There’s a big difference between a compliant autistic child and an autistic-fully-recovered.

A compliant autistic will stop “isming” because his strict parents or therapist told him to. But he will still have sensory issues and will still have difficulty socializing and making friends.

An autistic-fully-recovered will stop “isming” because he chooses to. He does not cling on to “isms” anymore because his parents/friends have not only allowed him to “ism” but have also joined and enjoyed “isming” with him.

When we started our son-rise program, 4 months ago, Nathan and I could “ism” away with a book for more than 2 hours before he chose to interact with me. Now, he knows how it feels to “ism” with a book and ignores it. If ever, he will pick a book up momentarily, “ism” for a minute, then drop it and move on.
Less “isms” means more social interaction.

Nathan has a long way to go, but I know we’re going the right direction. We’re on our way to full recovery. One day, Nathan will be able to hold decent conversations, he will have a best friend, and he will be able to do whatever he wishes to pursue.

Www.autismtreatment.org

“ism” definition – exclusive, repetitive behavior

My definition of “ism” – anything that takes your child away from interacting socially and allows him to withdraw into his autistic world. It could be as simple as drawing by himself or talking to himself.