2015: Promoting Curiosity and Exploration

"The future belongs to the curious. The ones who are not afraid to try it, explore it, poke at it, question it, and turn it inside out."

I loved being a kid. I remember poking things to see if they would move or change, adventuring to new locations, and simply touching fabrics in the store to see how they would feel as I trailed behind my mother and sister. These little moments of curiosity and discovery were significant learning events and too numerous to count. 

I find it fascinating and perplexing that one of the hallmarks of autism seems to be a significant difference in the experience of that CURIOSITY and subsequent exploration.  

When I mention curiosity, I am talking about that drive and that thirst for knowledge the propels us into the unknown with excited anticipation. That understanding that if we keep going, even when unsure, we may learn something new that will make life more interesting, engaging, efficient, or enjoyable. This is certainly not the "rule," but a generality, of course.  I meet people everyday who have autism who are certainly curious about many things, but those things are often decidedly different things than many others around them. And...honestly, this is exactly why I absolutely love so many of the people in my life who have autism. Their experience of curiosity is so different than my own. It seems so much more fragile most of the time.... until it takes hold. Then once it takes hold, it is a more powerful drive than any other for that person with autism. A child who may seemingly be so solitary and disengaged who then learns everything there is to know about trains or bridges. Then there are nonverbal children who may seem to not be paying attention who can manipulate any lock or electronic device.

Our human existence depends on curiosity combined with healthy common sense. For some reason, we are not yet fully able to understand, autism changes the brain's drive for knowledge and seemingly, the ability to perceive typical amounts of uncertainty as welcome challenges. 

Instead, uncertainty is often met with a drive for certainty, sameness, and a reduction of challenges to calm the internal system. 

Therefore, when a child's drive and thirst for knowledge (or intrinsic motivation) in not at full throttle, we are left following their lead versus being able to lead them into new realms of exploration and learning. Following a child's lead, of course, is necessary much of the time for early healthy attachment and development. However, the tables do need to turn (so to speak) for a child to learn from mentors, guides, and teachers in his life about the world and himself. 

A child's intrinsic motivation must be present for true learning to take place. Otherwise, we resort to trying to motivate a child using external motivators (rewards) for behavior that becomes more compliance based, lacking the drive for further investigation and learning.

Our goal for children with autism should be to:  

1.  Connect first - find out what motivates them, where they are with regulation and interest

2.  Provide tiny everyday moments to expand thinking and curiosity about the things that matter right then, in that moment (e.g., if they are lining up cars, add a truck - is a part of the schema? add a duck - is it the color that matters or the vehicle?) 

If you are truly curious about your child's mind, chances are, your child will propel himself into that curiosity, too.

3.  Continue to expand that curiosity and create a back and forth rhythm to your engagement and stretching of that muscle into next activities, new experiences, and new learnings.

Here is a positive article on promoting curiosity with children with autism, however it does seem more geared for fairly verbal children.  The concepts are clear, however, I just recommend using much less verbal language due to auditory processing needs.

"Curiosity is the wick in the candle of learning." - William Arthur Ward.

I will put this in "autism world terms," that intrinsic motivation must be at the root of learning. Beautifully, everyone's curiosity (or intrinsic motivation) is different. It is our job to spark or light that curiosity in children with autism in a way that feels manageable and intriguing!

Our themes this 2015-th year will center around books and poems written to spark that curiosity and intrigue while the hard work will be in the smaller moments between you and your child or student with autism. 

Questions?

Barb Avila

503-432-8760
bavilaconsulting@gmail.com