I guessed right :-)

[Karin]

Quote from Understanding: The Free Therapy

"Autistic kids learn social behavior much better from things like movies, books, and Nintendo games--you know those things that they fixate on, quote from, and obsess over--things you're supposed to limit or take away altogether?

For me, movies are a great social learning tool because they're non-threatening, they require no response, the viewer is invisible to the players in the movie, the stories illustrate major issues of human life, AND they can be rewound and replayed. I learn important social lessons from movies."


This so confirms my own impression of what my spectrum daughter gets out of watching Disney Channel endlessly. Even before I knew of her being on the spectrum I told people I had a suspicion she learned about life from watching those shows.

Some of the episodes are actually hard for me to watch as they involve people misunderstanding each other, being mean, feeling embarrassed, etc., but I can see that as you watch the episode many times, the situations feels less difficult for my oversized empathy to deal with. Same thing for my daughter. Thankfully I never tried to cut down on her tv time, sensing she needed it.

 

[NothingToSeeHere]

I've never thought about it that way before, but it is true in my case too. I learnt a lot about social behaviour and how other people think from fiction as a child (my special interests are always books), and still do to some extent. I can remember acting out social situations from my books at school as a child when I didn't know how to act, and figuring out other peoples actions and feeling by thinking about how my favourite character behave and think.

It's great that you are so understanding of your daughters needs

 

[Progster]

Yes, I think it's certainly true. Growing up in the 80s, I learnt some important lessons on things like sarcasm from Blackadder, and about sexual innuendos - not sure if that's a good thing or not!

 

[tree]

"I didn't have the language to create a character, but I could act out a character, I could become that character, I could learn about other points of view from that character..."
Sounds like me.

Good article (content).
Hard to read because the text goes all the way
from one side to the other of the screen. Too
wide---for me.
Understanding: The Free Therapy

 

[Epicurean Pariah]

Quote from Understanding: The Free Therapy

"Autistic kids learn social behavior much better from things like movies, books, and Nintendo games--you know those things that they fixate on, quote from, and obsess over--things you're supposed to limit or take away altogether?

For me, movies are a great social learning tool because they're non-threatening, they require no response, the viewer is invisible to the players in the movie, the stories illustrate major issues of human life, AND they can be rewound and replayed. I learn important social lessons from movies."


This so confirms my own impression of what my spectrum daughter gets out of watching Disney Channel endlessly. Even before I knew of her being on the spectrum I told people I had a suspicion she learned about life from watching those shows.

Some of the episodes are actually hard for me to watch as they involve people misunderstanding each other, being mean, feeling embarrassed, etc., but I can see that as you watch the episode many times, the situations feels less difficult for my oversized empathy to deal with. Same thing for my daughter. Thankfully I never tried to cut down on her tv time, sensing she needed it.

K, we can teach our children well, and allow them to travel the path of their choosing, I don't know what the question is, but I am sure that the answer is, education, and love is the way.

 

[Epicurean Pariah]

Yes, I think it's certainly true. Growing up in the 80s, I learnt some important lessons on things like sarcasm from Blackadder, and about sexual innuendos - not sure if that's a good thing or not!

P, I don't think there is bad or useless knowledge. Like how to set up an avatar on an old I phone and a balky old man. Your a good dude and an asset to this forum, just like the Samba is an as$ set to music. Ha hA.

 

[Datura]

I always thought that was the main purpose of story telling. We are drawn to stories because they are entertaining, but the fact we find them entertaining is a result of the evolutionary advantage they confer. It is, after all, much better to learn from the foibles of others than it is to make our own mistakes, especially when those mistakes could have serious and life treateneing consequences. The fact that so many stories focus on social interaction makes sense as humans are ultimately social creatures, and weather we realize it or not, socialization is extremely complicated. Fiction allows us a means via which to postulate various scenarios and play them out thereby preparing us for real life situations.

 

[Epicurean Pariah]

I always thought that was the main purpose of story telling. We are drawn to stories because they are entertaining, but the fact we find them entertaining is a result of the evolutionary advantage they confer. It is, after all, much better to learn from the foibles of others than it is to make our own mistakes, especially when those mistakes could have serious and life treateneing consequences. The fact that so many stories focus on social interaction makes sense as humans are ultimately social creatures, and weather we realize it or not, socialization is extremely complicated. Fiction allows us a means via which to postulate various scenarios and play them out thereby preparing us for real life situations.

Datura, your avatar is an unusual variety of Datura?
Oh, I agree totally. For me this format compels me to slow the thoughts down, to savor the thought. I was so delighted to put a name on my lifetime of issues, to know what was wrong. I was liberated by simply knowing. I looked at lists of others that have Aspers now. Interesting list, but I then wondered historical figures that seemed symptomatic of Aspers. Well Datura there is no other way to say it, I am empowered, I am strong, I have all the tools. I have and have had, good compatriots for my chosen path. Instead of dithering my life away, Aspers well being and advancement is my mission. Like all the veterans that simply help each other. I want to instill Asper pride or at least confidence.

 

[Progster]

P, I don't think there is bad or useless knowledge. Like how to set up an avatar on an old I phone and a balky old man. Your a good dude and an asset to this forum, just like the Samba is an as$ set to music. Ha hA.

Agreed. Knowledge is generally good, though I can think of one or two exceptions. Knowledge is power.

By the way, I'm female.

