Unhelpful thoughts and autism

I thought I would touch on this aspect of autism because this is something a lot of people on the spectrum experience without really understanding that they are doing it – or they do but have started so can’t stop themselves.

There is one significant thing about people on the spectrum.  And it tends to be their black and white thinking.  We have encountered this difficulty with Johnathan much more recently.  If you say that something is probably not going to happen, he takes it as “you haven’t said no, so you actually MEAN yes, even though you didn’t say the word.”  

You see, I was doing it unthinkingly, trying to let him down gently, but it doesn’t work like that.  With somebody on the spectrum you need to be clear because their black and white thinking brains decide for them.  And yet, and yet…..

There are actually situations when the black and white thinking is actually HELPFUL.  Yes, I DID say helpful and meant it.  You see, people who created computers were able to make calculations that were right or wrong and so they designed them like that – binary.  It’s either yes or no and there is nothing in between.

Johnathan was listening to a book being read out loud on his ipad today and I was amazed to discover that PEOPLE were computers and made the calculations for astronauts to be able to go around the earth, and then get to the moon and back safely.  It is, or it isn’t.  They can get there or not.  We can factor in all the details or we can’t.  

Now I will admit that computers have evolved dramatically from what their intention was at the beginning.  And that’s ok.  Because technology changes as we grow and develop and allow the “big thinkers” in the world to DO what they need and develop things.  And with everything they do, it’s right or wrong, yes or no, it works or it doesn’t.

So yes, sometimes black and white thinking can be troublesome, but in the end it will help the people around them and then more and more people and possibly eventually the world.  For example, I can’t see Johnathan grow up to be a mathematician, but I CAN see him either animating or writing as he grows up.  But then children change, interests grow and develop and the child ends up doing something else instead.  And that’s ok.  I don’t mind whatever he does as a job as long as it’s his choice and he’s happy!