Autism and Presuming Competence: What We’ve Learned About the Autistic Community
Happy World Autism Day! On this day and throughout April, a lot of information circulates regarding autism. Sometimes it is hard to understand what information is helpful and what posts and articles spread misinformation about the Autistic community. But don’t worry; we are here to help guide you in the right direction!
With updates in research, we have learned that sensory processing and motor planning differences primarily characterize autism. Research has shown that it is not a cognitive disorder. However, because many Autistics are non-speaking and thus can’t communicate their intelligence, people often think they are unintelligent. We have learned this is incorrect. Speech requires motor skills. You have to move your mouth and tongue to speak. You can be brilliant and know what you want to say, but you can’t get your oral motor system to cooperate. However, many people do not know this, leading to the harmful assumption that if one can’t speak, one must be unintelligent.
Similar assumptions are made when Autistic individuals are seeking or avoiding sensory input. The assumption is that if a person is flapping, jumping, spinning, running, covering their ears, or demonstrating any other sensory seeking or avoiding behavior, then they are “attention seeking” or choosing to “act out.” However, we now know that many of these actions are involuntary due to differences in brain mechanisms that impact motor-impulse control. There are difficulties with the brain-body connection. Essentially, that means the brain has difficulty communicating with the body and telling it what to do, and the body has difficulty relaying sensory information to the brain. Therefore, an Autistic individual’s body may perform sensory seeking or avoiding actions necessary for their sensory systems to regulate so their body can effectively intake and respond to sensory information from the environment.
Thankfully, because of updates in research and Autistic individuals being provided with more opportunities to communicate in other ways (e.g., spelling and typing), we have learned that they are intelligent and that most of the “behaviors” we see are due to sensory and motor differences in the brain.
This has led to a whole movement surrounding the phrase “Presuming Competence.” But what exactly is presuming competence? It means that Autistic individuals are bright, thinking, and capable, and you should treat them as such. It means you should interact with them in age-appropriate ways. It means that “non-speaking does not mean non-thinking.” We should Presume that Autistic individuals are Competent and can understand what we are saying to them and that they do not have a cognitive or developmental impairment (keeping in mind that this doesn’t reflect potential additional diagnoses). At the same time, it doesn’t mean one should assume competence, which is interacting with them under the assumption that they know everything. They may still need to be taught concepts, but presuming competence means teaching age-appropriate material in age-appropriate ways. Autistic persons may need help regulating their sensory system or getting their motor system to respond to their brain, but that doesn’t mean they don’t understand you and the world around them. They should be provided with the same opportunities to learn as their peers.
Interventions and adaptations can be provided within therapy and learning to help their brain and body connect, and their sensory system regulate. Interventions providing proprioceptive input, vestibular input, or other sensory input may be necessary, along with interventions that practice motor planning, initiation, and inhibition. When learning, Autistic individuals might need to bounce on a therapy ball or walk around a classroom so they can engage their sensory system while learning information.
At Perfect Harmony Health, we firmly believe in “Presuming Competence” in Autistic Individuals. We address sensory and motor needs with our Autistic clients. We provide them with age-appropriate material, and we give them opportunities to advocate within their treatment. As Neurologic Music Therapists ®, we have a powerful tool to assist with sensory regulation and motor skills: rhythm. You will often see us working a lot with a metronome to provide rhythmic input, which can help with sensory integration and prime the motor system to improve motor skills. You can learn some more about updates in autism research and how we use rhythm in treatment by visiting another of our blog articles: The Autism Spectrum: A Changing Perspective.
Stories from Autistic persons have given their parents, teachers, and therapists a new insight into the Autistic mind. What was once considered standard in autism research is no longer the norm. To grow with the autism community and best support their needs, we must listen to them and adapt our treatment to meet their needs.
But you shouldn’t take it from me; you should listen to them! Below are resources, videos, and blog posts from Autistic Individuals sharing their stories and what it means to presume competence. We also included some resources from Autistic advocates. As we celebrate Autism Acceptance Day, please listen to and read the stories of Autistic individuals and share them with your friends. Together we can lead the world to more acceptance and make the world a more inclusive place.
Reece, a client of PHH, discusses his sensory and motor difficulties and how Neurologic Music Therapy ® and the Presumption of Competence in treatment has impacted his life. He also asked that we include a couple of videos of his recital performances of “The Cup Song” and “Happy Birthday” for your enjoyment!
