Either Row or Get out of the Boat!

Have you ever jumped into a canoe and tried to paddle on your own? What about joining another person and they aren't rowing correctly or you are working harder than the other person? Either you work together or you'll end up spinning in circles, getting nowhere. In order to be successful you need to be able to coordinate your actions and work together. It takes a lot of work! Practice is extremely important in order to figure out appropriate turning techniques and other canoeing strategies. If the person in the back rows too hard, they will begin to turn the boat, if the person in the front is rowing on the wrong side, they could keep the person in the back from being able to steer appropriately. Teamwork and practice are both essential!

The same idea applies with working on correcting the core deficits of autism. Often families enter our Center looking for a quick fix. They want to pay some one to fix their child or run into the school and advocate for them and these things will magically make things better. Others make it to the point of hearing and knowing what they need to do, but choose not to implement it. Some families have one person willing to work hard and are implementing strategies, but the other person drops their role. Others want to become the perfect coach to their child, but don't want to practice or are unable to accept guidance in order to become good at implementing the strategies they've learned into their home. Unfortunately none of the above strategies will get you where you want to be or at least not as quickly as you want!

In order to see progress with your child, a lot of work is essential. you'll never hear any of us say that implementing a remediation life style into your home is easy or fast! The more time you put in, the more practicing that you do, the more mistakes you make (and learn from), the quicker both you and your child will make progress. Sitting back and watching your spouse do the work or hoping that just because you know the stuff that your child will make progress just won't work! Just like with canoeing - you either learn and work together or getting to your goal will take much longer! You may get to your intended location, but not nearly as fast if you haven't practiced, planned and implemented what you've learned.

Do you relate to any of the above scenarios? What will it take for you to get in the boat and row or row more effectively?

Until next week!
Michelle