The “Hidden Curriculum” Revealed at Free Parenting Series workshop
School and life aren’t just ABCs and 1-2-3s. There are all sorts of unwritten social rules and expectations of behavior that we all seem to learn as we grow up, without being taught them.
For example, most students know that it’s not a great idea to tell an off-color joke in front of a teacher, even if the joke was funny in the locker room, or that it’s not a smart idea to argue with a policeman – even if he is wrong.
No one ever explains these things, yet most of us readily adjust our behavior, knowing what the consequences are for breaking these invisible, “hidden” rules. Individuals who have ASD do not come equipped with the natural ability to understand the “hidden curriculum” beyond ABCs and 1-2-3s. As a result, they break a lot of social and behavioral rules without intent or even knowledge that they are doing so. Further, difficulty in generalizing information from one situation to another leads them to making the same mistakes over and over again at a tremendous social cost.
Autism consultant and former special education teacher Mary Graczyk-McMullen will explain the “hidden curriculum” and how parents and educators can help children learn to adapt to what most of us take for granted in order to get along in the world.
The session will be held on Saturday, January 9th, 2010, 9:30 - 11:30 am at Nicolet High School, Glendale. Register by sending an email with your name and contact number to info@assew.org or by calling 414-427-9345. All Parenting Series sessions are free and open to parents, relatives, educators and professionals. Refreshments are served. Child care is not provided.