Lena_C
Dystonic pianist
Mapping the language minefield for kids with autism
(not written by me)
Going bananas. Laughing your head off. Phrases that aren’t literally true make no sense if you have autism, like Michael Barton
Why do people with autism, like yourself, find the English language so confusing?
Autistic people think in black and white and therefore interpret everything literally. Ordinary people seem to love using idioms, metaphors and figurative speech, whether to aid communication or simply to make life more interesting, whereas for autistic people they simply make no sense.
Tell me about the time your teacher told you to “pull your socks up”.
I bent down and did just that. Of course the teacher got annoyed and thought I was being cheeky. This is a common problem with children on the spectrum and it is important that teachers understand that the student is simply obeying instructions. At junior school my pencil broke, so the teacher asked me to see if there were any in the cupboard. When I returned, pencil-less, she said “Were there any? ” and I said “Yes, lots”.
What if you saw a sign saying “Passengers are to remain seated at all times”?
I have learned that if a sign seems bizarre, it probably doesn’t mean what it says, so I watch what other people do. If they are all ignoring the sign by standing up and leaving the bus, then I can assume the sign wasn’t meant to be taken literally.
What goes through your mind when you hear expressions like “It cost him an arm and a leg?” or “I gave him a piece of my mind”?
When I hear these, a mental image appears of someone without an arm and a leg, or of someone with some of their brain in their hands giving it to someone else. When I was younger it never occurred to me that there might be another explanation, but now, if something sounds ridiculous, I can guess that it is probably an idiom, and then usually work out the meaning.
Is this what prompted you to write your book, It’s Raining Cats and Dogs: An autism spectrum guide to the confusing world of idioms, metaphors and everyday expressions ?
I originally started drawing pictures at junior school to help me remember what these phrases meant. Before long I had filled a whole folder and people started asking for copies. I hope the book will help autistic kids learn about idioms, and help adults who deal with autistic kids to understand them better.
You say that the only times people speak to you in a clear and concise way are during mathematics and physics lectures, and when you travel to a foreign country.
Communicating science concepts is easy – everyone speaks the same language. When you go to a foreign country people make an effort to speak clearly and without ambiguities, because they know that if they don’t, you may not understand.
You have high-functioning autism. What does this mean for your everyday life?
It means that I have a logical mind and can concentrate and focus for extended periods. It means that I’m good at both science and music. On the other hand, it can be extremely frustrating trying to get ordinary people to understand me.
You think there are many positive aspects to being on the autism spectrum. Could you tell me about them?
When I was 7 my parents bought me a huge K’nex construction kit. I spent the next 5 hours, without a break, constructing an enormous Ferris wheel. This ability to stick at things, combined with the logical thought processes, makes us ideally suited to the modern technological world, whether it be in science, computer programming or mathematics.
There has been a threefold increase in autism diagnoses in California’s Silicon Valley over the last decade. In Eindhoven, the hub for IT and technology in Holland, there are four times as many people with autism than in the general population. This suggests that evolution is actively selecting autistic genes because they are of substantial benefit to modern society.
https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn21657-mapping-the-language-minefield-for-kids-with-autism/
(not written by me)
Going bananas. Laughing your head off. Phrases that aren’t literally true make no sense if you have autism, like Michael Barton
Why do people with autism, like yourself, find the English language so confusing?
Autistic people think in black and white and therefore interpret everything literally. Ordinary people seem to love using idioms, metaphors and figurative speech, whether to aid communication or simply to make life more interesting, whereas for autistic people they simply make no sense.
Tell me about the time your teacher told you to “pull your socks up”.
I bent down and did just that. Of course the teacher got annoyed and thought I was being cheeky. This is a common problem with children on the spectrum and it is important that teachers understand that the student is simply obeying instructions. At junior school my pencil broke, so the teacher asked me to see if there were any in the cupboard. When I returned, pencil-less, she said “Were there any? ” and I said “Yes, lots”.
What if you saw a sign saying “Passengers are to remain seated at all times”?
I have learned that if a sign seems bizarre, it probably doesn’t mean what it says, so I watch what other people do. If they are all ignoring the sign by standing up and leaving the bus, then I can assume the sign wasn’t meant to be taken literally.
What goes through your mind when you hear expressions like “It cost him an arm and a leg?” or “I gave him a piece of my mind”?
When I hear these, a mental image appears of someone without an arm and a leg, or of someone with some of their brain in their hands giving it to someone else. When I was younger it never occurred to me that there might be another explanation, but now, if something sounds ridiculous, I can guess that it is probably an idiom, and then usually work out the meaning.
Is this what prompted you to write your book, It’s Raining Cats and Dogs: An autism spectrum guide to the confusing world of idioms, metaphors and everyday expressions ?
I originally started drawing pictures at junior school to help me remember what these phrases meant. Before long I had filled a whole folder and people started asking for copies. I hope the book will help autistic kids learn about idioms, and help adults who deal with autistic kids to understand them better.
You say that the only times people speak to you in a clear and concise way are during mathematics and physics lectures, and when you travel to a foreign country.
Communicating science concepts is easy – everyone speaks the same language. When you go to a foreign country people make an effort to speak clearly and without ambiguities, because they know that if they don’t, you may not understand.
You have high-functioning autism. What does this mean for your everyday life?
It means that I have a logical mind and can concentrate and focus for extended periods. It means that I’m good at both science and music. On the other hand, it can be extremely frustrating trying to get ordinary people to understand me.
You think there are many positive aspects to being on the autism spectrum. Could you tell me about them?
When I was 7 my parents bought me a huge K’nex construction kit. I spent the next 5 hours, without a break, constructing an enormous Ferris wheel. This ability to stick at things, combined with the logical thought processes, makes us ideally suited to the modern technological world, whether it be in science, computer programming or mathematics.
There has been a threefold increase in autism diagnoses in California’s Silicon Valley over the last decade. In Eindhoven, the hub for IT and technology in Holland, there are four times as many people with autism than in the general population. This suggests that evolution is actively selecting autistic genes because they are of substantial benefit to modern society.
https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn21657-mapping-the-language-minefield-for-kids-with-autism/
