Have you ever just had a gut feeling about something…
…but then for some reason or another, you went against it?
I remember when I was at university a group of my friends and I decided to house share for our second year.
All of us lived together in our first year apart from one guy.
He lived in separate halls of residence to us, but we knew him well. Dan was one of those, reckless types.
He’d spend his entire student loan on the week it came in…
He’d loose his keys at least once a month…
He had backed up unpaid rent fees…
And he’d always be asking people to lend him money “just for a week”…
But the thing was he actually a really nice guy and very much part of our friendship group.
So even though I felt like he was not the type of guy, we should live with…
And even though my gut told me it would be a bad move and I’d regret it.
You guessed it…
I ignored my gut and agreed to go along with the others and live with Dan.
Fast forward to the first month that our rent was due…
Dan “didn’t have it.”
The rest of us managed to negotiate with our landlady and sort out the problem fairly easily…
Until the next month that is.
This time Dan “needed a loan just until next week.”
As you can imagine a different excuse was given every single month.
And WE were now taking the fall for it!
Why on earth didn’t I go with my gut?
Often parents and carers with autistic children have a gut feeling their child can do something or has a certain skill…
But their child’s therapist, teacher or consultant doesn’t know this, and so they set targets for the child that are much too low.
Then typically what happens is…. You go ahead, ignore your gut feeling that they already know it, you work on the target set by their therapist, teacher or consultant and the child acts out.
Because it’s too easy of course!
But to the therapist, teacher or consultant it seems as though the child doesn’t have the skill at all, hence the behaviour.
Something I have witnessed way too many times.
So, do you trust your gut in these situations?
For tips and strategies to deal with real behaviour difficulties like avoidance, aggression, inappropriate stims or elopement join the ‘Unlimited Autism Success Inner Circle’ …
Parents and carers of autistic children just like you are overcoming their biggest challenges as we speak…
Click below to join them and start getting the very best from your child.
Speak with you soon until then,
Live every moment, Love beyond words and make a difference today
Emma Ottaway
The Ambitious Autism Ambassador
