Simulations and Analogies for Understanding Autism

John Muir Elementary School in Washington took a creative approach to teaching (typical) students about disabilities. A series of simulations were set up to enable typical students to experience what it might be like to be hard of hearing, dyslexic, or autistic. I was particularly fond of the simulation where a student puts on head phones that belt out a story while at the same time an adult asks the student questions--that's a nice way of simulating the sort of auditory processing "stuff" I'm quite familiar with.

In my own life, I've found giving people a way to understand my experience of the world--just as much as them giving me a way to understand their experience of the world, both are necessary!--significantly improves my interpersonal relationships and interactions. It is hard though for anyone to understand an experience they have never had; in fact, it can be hard to even recognize a difference in experience. I was nearly 30 before I realized I was processing sound differently from others--before then I thought other people just had better coping skills than I, or were "stronger"--more able to "hold up" under the terrible pressure of noise.

"You know the cocktail party effect?" I now will ask people. "Imagine what it would be like if you weren't able to do any of that selective filtering, and all you heard was the jumble of all voices, at equal precedence." Such things help a lot of people understand I'm not just being selfish or cranky or difficult when I insist on meeting in a quiet location, or at my home.

The simulations at John Muir Elementary School, like the head-phone-and-question simulation, are better than my analogy because they give people a sensate, rather than simply imagined, experience. According to the broadcast, Youth Awareness Disability Assemblies that does the simulations can be contacted at yada4schools@msn.com.

The news report (both autism and Asperger's are explicitly named) includes a video of the original TV broadcast, as well as the healthy message that people with disabilities are whole people and one should take care to "walk a mile in their shoes" before making assumptions.