ERIC Number: EJ1267345
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2015-Sep
Pages: 6
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: EISSN-1757-7438
EISSN: N/A
Autism, the Social Thinking Curriculum, and Moral Courage
Richman, Kenneth A.
Power and Education, v7 n3 p355-360 Sep 2015
Michelle Garcia Winner's Social Thinking Curriculum is widely used by schools across the USA and has garnered attention internationally. The curriculum addresses social language and behavior deficits among those on the autism spectrum. Although many embrace this curriculum without reservation, the emphasis on social conformity, including avoiding behaviors that make others uncomfortable, merits scrutiny. Individuals who have difficulty understanding social cues and conventions can derive tremendous benefit from learning to fit in, for example, or learning what is likely to make others uncomfortable and why. However, too much emphasis on pleasing others can reinforce undesirable tendencies. For example, autism is already linked to avoidant personality disorder. An emphasis on avoiding making others uncomfortable may also inhibit the development of principled ethical thinking and action. Reframing social thinking to treat it not (or not only) as an end in itself, but as a way to achieve a variety of social and personal goals would go a long way toward addressing the weaknesses of the Social Thinking Curriculum.
Descriptors: Autism, Pervasive Developmental Disorders, Social Development, Social Behavior, Teaching Methods, Neurological Organization, Barriers, Inhibition, Reinforcement, Power Structure, Moral Values
SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2814
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A