I always thought that was the main purpose of story telling. We are drawn to stories because they are entertaining, but the fact we find them entertaining is a result of the evolutionary advantage they confer. It is, after all, much better to learn from the foibles of others than it is to make our own mistakes, especially when those mistakes could have serious and life treateneing consequences. The fact that so many stories focus on social interaction makes sense as humans are ultimately social creatures, and weather we realize it or not, socialization is extremely complicated. Fiction allows us a means via which to postulate various scenarios and play them out thereby preparing us for real life situations.

Yes, this is true. For example, in Victorian times, stories and fairytales were a way of teaching morals and social values, and the parables in the Bible were a means of teaching Christian moral values (btw, I hold no religious beliefs, so no bias here). Fairytales are just as popular today, and the morals that they teach are just as relevant. I guess this is one reason why Disney productions are so popular.

 

[AsheSkyler]

Horror movies also have a value in teaching social skills. Don't go into a room when the light switch isn't working, genetic experiments aren't always a good idea, and ALWAYS LOOK UP. Or maybe that last one was a D&D lesson?

 

[Karin]

I always thought that was the main purpose of story telling. We are drawn to stories because they are entertaining, but the fact we find them entertaining is a result of the evolutionary advantage they confer. It is, after all, much better to learn from the foibles of others than it is to make our own mistakes, especially when those mistakes could have serious and life treateneing consequences. The fact that so many stories focus on social interaction makes sense as humans are ultimately social creatures, and weather we realize it or not, socialization is extremely complicated. Fiction allows us a means via which to postulate various scenarios and play them out thereby preparing us for real life situations.

For me, I think, stories have always mostly been a means of escape. Reality is a bit overwhelming for me and I need a time out more than learn how to navigate. I seem to have known how most of my life, but oh to deal with the overload of impressions...

This may be what I have intuitively understood about my children, the need to get away. My daughter is into television series and my son has been into computer games, mostly Mine Craft, since about the time he could read. He is also left alone in his room by his computer for longer than most parents would judge healthy but he is not into violent games or too real Fantasy.

 

[Progster]

TV shows like Grange Hill were really good for learning about social relationships amongst children and teenagers when I was growing up.

 

[Epicurean Pariah]

Agreed. Knowledge is generally good, though I can think of one or two exceptions. Knowledge is power.

By the way, I'm female.



Yes, this is true. For example, in Victorian times, stories and fairytales were a way of teaching morals and social values, and the parables in the Bible were a means of teaching Christian moral values (btw, I hold no religious beliefs, so no bias here). Fairytales are just as popular today, and the morals that they teach are just as relevant. I guess this is one reason why Disney productions are so popular.

Progster, I should hit on the Avatars first, I am just beginning to figure all this new stuff out. If you were a dude you would be a good dude, but now you are a great gal, and I'm my opinion am excellent human being. Thanks.

 

[Mia]

This so confirms my own impression of what my spectrum daughter gets out of watching Disney Channel endlessly. Even before I knew of her being on the spectrum I told people I had a suspicion she learned about life from watching those shows.

Someone I know did the same thing as a child, they learned about people, ideas, human relations in general from television. They are especially fond of any westerns they saw as a child, as well as comics.

 

[Epicurean Pariah]

My husband did the same thing as a child, he learned about people, ideas, human relations in general from television. He's especially fond of any westerns he saw as a young boy, as well as comics.

The children are experiencing, the fantasy and interpreting the fantasy as what reality is.

The normal people will have difficulty accepting an eccentric as an integral member in their society.

General society loves artists to be eccentric, perhaps an artistic skill can be developed to motivate as well as monetize in the future.

 

[Karin]

General society loves artists to be eccentric, perhaps an artistic skill can be developed to motivate as well as monetize in the future.

Couldn't agree more and I am already working on that Ida already shows talent in composing as well as dancing, has several ideas for plays she wants to write and direct, want to make YouTube videos and to run a web show. With my own lack of good experience to show for trying to fit into the business world (good money, poor health, horrible fit) I'd much rather encourage her artistic talents. She'll have so many stories to tell once she's back in her body and able to talk and walk again. I told her to remember me in her speech when she receives the first reward for one of her movies

 

[Harrison]

My husband did the same thing as a child, he learned about people, ideas, human relations in general from television. He's especially fond of any westerns he saw as a young boy, as well as comics.

Same here; although I expected life to be underscored by music, good guys to wear white whilst the bad guys wore black, and for love to be unrequited.

Which ended up being true until I found out I was an aspie

This thread just gave me a 'wow' moment as I realise that I underscore my own life. My major stim is that I assign music to every person or event.

 

[Mia]

My major stim is that I assign music to every person or event.

So I'm guessing that 'Once upon a time in the west' and Ennio Marconi's music where characters have their own personal themes sometimes intertwining with others, appeals to you as much as it does to my husband? When I mentioned the movie to my husband just now, he got very excited and hummed all the characters themes, then told me the director, composer and quickly told me the names of all the actors and actresses

 

[Harrison]

So I'm guessing that 'Once upon a time in the west' and Ennio Marconi's music where characters have their own personal themes sometimes intertwining with others, appeals to you as much as it does to my husband? When I mentioned the movie to my husband just now, he got very excited and hummed all the characters themes, then told me the director, composer and quickly told me the names of all the actors and actresses

That sounds perfect to me