Having been in his shoes I understand how exciting it is to be in front of others but at the same time I felt there was something missing. Turns out from other reports the mother didn't sign a permission slip for him to be in play nor did she take him to rehearsals.
Regardless of what happened I wanted to see the whole thing and decide for myself what was "fair."
That is the full 12 minute play.
In the video I saw each child having one turn up at the microphone, patiently waiting their turn, and adhering to the rules of the play. High functioning children on the spectrum usually are very strict rule followers, the like routine and consistency. I did not see this in Caleb at all, what I saw is a child who probably does not have strict rules at home and is allowed to get away with stuff because he is on the spectrum.
I know and have seen first hand that children on the spectrum can follow the rules when firm limits and boundaries are set. These children are the ultimate rule testers and will push to see how much they can get away with until they have full reign.
It is OKAY to set limits, children (all children, not just ASD kids) crave rules and limits. It teaches them safety skills, social skills, and many others as well.
I did not realize this until the final weeks of my internship and my group sessions went a lot better once I had rules in place and adhered to those rules.
Do not be afraid to say "no" (but preferably in a different wording) to your child. They need to hear that.
Tell your child what they can do, but don't tell them if it is not adhering to the rules in place.
Follow the rules and you will be successful.
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