookstore a while back and meant to look into it, glad now that I didn't buy it :).

[The Barbara who lives here]

Thank you, Danette - hope you won't regret opening the window for me to continue on this post. I thought I was pretty reasonable for recommending why NOT to purchase this book. Still, borrowing it from the local library costs you no more investment than your time.

But time is valuable, too. And if I pick-up a book like this and spend the time to read it, I'm gonna get a post out of it! An honest post. Just like the reviews of treatment techniques I do, I seek to inform. To allow parents make informed decisions on how to use their resources. Their money and time.

Honestly, I doubted my review would influence anyone, but apparently the sisterhood of mothers-with-children-with-autism is more mother-bearish of their own kind than I knew.

Another mommy-blogger took on poor Functional Mom's book reputation with a humorous but weak declaration of love for FM's book just after I posted this. I won't mention any names but her initials are mommaontheedgeofautism.